Rules for Writers ch.46 Summary

     In chapter forty six of Rules for Writers Diana Hacker explains how to actively read, summarize, and analyze text. To actively read you should annotate the text by writing questions and statements about the meaning and mood of that sentence, word, or paragraph. You could also annotate portions of the text that you thought were most interesting to you. 

     Another way to actively read is to reread Diana asks "What do you notice on a second or third reading that you didn't notice earlier?" (pg 347). From your annotations you can "sketch a brief outline of the text" (pg 350). In your outline you should state the authors thesis, unbiased main ideas, and contrasting ideas. These steps lead you into analyzing a text which will ultimately teach you how to write an analytical essay.

     Analyzing a text is similar to summarizing but different. Analyzing is more than just stating a thesis and main ideas its the process of understanding the texts roots and getting inside the authors head. You can do this by annotating the text but this time ask deeper questions like "How does the author structure the text? What are the key parts and how do they relate to one another and to the thesis?" (pg 353). Diana wrote this to help you distinguish the difference between summarizing and analyzing. These skills will help you one day to write a successful analytical essay.

     The way Diana wrote chapter forty six it was very easy to read and understand. The way I plan to integrate this information into my own writing is to annotate, summarize, and analyze myself. I will write an essay then a day later come back to it and reread and annotate to see if its clear and focused. Using these three processes will also be helpful when I read other writings from students in class because I believe the better you get at summarizing and analyzing the more improvement in your own writing you will see. Repetition is key to success.