Reading "Two Kinds" with Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002) Peer Tutor Grey Peters

In this article, the Board of SASS interviews Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002) peer tutor Grey Peters. We hope that this article will help current and future Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002) students in their academic journey!

When did you take Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002)?

I took JE002 last year (2019-20) as an 8th grader, and my teacher was Dr. Farnoosh Fathi.

What did you enjoy about Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002)?

There were so many good things about JE002 so it’s honestly hard to pick a few things! The discussions in class were really engaging and helped you to discover things about the text that you never would have been able to on your own! It was wonderful to see how everyone’s input contributed to the overall discussion. The texts themselves were also one of the things that made JE002 such a fun class! From Two Kinds to Animal Farm, JE002’s readings were filled with nuance and details that required you to read the story multiple times before you found them.

What challenged you the most in Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002)?

How did you overcome those challenges? The Graded Writing Assignments, or GWAs, were probably the hardest part of JE002. Coming from schools where the major writing assignments were longer but not necessarily graded harder, I needed to narrow down my ideas, focus on my main point, and cut out plot summary. GWAs are not graded lightly, but I think the harder grading really helped to move me forward in my writing. The Writing and Tutoring Center and your teacher’s office hours are a great place to take your GWA (whether it’s a full draft or just an outline). Having an instructor or peer tutor look at your paper can really help you to improve those areas that are typically harder for you!

What tips do you have that could be useful to students taking Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002)?

Paying attention and trying to contribute in discussions is really important to both your understanding and enjoyment of JE002. I also found that instead of passively reading through one of the texts, taking notes on it as you go can help your ideas to form as you’re seeing the material for the first time. Hopefully this should not only help you with getting your ideas, but it will also make your life a bit easier in the case that you decide to write an essay on that passage.

About how much time did you spend a week working on assignments and preparing for discussion sessions in Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002)?

I typically spent around 5 hours a week working on JE002, though it went upto 8 or 9 when there was a big paper like a GWA.

What did the typical week in Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002) look like?

In JE002, you usually started the week preparing for the first discussion by doing the reading and then spending some time answering the questions for the reading journal. The homework (usually a few deeper questions on one of the week’s passages and is generally about a paragraph or two in length) was due Wednesday/Thursday before the second discussion session (though this may have changed since I took JE002). You often have another reading or two before the second lecture that you will discuss on day 2. When you have a GWA, that week also includes several hours working on your draft as well as a couple WTC appointments and office hours.

What was your favorite topic covered in Fundamentals of Literary Analysis (JE002)?

My favorite topic covered in JE002 was either the poetry unit or Animal Farm. Analyzing the poetry was really interesting because of the subtleties and metaphors that are already behind most poems. With Animal Farm it was interesting to work on literary analysis with a “longer” book, given that you usually read either short stories or a poem in JE002.

Do you have any resources (i.e. study tips, useful websites) to share with students who want to take the course?

The WTC and your teacher’s office hours are super helpful for any class, but for JE002 these are especially important! Booking appointments with the writing instructors to go over drafts is highly recommended.

Grey Peters is a peer tutor for Fundamentals of Literary Analysis and can be found on the Writing and Tutoring Center.

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