Author's Attitude
When reading, it is always important to figure out the author's purpose and attitude. Since the
author may not come right out and say his or her purpose, the reader must look for hidden
meanings. A good reader must evaluate underlying assumptions and recognize bias, emotional
language, or propaganda that the author uses to make his or her point. When possible, it is also
helpful to think about the author's life and what events might have made him or her feel a certain
way.
Questions to ask yourself about the author's attitude:
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What is the author's purpose in writing? (to entertain, inform, persuade, direct)
Has the author presented all sides of an argument or issue?
If so, is the article balanced toward all points of view or biased toward one point of view?
Are there enough facts to support each side?
Can you trust what the author says?
Is the author being fair?
Does the author use words that seem angry or overly excited?
Ethnicity in Literature
In life, variety helps to keep things from getting too boring or dull. When you are exposed to
another person's culture (a way of life slightly different from your own or what you are used to),
it helps you learn and discover things you might not have tried to learn on your own.
The same can be said for literature. If you have grown up reading only a certain type of story
from a particular kind of author, you could get bored from reading the same type of story over
and over again. For example, if you were to read only comedies from a certain author who writes
about New York, you might start to become familiar with his or her humor and the way he or she
writes. But, if you were to read another comedy written by an author who writes about Texas,
you might get a different sense of humor just by the change in location. The similarities and
differences between Texans and New Yorkers could make some very funny stories! In addition,
it could also give you a different take on how you see either Texans, New Yorkers, or the two
states.
But why stop there? What if you were to read from a Chinese author who writes about life in
China? There is a great distance between New York and China, but there is also a pretty big gap
if we were to apply the same idea to literature. The similarities and differences between an
author who lives in Texas and writes about Texas compared to an author who lives in China and
writes about China could be even greater than just the distance across the globe. If the
differences between a New York author and a Texas author are big, the difference between an
American author and a Chinese author must be huge. But the only way to find out is to try.
By being open to literature from other countries, you can become aware of the similarities and
differences in your own culture as it compares to the rest of the world. For example, it might be
easy to imagine what a school day is like in Florida and that it is probably the same type of
school day that takes place in California. But what about a typical school day in Africa? How
would a typical school day in Africa compare to a typical school day in Florida? You might
discover that the two are different in how long students have to stay in class, but you could also
find that students in Africa might enjoy their time outside of school more than school itself,
much like kids in Florida.
For example, read the following passage to see how the author puts her own take on a typical
eating experience.
Dining in Uptown
by Catriona Barone
In Uptown, you can eat at Cafe Fresh, a classy, yet quick restaurant. In the spring,
you can sit on the lush garden patio, next to a beautiful fountain. In the winter, you
can sit inside by a stylish fireplace. The menu includes healthy salads, soups, pasta,
hamburgers, and much more. All items are affordable, delicious, and quickly
prepared.
Another charming restaurant in Uptown is Mario's. This is where I go for a taste of
home, back in Italy. Mario's serves a variety of pizza, calzone, and sub sandwiches.
The cooks have found the perfect balance of sauce, cheese, and bread. The calzone
takes me back to my grandmother's kitchen. I can imagine Nonna rolling out the
dough, smearing her sauce, placing the homemade mozzarella cheese, and adding the
sausage. The calzone at Mario's is baked in a wood-burning oven, just like Nonna's.
The inside of the restaurant is not meant to impress, but it is comfortable and cozy.
You can sit at a nicely worn booth or a small, square table. Do not expect real dinner
napkins or tablecloths; you won't find either. You will have to serve yourself at the
drink machine and pull your tiny napkins out of a holder. The filling, flavorful food
totally makes up for the restaurant's plain appearance.
There are plenty of good places to eat in Uptown. Do not be afraid to try
something different. You just might find a new favorite or an old classic.
The first paragraph sets the tone for the audience when the author says, "In the spring, you
can sit on the lush garden patio, next to a beautiful fountain. In the winter, you can sit inside by a
stylish fireplace." These descriptions let the reader know that they will learn about pleasant
dining experiences.
In the second paragraph, the author describes Mario's as a place she goes for "a taste of home,
back in Italy." The author tells how the calzone that Mario's serves reminds her of her nonna's
kitchen. She writes, "I can imagine Nonna rolling out the dough, smearing her sauce, placing the
homemade mozzarella cheese, and adding the sausage. The calzone at Mario's is baked in a
wood-burning oven, just like Nonna's."
When an author writes about his or her own cultural or ethnic background, he or she does so
for many reasons. One reason may be to show readers something they might not have thought
about before. Doing this makes the readers aware of the similarities and differences in their own
cultural and ethnic identity as compared to those of the author. In the end, ethnicity and culture
in literature makes the audience better readers and people. The world of literature is filled with
diversity—just like the real world!