© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers PowerPoint by JoAnn Yaworski West Chester University A Community of Readers, 3/e Roberta Alexander and Jan Lombardi Chapter 7 Inferences and Reading Literature Dealing with Gender

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Inferences zInferences = Assumptions based on the information we have about an event, a person, or a written passage. zIf when reading, you use your previous knowledge of the world and information provided by the author, you can often come to well-founded, accurate conclusions. zVisual aids assist us in making inferences.

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Inferences from the Written Word Textbook authors use inference in two ways: yThey report on their own inferences/conclusions about data and concepts. yThey provide data and insights from which the readers can make further inferences.

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Inferences and Irony Sometimes, writers infer the opposite of what they write. yExample A brother comes home from work at 8:00 p.m. and he has not had dinner. You might say, “He’s not hungry.” The rest of your family would probably laugh because they all know you mean the exact opposite, that he is starving.

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Connotation and Denotation zConnotation = The positive or negative feelings evoked by a word. zDenotation = The precise meaning of a word, literal meaning, or dictionary definition. yExample xDenotative meaning of family People related by blood or marriage. xConnotative meaning of family Positive = A family is a group of caring and loving relatives. Negative = You can choose your friends, but not your family.

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Reading Literature Images and Inferences yImages = Sense pictures in words based on sight, taste, sound, touch, and smell. yFigurative language creates images by making direct or implied comparisons between two unlike things. ySimiles use the words like or as. yMetaphors compare something known with something unknown without using the words like or as.

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Reading Poetry zA poem, a combination of images, rhythm, and rhyme, creates a dominant impression for the reader. zLike making inferences, interpreting poetry asks the reader to find meaning based on the evidence provided.

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Reading Fiction zCharacters = The people in the story. zPlot = The action of the story. zSetting = The time and place the story occurs. zViewpoint = The perspective from which the story is told. zTheme = An interpretation of life experience based on the outcome of the story.

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers “Sex, Lies and Conversation” by Deborah Tanner zWhich points of analysis of men’s and women’s communication styles in Tanner’s article were new to you? zHaving read about differences in women’s and men’s conversational styles, will you infer different meanings from communications with the opposite sex? Explain and give an example.

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers “Sex and Gender” by William E. Thompson and Joseph V. Hickey zWhat is the difference between sex and gender? zFrom your own observations and experience, how do you think children develop their gender identity? zHow much influence do you think parents have over this process? zWhat has influenced you in terms of your own identification of gender roles in society?

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers “The Men We Carry in Our Minds” by Scott Russell Sanders zHow can you explain the differences between these authors in the way they perceive the power that men and women have over their lives? zWhat do you think about each position? How are these positions different from yours? Why? “Why I Want a Wife” by Judy Brady

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers “The Chase” by Alberto Morazia zWhy do you think this man’s feelings toward his wife have changed over the years? zWhy do you think this man’s feelings toward his wife change again as he watches her through the window and then follows her to her rendezvous? zWhy doesn’t the man do anything at the end of the story? zWhat do you think will or should happen next?

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Reader’s Checklist 3Inference 3Irony 3Connotation 3Denotation 3Images 3Figurative Language 3Simile 3Metaphor 3Dominant Impression 3Characters 3Plot 3Setting 3Viewpoint 3Theme

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Visit the Web The Web sites below provide more information on the theme of dealing with gender. yGender and Society ( yCenter for Women’s Global Leadership ( yThe Men’s Issues Page (

© 2003 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Publishers Visit the Alexander/Lombardi Companion Website