Source: ENG 101 tutorial slides, UC Berkeley Accelerated Reading and Composition
Tags: discussion paper, literary analysis, what why how, close reading method, text analysis, group discussion, English composition, analytical framework
A strong discussion paper follows a three-step analytical method: identify what the author is saying, ask why the author is making those choices, and examine how the language itself delivers the meaning. The goal is to generate multiple analytical points from even a short assigned passage, building toward a larger paper topic.
Exposition
The introductory material in a narrative that establishes setting, characters, and background. In discussion papers, identifying expository passages helps you understand what the author is laying down for the reader early on.
Close reading
The practice of analysing a short passage in detail, focusing on word choice, sound, punctuation, and structure rather than summarising plot.
What / Why / How framework
A three-part analytical method for discussion papers. What catalogues the author's content. Why interprets the author's purpose. How examines the craft and technique used to achieve that purpose.
In a group discussion (typically three people per chapter), divide the assigned pages so each person covers a couple of pages with no overlap.
Review the tutorial slides before you begin. Key concepts and issues for the chapter are listed there, and these serve as your starting framework.
You are also free to identify your own points beyond what the slides list.
Read your assigned pages and list every notable detail: character descriptions, contrasts, settings, dialogue cues, shifts in tone.
At this stage you are collecting observations, not yet interpreting them.
Even two pages of text should yield more than two distinct points if you read carefully.
Once you have your list, ask why the author included each detail.
Look for authorial intent: is the author building a character, establishing a contrast, foreshadowing a theme, setting up a relationship?
This is where your observations become analytical claims.
Focus on the craft: word choice, the sound and rhythm of words, punctuation, sentence structure, imagery.
The how is the evidence that supports your why. It grounds your interpretation in the text itself rather than in speculation.
A thorough discussion of even a short passage will naturally point toward a larger theme or paper topic.
The discussion is not an end in itself. It is a staging ground for identifying arguments you can develop in a formal essay.
⚠️ The what/why/how framework is the core method this course expects you to use in discussion posts and analytical papers. Markers look for all three layers, not just summary.
⚠️ A common mistake is stopping at "what" (plot summary) without pushing into "why" (interpretation) and "how" (craft analysis). This is the difference between a weak and a strong discussion contribution.
⚠️ Even a two-page passage should generate multiple analytical points. If you only have one observation, you have not read closely enough.
Q: What are the three steps in the analytical framework taught for discussion papers in this course?
A: Identify what the author is saying (catalogue details), ask why the author makes those choices (interpret purpose), and examine how the language delivers the meaning (analyse craft and technique).
Q: Why is it important to go beyond summarising "what" happens in an assigned passage?
A: Summary alone does not constitute analysis. The course expects you to interpret authorial intent (why) and ground that interpretation in specific language choices (how), which is what distinguishes a strong discussion contribution from a weak one.
Q: How does a discussion of a short passage connect to a larger essay assignment?
A: A close discussion of even two pages will surface themes, contrasts, and patterns that point toward a viable paper topic. The discussion acts as a staging ground for identifying arguments you can develop at essay length.
discussion paper, close reading, literary analysis, what why how method, analytical framework, text analysis, English composition, ENG 101, group discussion method, authorial intent, craft analysis, word choice analysis, paper topic generation, UC Berkeley