The document provides reading response prompts for students to consider as they read Paul Auster's autobiographical work "Portrait of an Invisible Man". It instructs students to submit a 300 word response by the next class date, even if they cannot attend class, in order to receive credit. The prompts ask students to think about how they would categorize the genre of the text, how the author represents himself and investigates his family/past, the central questions of the work, and the author's reflections on the writing process.
The document provides reading response prompts for students to consider as they read Paul Auster's autobiographical work "Portrait of an Invisible Man". It instructs students to submit a 300 word response by the next class date, even if they cannot attend class, in order to receive credit. The prompts ask students to think about how they would categorize the genre of the text, how the author represents himself and investigates his family/past, the central questions of the work, and the author's reflections on the writing process.
The document provides reading response prompts for students to consider as they read Paul Auster's autobiographical work "Portrait of an Invisible Man". It instructs students to submit a 300 word response by the next class date, even if they cannot attend class, in order to receive credit. The prompts ask students to think about how they would categorize the genre of the text, how the author represents himself and investigates his family/past, the central questions of the work, and the author's reflections on the writing process.
Remember
there
is
no
class
October
28th!
If
you
will
be
absent
for
our
November
4th
class
because
of
the
Bayram
holiday,
make
sure
to
email
me
your
reading
response
before
our
scheduled
class
time
to
receive
credit
for
the
response.
Remember
that
completing
these
responses
counts
towards
your
exam
grades.
Think
about
these
questions
as
you
read
Paul
Austers
Portrait
of
an
Invisible
Man.
Then
respond
to
the
reading
(in
at
least
300
words):
you
dont
have
to
answer
all
of
the
questions,
or
even
address
any
of
them
in
your
response.
There
are
no
real
right
answersthe
prompts
are
just
meant
to
guide
your
reading
and
thinking.
If
there
is
something
interesting
in
the
text
that
youd
rather
respond
to,
go
ahead!
We
will
talk
about
these
questions
and
your
responses
in
our
class.
1. Austers
Portait
of
an
Invisible
Man
is
an
interesting
text
in
many
ways,
one
of
which
being
its
cross-genre
appeal.
How
would
you
categorize
the
text?
Is
it
a
memoir?
Autobiography?
Realist
fiction?
Documentary?
Non-fiction?
What
elements
of
these
genres
can
you
see
in
the
text,
and
what
role
do
they
play?
How
does
genre
effect
how
you
as
a
reader
understand
the
text?
Would
you
read
the
story
differently
if
it
were
labeled
fiction,
and
the
main
character
was
named
something
other
than
Paul
Auster?
2. In
the
text,
Auster
spends
a
great
deal
of
time
investigating
himself,
his
past,
and
his
family.
What
does
it
mean
for
a
writer
to
search
through,
seek
out,
and
investigate
both
family
and
the
past?
How
does
Auster
represent
himself
as
a
writer,
son,
and
father?
What
does
he
use
to
represent
his
own
father?
What
does
he
seek
out
and
discover?
What
is
missing?
How
does
he
conduct
his
search
and
what
alternative
roles
might
he
play.
(For
more
inspiration
and
direction
regarding
this
question,
see
question
1
at
the
bottom
of
page
99)
3. In
an
interview
Auster
said
I
dont
think
of
[this
text]
as
an
autobiography
so
much
as
a
meditation
about
certain
questions,
using
myself
as
a
central
character.
As
you
(re)read,
keep
this
statement
in
mind.
What
would
you
identify
as
the
questions
at
the
center
of
this
meditation?
Where
and
how
does
Auster
define
himself
as
a
character?
What
role
does
this
character
play
as
you
process
the
information
he
gives
about
his
father?
4. Portrait
of
an
Invisible
Man
is
a
text
marked
by
distinctive
formal
features,
such
as
line
breaks,
photographs,
excerpts
from
newspaper
articles,
and
grammatically
unique
introductory
sentences
to
paragraphs
(for
example,
Earliest
memory:
his
absence.
[62]).
Austers
prose
is
distinctive,
unusual,
and
experimental;
he
mixes
narrative,
report,
and
reflection.
Think
of
these
features
in
relation
to
what
Auster
says
about
writing
about
a
person
and
about
the
past.
Why
do
you
think
Auster
chooses
this
unique
form
of
writing?
What
effect
does
it
have
on
you
as
a
reader?
5. In
this
text,
Auster
invites
you
to
think
about
his
problems
as
a
writers
problems,
not
simply
as
family
problems,
ethical
problems,
or
psychological
problems.
As
you
(re)read,
look
for
the
points
where
Auster
speaks
directly
about
his
work
as
a
writer,
and
the
problems
he
faces
in
writing.
What
are
those
problems?
How
are
they
writing
problems?
How
does
he
solve
or
attempt
to
solve
them?
Do
you
like
the
inclusion
of
his
reflections
on
the
process
of
writing?
Can
you
learn
anything
about
writing
from
reading
Austers
reflections
on
writing?