Synthesis 3: Annotate.

While reading a piece of literature that one might not like, one often grows drowsy and falls asleep.  In order to fight this urge, one must annotate!  Annotations are an effective method to force oneself to be engaged in the text. Though many teachers wish for students to use annotations as a method to enhance the reading and gain a deeper meaning of the story, I have found that I usually don't understand the text enough to get to that level. I find difficulty in just reading itself, so annotations are an effective way for me to actually read the text rather than resort to sparknotes.  There really is no defined cookbook method for how one should annotate, but there are some guidelines I can offer.  When encountering a passage that is at first ambiguous and hard to understand, I like to summarize what I read in small chunks and then try to piece my small chunks together to form that bigger picture. I also write down questions as to what is confusing me, so that I can maybe ask someone about it or come back to it later.  Then when things get a little less hazy and things like archetypes, symbols, and motifs are more obvious, I note these things when they occur. The culmination of these small notes then contribute to my overall conclusion about what the theme in the piece might be.  Elements of DIDLS can be incorporated as well. If one stumbles upon distinctive diction, imagery, details, language, or syntax, one should take note of these things! These annotations could contribute to a class discussion and maybe help one  retain the text for a longer time.