H4 P3 Persuasion in Literature

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Read The Way Up to Heaven

The Way Up to Heaven

18:11 

22:05

learning goals

• I can identify how persuasion can be used in literature. 
  
  
• I can analyse the persuasive techniques of a short story. 
  
  
• I can give a persuasive explanation of The Way Up to Heaven and its moral dilemma. 

How does persuasion work in literature?

Persuasion in literature

Authors use persuasion to influence the way we feel about certain characters and their decisions. 

Moral dilemmas: when a character faces a difficult choice, often with no clear right or wrong answer. These force the reader to question their own beliefs. 

The Way up to Heaven: we either sympathize with Mrs Foster's actions or we disagree with them. 

In pairs

Think about a book or a movie where a character faces a moral dilemma. 

How does the story persuade us into feeling a certain way about the character's decision? 

In groups of 3/4 discuss:

1. Does Mrs. Foster’s background (and social status) make her actions understandable?  (Ethos – Character & Credibility)

2. How does Roald Dahl use emotions to make us feel empathy or resentment toward Mrs. Foster? (Pathos – Emotional Appeal)

3. What logical arguments could be made for and against Mrs. Foster’s decision? Does the story suggest a clear moral conclusion, or does it leave room for debate? (Logos – Reasoning & Critical Thinking)

What would've happened if she had been caught? 

Would that change your view?

Exam preparation

Prepare a persuasive explanation about The Way Up to Heaven as if this were your oral exam (about 1-2 min long).

First: individually (!!!) fill in the handout to prepare your explanation.

Exam preparation

• Practice your explanation in pairs (about 1-2 min each).
• One of your is the presenter and the other the examiner. 
• The examiner has to give you feedback on your presentation (and ask follow-up questions if necessary).

Exam preparation

• Some students will give their explanations to the class.
  
• The others all act as "examiners" and will give feedback:
  
  

- Were they convincing? Why or why not?

- Did they use ethos, pathos, or logos effectively?

- How could they improve their explanation?

Self-reflection