H4 P3 Persuasion in Literature

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

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. 

Read The Way Up to Heaven

video

18:11 

22:05

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