Soapstone
SOAPSTone Analysis Form
Speaker
Who is the Speaker?
The voice that tells the story.
Non-Fiction – the author/speaker and any background information that might bear upon his/her text.
Fiction – the narrator, not the author, and any implied traits or characteristics that might influence the text.
Students should go beyond merely identifying the Speaker by name (occasionally, none will be given). They should be able to apply outside knowledge to Speaker, or infer traits from the text itself.
Occasion
What is the Occasion?
The time and the place of the piece; the context that encouraged the writing to happen.
Non-Fiction – the event that triggered the response
Fiction – the primary, specific event being discussed (summary)
Students should contextualize historical events or the “environment of ideas” that led to a text being produced. Students should also be able to summarize the events in a few words or phrases.
Audience
Who is the Audience?
The group of readers/listeners to whom a piece is directed.
Non-Fiction and Fiction – the specific person, small group, or larger group a piece is aimed at
There may be multiple audiences, and the audience(s) may need to be discovered through student inference of the level of discourse in the text, the diction, the connation of chosen words, and the traits of the Speaker.
Purpose
What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text?
Non-Fiction – what the Speaker wants the Audience to think or do as a result of reading/listening to the piece
Fiction – the larger “point” being examined in the piece; the “theme” presented
Students should apply social, cultural, historical, etc. perspectives to a text to discover what the author/Speaker is attempting to reveal about those perspectives. They should be able to examine the logic of the argument and/or the themes and interpretations being presented.
Subject
What is the Subject?
The general topic, content, and ideas contained in the text.
Non-Fiction and
Speaker
Who is the Speaker?
The voice that tells the story.
Non-Fiction – the author/speaker and any background information that might bear upon his/her text.
Fiction – the narrator, not the author, and any implied traits or characteristics that might influence the text.
Students should go beyond merely identifying the Speaker by name (occasionally, none will be given). They should be able to apply outside knowledge to Speaker, or infer traits from the text itself.
Occasion
What is the Occasion?
The time and the place of the piece; the context that encouraged the writing to happen.
Non-Fiction – the event that triggered the response
Fiction – the primary, specific event being discussed (summary)
Students should contextualize historical events or the “environment of ideas” that led to a text being produced. Students should also be able to summarize the events in a few words or phrases.
Audience
Who is the Audience?
The group of readers/listeners to whom a piece is directed.
Non-Fiction and Fiction – the specific person, small group, or larger group a piece is aimed at
There may be multiple audiences, and the audience(s) may need to be discovered through student inference of the level of discourse in the text, the diction, the connation of chosen words, and the traits of the Speaker.
Purpose
What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text?
Non-Fiction – what the Speaker wants the Audience to think or do as a result of reading/listening to the piece
Fiction – the larger “point” being examined in the piece; the “theme” presented
Students should apply social, cultural, historical, etc. perspectives to a text to discover what the author/Speaker is attempting to reveal about those perspectives. They should be able to examine the logic of the argument and/or the themes and interpretations being presented.
Subject
What is the Subject?
The general topic, content, and ideas contained in the text.
Non-Fiction and