Guided Analysis-"Death by Landscape"

Ok folks. You’ve had some time to read Margaret Atwood’s “Death by Landscape.” It’s a cool story, eh? There are a lot of layers to this little text, and our job is to peel them away like a big onion. We are going to embark on the first steps toward the analytical writing process that we will be learning together this year.
So, you should have marked up your story as you followed the steps on the Guided Reading sheet. You should also have a nice list of at least 10 observations. Now what?
Your job is to now consider how all of these pieces relate. What’s the big idea here? How does Atwood use all of these pieces to create the larger MEANING of the story? It’s time to ask the most important question of all: SO WHAT?

Here’s your task:
1. Choose one of the elements from the “During Reading” section of the Guided Reading sheet (character, plot, setting, point of view etc.) and write about what you see and what you notice about that element. Use your notes and use the text. Incorporate lots of evidence from the story. Be specific. Language matters.

2. Next, explain why your element matters. How would the story be different if your element was altered? For example, if you are writing about setting, what would be lost if the story were to take place in another location? If you are writing about point of view, what would be lost (or gained) if the story were told from another perspective?