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After reading a story like "Masses of Men," you'll have many different thoughts
about it: its purpose, its meaning, its artistry. In order to support your
conclusion about it, you're going to need to know the details of the story.
One way of mastering the details of a
story is to take notes.
There are many ways to take notes on stories. Some of them focus on the events;
some, on the characters. The kind of notes you take will differ depending on the
nature of the story itself and your purpose for taking notes.
One way to take notes
is to make a flowchart of the events in the story if the story is told chronologically.
"Masses of Men"
Hugh Miller worked
for street railway company for 26 years.
Promised comfortable
pension by company.
Hoped for promotion.
Didn't get it.
Told he'd have a
pension one day when he retired.
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Because this story shifts its focus from one character to another in the middle, you might
want to reflect that shift in your notes.
Hugh |
Cora |
| Hugh Miller worked for
street railway company for 26 years. |
|
| Promised comfortable
pension by co. |
|
| Hoped for promotion. |
|
| Waited 12 years to
marry Cora. |
|
Married Cora. |
| Rented alley house. |
| Had three children. |
Didn't get promotion. |
|
Stopped talking. |
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Killed in workplace accident. |
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Body sent home. |
Cora asked policeman for help. |
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Cora
worried she didn't have enough $ for burial and food. |
Body buried in unknown spot. |
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No $ from co. in a month. |
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No one in co. had heard of Hugh. |
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Cora went home. |
You
would go on in this way, making entries on Cora's side.
Another method organizes the information by the character, the information you have, and
the conclusions you draw about him or her.
"Masses
of Men"
| Character |
What s/he
did |
What s/he
is like |
| Hugh |
Worked
for street
railway company for 26 years;
Promised comfortable
pension;
Hoped for promotion;
After waiting 12 years, married Cora;
Rented alley house;
Fathered 3 children;
Didn't get promotion;
Stopped talking;
Killed in work
accident;
Body sent home;
Buried in unmarked
grave;
Company denied
knowing of him. |
Loyal worker
Optimistic
Responsible
Depressed
Unlucky
Useless
Unimportant
Unappreciated |
| Cora |
|
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You
would proceed in this way, writing about all of the characters and what you can conclude
about them based on the information you are given about what they do, what they say, what
they think, and what they look like.
Some people use circles and make a separate circle for each character, writing next to the
character everything you know about him or her. Others use outlines.
There are many other ways to
take notes, too. The important thing to do is try to capture in writing and organize
visually the important information you will need to know about a story.
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