ENG 125 Week 1 Discussion 1

 Prepare: Prior to writing your initial post, read Chapters 1 through 3 of Journey into Literature.

 Reflect: Chapter 1 of our course textbook provides a number of reasons why people choose to explore literature and the importance storytelling has played in the human experience. Skwiot and Clugston (2019) write that “literature enriches our lives by challenging us to have new perspectives on life’s experiences and the world in which we live” (Chapter 1, para. 2). The textbook gives a number of general motivations for reading, but it is helpful to put those motivations into context. Consider what your motivations are for reading.

 Write: In your post, answer at least three of the following questions:

• What does literature offer an individual?
• 
  
• How has the importance of reading changed from earlier eras (pre-digital/audio/visual media) to our present-day? Do you think we read differently now than we did in prior generations?
• Do you think Skwiot’s and Clugston’s quote is valid? How can literature challenge our perspectives and why is that valuable, if at all?
• What causes people’s perceptions regarding the value of literature to change?
• Incorporate paraphrases and quotations from readings found in Chapters 1 through 3 of our course textbook to help illustrate the points you make. For help on writing paraphrases and quotations, review
  the Ashford University Writing Center’s tutorial Integrating Research (Links to an external site.)and the Quoting, Paraphrasing, & Summarizing (Links to an external site.)web page.

Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length, not including references.

Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Each response should be at least 75 words in length and address two or more of the following points:

• Do you agree with your classmates’ perspectives? Why, or why not? Be specific.
• Ask a specific question to encourage further discussion on the topic.
• Challenge your classmates’ interpretation of literature and/or point of view.
• Do a small amount of research and share what you learn with your peers about the topic discussed in this post.