Perspective

Perspective: defined as per-spect-ive, as per vision. When approaching the reading, interpreting and responding of a text, a reader brings his or her personal perspective, i.e., ways of viewing and understanding a text based on background experiences and knowledge of how to read, interpret and respond to texts. This might be called a personal perspective. Some students have claimed that their "opinion" should count. Periodically, I ask students: "Do all opinions count?" Many of the students nod or murmur "yes," although others wait, intuiting a trick question. No, I state, all opinions do not count based on actions we see, e.g., we do not respond to all opinions; logistically, if all opinions count then no opinions count. But more importantly, I urge the students to describe how opinions count: the answer includes how evidence is used (or is not used) to support the opinions, or claims.

The notion of claims supported by evidence is key. In terms of constructing practices with students that will lead them to become more conscious readers, interpreters and responders of texts, the construct perspective is pivotal. From whose perspective is a claim made? To whom? For whom? Under what conditions? For what objectives or proposed outcomes? In other words, context of the reading, interpreting or responding event is key.

Literary conversations grow interesting as multiple readers submit claims, particularly ones supported by textual evidence. These claims may represent multiple perspectives and only through negotiation do these claimants potentially arrive at new understandings. We can't know what we don't know; we may not see other perspectives because of our experiences and knowledge lead to selected ways of seeing, understanding, etc.