SOAPST #2

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read"
By: Francine Prose

Analyzing and comprehending a piece of literature are extremely important factors in interpreting the text. A simple way to break down the text in a piece of literature can be to use the SOAPST. In the essay "I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read," Francine Prose is the speaker. This essay was published in the year of 1999 September in Harper's (occasion). Prose wrote this essay to appeal to everyone (audience). It is much necessary for people to understand the problem with education today. She grabs her audiences' attention by giving them evidence in the beginning of her essay. The purpose "I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read," was written was to inform and to persuade the people the bad decisions they are making with the literature reading lists for high school students. The main idea Prose accomplishes in this essay is the critique of quality of required reading for high school students (subject). To catch the reader's attention she appeals to ethos as a mother of two sons (automatic ethos). Yet, the audience is unaware of the fact that she is a professional writer (building ethos). The evidence that is used throughout the essay was from surveys and the summaries of each novel, which showed her knowledge for the stories (appeals to logos). The tone she gives throughout the essay is familiar (easy to understand), disappointed, and certainly sassy. Also, her essay was noticeably bias towards changing the educational reading system.