SHSAT: Literary reading: a flaw, a turning point and a new view
Learn to explain why a character wants to hide a flaw, find the moment that changes their view, read key words in context, and see why an author orders events as they do.
How do you read a story in which a character changes their mind about something they wanted to hide?
Short answer
Name what the character thinks the flaw means at the start, find the person or event that offers another view, and track the action that shows the new view. Read key words in context, since a familiar word may carry a less common meaning.
Know first: Character motivation, Using context clues for word meaning
Step 1 of 5
Start with what the character thinks the flaw means
Many stories turn on a character who wants to hide a flaw: a mistake, a scar, a crack, a wrong note. Questions ask why they want to hide it, what changes their mind, and what the final action shows.
At the start, look for how the character judges the flaw, in the character's own words or actions. That judgment is the motive. Then find the turning point, often another character's words or an unexpected event, and the new action that shows the change.
| Stage | Ask | Typical evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Start | What does the character think the flaw means? | What the character says about it or does with it |
| Turning point | Who or what offers another view? | Another character's words, an unexpected event |
| After | What does the character do differently? | Leaving the flaw visible, talking about it openly |
When a question asks why one event comes before another, ask how the first event sets up the second.
Step 2 of 5
Follow the change through a scene
An excerpt
Rosa's clay bowl came out of the kiln with a thin crooked ridge where she had pressed too hard. She set it at the back of the shelf, behind her classmates' smooth cups1. Her teacher picked it up and turned it in the light. “You can see exactly where your thumb was,” he said. “It's the only piece on this shelf I'd know from across the room.”2 Before the art show, Rosa moved the bowl to the front3. When a visitor asked about the ridge, Rosa said it was her favorite part4.
- Start: she hides the flaw and compares it with smooth work.
- Turning point: the teacher offers a new view of the ridge.
- After: the new action.
- She now claims the flaw instead of hiding it.
Worked example: What does the teacher's comment do?
What is the main purpose of the teacher's comment in the Rosa excerpt?
- AIt criticizes Rosa for pressing too hard.
- BIt presents the ridge as what makes the bowl stand out.
- CIt tells Rosa to smooth the ridge before the show.
- DIt compares Rosa's bowl unfavorably with the smooth cups.
- 1
Look before and after it
Before the comment, Rosa hides the bowl. After it, she moves the bowl forward.
- 2
Name what it says
He says the ridge makes the bowl the one he would recognize from across the room, something the smooth cups don't offer.
- 3
See why the others are there
A misreads his tone; he describes the ridge with interest. C gives an instruction he never gives. D reverses his comparison: he says the ridge makes the bowl stand out from the smooth cups.
Answer
B. It presents the ridge as what makes the bowl stand out.
Find the wrong step
A student answers: In the Rosa excerpt, what does “turned it in the light” show about the teacher?
- 1
Rereads the sentence and the one after it.
- 2
Notes that the teacher then talks about seeing where the thumb was.
- 3
Concludes that he is checking for a crack that might make the bowl unsafe.
What went wrong
Nothing in the excerpt mentions safety. The next line shows he is studying the ridge with interest.
The fix
He turns the bowl to look closely at the ridge, which sets up his comment that it makes the bowl stand out.
Step 3 of 5
Read the words and the actions
Check yourself · Question 1
Dana gave a flat answer when her brother asked to borrow her bike: no. In this sentence, flat most nearly means
Answer: B
Her one-word no is direct and final, so firm fits.
Check yourself · Question 2
Ben always sat in the back row at band practice so no one would hear his clarinet squeak. Then the director said the band needed a stronger clarinet sound and asked Ben to play the opening line on his own. His first try squeaked. Weeks later, at the spring concert, Ben stood up and played the opening line alone. Which detail most clearly shows that Ben has changed?
Answer: D
Standing to play alone in front of an audience shows Ben no longer hides his playing.
Trap answer: The director asked him to play the opening line.
The cause of the change, not the change
- Why it looks right
- It's the key moment in the excerpt, and the question is about change.
- Why it's wrong
- The question asks what shows Ben's change. The director's request causes the change, but it isn't Ben's own action.
- The right answer
- Standing up to play the line alone is the action that shows the change.
Common mistake
I picked the most common meaning of the word.
- Why it's tempting
- The everyday meaning comes to mind first, and it is usually one of the choices.
- Do this instead
- Put each choice into the sentence and reread it. Keep the meaning that fits what is actually happening in the scene.
Step 4 of 5
What to remember
Remember
- Name what the character thinks the flaw means at the start.
- Find the turning point, then the new action that shows the change.
- For word questions, test each meaning in the sentence and keep the one the scene supports.
Step 5 of 5
Practice on a real question
Use what you just learned on this question, then check the explanation.
In your own words
In the practice passage, what did the character think the visible line meant at first, and which sentence tells you?