Chat GPT & Literary Extract Analysis

Posted on June 20, 2023July 10, 2023 by Jennifer Brooke

Uses for Chat GPT:

Developing close literary analysis skills is one of the learning outcomes in the IB Language A courses. These skills are assessed on the Individual Oral Exam and the Paper 1. There are a few ways Chat GPT can help students develop these skills, but there are also some implications we need to consider as educators.

Provide sample extract analysis outlines & responses
Developing students understanding that there are different ways to structure an analytical response
Appreciate the role of the guiding question in providing a focus for the response
Provide immediate feedback
Generate guided analysis questions for an extract

Implications for Teaching Practice

Easy to engage with the definition of “logical progression” of a structured analysis and the ways in which this can be subjective based on the indiviudal critical reader and their personal response.
Prioritize guiding questions that require a personal response, such as analyzing the effects of choices on a reader.
Formulate guiding questions that include more complex features of analysis, such as the way in which irony is built up in the extract, the role of the narrative perspective in creating effects, or a question about tone.
Allows students to develop more confidence in their ideas, either individually or in small groups, before presenting to the class.
Provides students with more opportunities to practice their analysis and evaluation skills with immediate feedback and illustrative exemplars.
Analysis skills may need to be assessed with unseen extracts in controlled assessment conditions to evaluate students’ analysis skills.
Goal setting, positive reinforcement, and active coaching are important to motivate students and protect their mental health.

Sample Guiding Questions that elicit a personal response:

Discuss how the writer’s use of comparisons transforms the reader’s perspective on love.
Explore how does the writer develops sympathy for the protagonist’s internal conflicts.
Discuss the ways in which the cultural references in the extract develop a sense of intimacy or distance for a reader.
Discuss the role tone plays in developing your initial impressions of the protagonist.

Chat GPT Guided Analysis Response

Here are two sample guided analysis responses I asked Chat GPT 3.5 and 4.0 to produce on an extract from the “Prologue” of The Nickel Boys.

The extract begins, “Even in death the boys were trouble.” and ends with “You can hide a lot in an acre, in the dirt”.
The guiding question is: Discuss the ways in which irony is built up in the passage and its effects.

ChatGPT 3.5 Response

In the passage from The Nickel Boys, author Colson Whitehead masterfully constructs irony through a series of contrasting elements and unexpected revelations. Through the vivid depiction of a secret graveyard and its juxtaposition with the plans for a lunch plaza, the passage explores the hidden horrors of the past and the deliberate attempts to erase them, ultimately highlighting the ironic nature of the situation.

The passage opens with the statement, “Even in death the boys were trouble,” immediately setting a tone of irony. Death is typically associated with peace and finality, but here it is portrayed as a continuation of the troubles faced by the boys during their lives. This irony is reinforced by the location of the secret graveyard on the north side of the Nickel campus. It is described as a “patchy acre of wild grass,” a stark contrast to the planned lunch plaza, which is intended to be a neat and orderly space with water features and a concrete bandstand. The irony lies in the fact that the bodies of the boys, who were once deemed troublemakers, now pose an expensive complication for the real estate company and the state’s attorney, disrupting their plans for development and forcing a new inquiry.

The passage further explores irony through the discovery of the graveyard by Jody, a student from the University of South Florida. Despite being buried for decades, the secret graveyard remained hidden until Jody noticed that “the dirt looked wrong.” This unexpected revelation adds a layer of dramatic irony, as the bodies were concealed for so long, even from those who were supposed to be in charge of the facility. It is ironic that it took a student, an outsider, to bring the truth to light, exposing the negligence and abuse that had occurred.

Another instance of irony arises from the existence of the official cemetery, called Boot Hill, where the Nickel Boys were buried with marked crosses and names. While this seems like a solemn and respectful place for the deceased, it is revealed that identification is difficult, with seven bodies remaining unnamed. The irony lies in the fact that the official cemetery, which should provide dignity and remembrance for the boys, falls short in achieving this purpose. The incomplete records and haphazard nature of the graves reflect the disregard and negligence with which the boys were treated, even in death.

The passage culminates in the revelation that the white concrete crosses from Boot Hill were smashed into pieces, symbolizing the deliberate attempt to erase the boys’ history and memory. This act of destruction reinforces the irony of the situation—the official cemetery meant to preserve the boys’ legacy is desecrated, while the secret graveyard, which represents their hidden suffering, becomes the key to their redemption. Jody’s excitement upon finding her first remains in the secret graveyard further highlights this irony. Her discovery of the unmarked burial ground provides a sense of validation, as the irregularities and signs of violence in the remains contrast with the official cemetery’s veneer of respectability.

Through the use of contrasting images, unexpected revelations, and deliberate attempts to erase history, the passage from The Nickel Boys skillfully builds irony. It exposes the irony of death perpetuating the troubles faced by the boys, the hidden horrors of the secret graveyard juxtaposed with plans for a lunch plaza, the failure of the official cemetery to provide proper remembrance, and the desecration of the white crosses. These ironies serve to underscore the injustices and the systemic failures that allowed such abuse to occur and the ongoing struggle for truth and justice.

Chat GPT 4 Response

In Colson Whitehead’s “The Nickel Boys,” the author employs irony as a powerful narrative tool, effectively amplifying the grim reality of the setting and events and invoking a profound sense of injustice in the reader. The contrast between the idyllic outward appearances and the horrific secrets buried beneath the surface forms the backbone of the ironic build-up.

From the onset, the reader is introduced to a secret graveyard on the Nickel school campus, a location planned for a lunch plaza replete with water features and a bandstand. The irony is palpable: a place earmarked for leisure, joy, and community, ironically conceals the horrific history of buried, forgotten boys who suffered untold atrocities. This initial irony is a subtle mockery of the state’s and real estate company’s intentions to erase history and disregard the lives that were lost.

The irony deepens when the narration shifts to Jody, an archaeology student. The fact that it takes an outsider, an archaeology student in search of field credits, to discover the grave, is ironically shocking. These boys’ existence and death had been overlooked and forgotten by the community and state, underlining the tragic irony of their neglected humanity.

Moreover, the official cemetery, aptly named ‘Boot Hill’, reveals further irony. The Nickel Boys, influenced by the Westerns they watched before their unfair internment, named the cemetery after the films’ often climactic burial scenes. Ironically, these boys became the very casualties they watched in their films. The nonchalant attitude of the South Florida students who carry on the name despite having never seen a Western, juxtaposed against the tragic significance it bears for the boys, reinforces this irony.

The irony of the Nickel Boys’ fate is underscored by the uncovered fragments—bones, belt buckles, and soda bottles—depicting a blend of everyday life and horrific death. The everyday artifacts, such as soda bottles and belt buckles, contrast sharply with the morbid remnants, such as bones. The boys’ ordinary pastimes stand in stark, ironic contrast to their untimely deaths.

Moreover, the fact that some remains are identified through a competitive spirit among the archaeologists is bitterly ironic. The drive to reveal the boys’ identities arises from a game-like contest rather than a sense of empathy, justice, or moral duty, illustrating a harsh irony in the treatment of these boys, even in death.

Finally, the discovery of the secret graveyard—unmarked, nameless, containing the bodies of boys who suffered even more horrendous abuse—is perhaps the ultimate irony. Its discovery by Jody, while she was seeking something as mundane as a cell signal, contrasts sharply with the profound revelations it held. The professor’s remark, “You can hide a lot in an acre, in the dirt,” ironically comments on society’s ability to conceal its darkest secrets beneath an innocuous facade, concluding the narrative with a chilling irony that encapsulates the book’s tragic themes.