Questions to ask yourself as you read the ‘hermit crab ...
Brenda Miller
Western Washington University
Hermit Crab Essay Reading Guide
Questions one might ask as you read Hermit Crab essays. You can use these questions as a guide in reading published work, the work of your peers, or your own work.
1. How well does the writer set up the form they’re using? Think about the role of the title, the role of the first paragraph or section, anything that gives you clues about how to read this work. Do you resist this form or does it draw you in? Why?
2. What is demanded of the reader in reading this essay? Does the reader need to engage with this work differently than when encountering a traditional essay? Is the essay interactive with the reader in any way?
3. What kind of voice does the writer achieve in this piece? Is the writer trying to mimic/impersonate a particular syntax/style/persona? If so, is the writer successful?
4. If the writer is not trying to mimic the voice of a form, how do they use the form? How does the form structure the piece? Is it successful? Why or Why not?
5. Why use this particular form to structure the piece? What does it add to the content? How does it shape or create content?
6. Does the form have any kind of metaphorical significance for the content? In other words, does the form, itself, provide information that the content does not directly articulate?
7. Are there any significant repetitions in the essay? Any images or phrases that recur or “echo” through the piece? What is the effect of this repetition?
8. Does the form hinder the content at any point? In what ways? When is it in danger of becoming “a gimmick?”
9. Do you get a sense of the emotional heart of the piece? How so? What kinds of “Inadvertent Revelations” emerge? Are these revelations obvious or subtle?
10. What are your favorite parts of this essay? Why? What are your least favorite parts? Why? What can you learn for your own writing from your reaction to this essay?
11. Can you compare this essay with any other hermit crab essays? Or with any other traditional essays? What are the similarities? What are the differences?
12. What kind of “permission” does this essay give you for your own writing?
13. What kind of writing prompt does this essay suggest for you? This can be trying the same form, or the same kind of content, or some other stylistic move.
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