For this part of the activity, you’ll be “picking apart” the story above the recipe by determining the author’s point of view; distinguishing among fact, opinion and reasoned judgment in the story; and analyzing what the story says, as well as what inferences, or assumptions based on evidence, you may be able to draw from the text. It is precisely these kinds of literary details in the story that can influence our opinion of a recipe (and whether we decide to make it or not), so it is important to understand how our interaction with this kind of “food storytelling” can impact the food choices we make. But first—a few tips.
When determining an author’s point of view, consider whether the piece is written in first person, second person, or third person:
First person will include words like “I” and “we”
Second person will include words like “you” and “you all”
Third person will include words like “he”/”she” and “them”
Determining the author’s point of view will help you understand how “close” the author is to what they are writing about. A first-person point of view indicates that they have personal experience with what they are writing about. What does this mean for you as you decide which recipes to make? Well, someone with a firsthand experience of the recipe might be a little more trustworthy as a source of healthy recipes. A second or third person point of view may indicate that they only observed something happening rather than having actually experienced it themselves.
Figuring out the author’s point of view will actually help you when you are trying to decide whether something is a fact, opinion, or reasoned judgement. In general, first person writing may tend more toward opinion than fact or reasoned judgement, while second or third person writing may include more facts.
You can further distinguish whether a statement is more fact, opinion, or reasoned judgement by asking yourself the following questions:
Can it be proven? (If so, it is probably a fact).
Does this seem based on the author’s personal emotions or feelings? (If so, it is probably an opinion).
Does it seem kind of like an opinion, but is also supported by facts? (If so, it is probably a reasoned judgement).
When analyzing what the story says explicitly, as well as what inferences you may be able to draw from the text, it is helpful to understand the difference between “explicit” and “implicit.” Explicit information is information that is communicated very clearly—in other words, it means what it says. For example, “use Irish butter for this recipe” is explicit—it means exactly what it says. However, implicit information is sometimes harder to spot, as it is information that is somewhat hidden in a text. In other words, it is implied. For example, when the recipe says “use Irish butter for this recipe,” you may wonder “well, what might happen if I can’t find Irish butter and have to use American butter? Will that mean that the recipe will be ruined?” In this case, the author may be implying that using any other kind of butter than Irish will in fact ruin the recipe. This means you can infer from the statement “use Irish butter” that there might be a consequence for not using Irish butter.
All of these aspects of a text are important to dissect, as we often make decisions about the food we eat based on how an author uses point of view, fact or opinion, and implicit information to craft a narrative. That’s where the rubber meets the road!
Now, to put this all into practice.
First, check out this recipe for Orecchiette with Spicy Broccoli Rabe.
Looking at the story above the recipe, please find and list the following in a word processing document:
One fact
One opinion
One reasoned judgement
Reflect on the story and type answers to the following questions:
What aspects of the author’s writing helped you distinguish between fact, opinion, and reasoned judgement?
What is the author’s point of view? How do you know?
Cite one piece of explicit information (i. e., a fact) from the story. What else can you infer (even if the author didn’t explicitly say it) from this piece of information?