We use Carol Bacchi's "What's the problem represented to be?" (WPR) approach to analyze literature, even though it was originally designed for policy analysis. A summary of Bacchi is here: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduate-research/ua/media/162/wpr-summary.pdf

Benefits of using WPR:

Depth of analysis: Moves beyond surface-level reading of the text
Critical thinking: Encourages questioning and challenging the text
Social and political awareness: Reveals how the literature reflects and reinforces power structures

Limitations:

Requires careful interpretation: Can be subjective; different readers may identify different "problems"

Using WPR for literature analysis offers a valuable tool for uncovering hidden meanings, challenging assumptions, and engaging with the social and political dimensions of the text.

Why WPR is suitable for literature analysis

Focus on underlying assumptions: Like policy documents, literature also embeds assumptions about the world, characters, and the problems they face. WPR helps uncover these often unspoken assumptions.
Critical lens: WPR encourages critical reading, questioning the taken-for-granted aspects of the text, which is central to literary analysis
Power dynamics: WPR is attentive to power relations and how problems are represented to favor certain groups or perspectives. This is often relevant in literature, especially when exploring social and political themes

How to apply WPR to literature

Identify the "problem": What is the central issue or conflict in the text?
Analyze the representation:
- How is the problem described and framed?
- What causes are attributed to the problem?
- What solutions are proposed or implied?
- Whose voices are heard and whose are silenced?
Uncover assumptions:
- What assumptions about the world, human nature, or social relations underpin the representation of the problem?
- What is taken for granted or left unquestioned?
Consider implications:
- What are the effects of this particular representation of the problem?
- Who benefits and who is disadvantaged by this representation?
- What alternative representations are possible?

Organization of the panel discussion

you will form two groups (4 and 5 people respectively) and each group will discuss one chapter. However, you need to read both chapters.
each group will be asked to address questions in points 1-4.
- Carefully examine how the "problem" is represented within the text.
- Use the WPR questions to examine this representation critically.
- Gather evidence and examples from the text to support your arguments.