Analyzing literature requires building an argument from textual evidence, not just summarizing plot. Zhengdong's training in philosophy sharpens his approach to close reading — he teaches students to identify rhetorical strategies, trace thematic development, and construct interpretive claims that hold up under scrutiny.

Reading literature through a psychological lens — examining why characters make the choices they do, what motivates betrayal or sacrifice — is how Paris makes novels and plays click for students who think analytically. As a psychology major with a deep love of Latin and the liberal arts, she unpacks themes, symbolism, and narrative structure by connecting texts to the human behavior driving them.

Reading literature analytically means slowing down to ask why an author made a particular choice — in structure, imagery, or dialogue. Christina approaches literary analysis the way she approaches engineering problems: break the text into components, examine how they interact, and build an interpretation grounded in evidence from the page.

Reading a novel for class and actually analyzing it are two very different skills, and Ryan bridges that gap by teaching students to track patterns — recurring images, shifts in narrative voice, moments where a character's actions contradict their words. His approach turns vague "what does this mean?" confusion into concrete observations students can build essays around.

Reading literature closely is a lot like engineering — you're reverse-engineering an author's choices to figure out how theme, structure, and language work together. Clara brings that analytical rigor to poetry explication and prose analysis, teaching students to build arguments about texts rather than just summarize them.

Reading literature well means noticing what an author is doing with language — why Fitzgerald lingers on a green light, or how Achebe's sentence structure pushes back against colonial narratives. Lee connects close-reading skills like identifying symbolism, tone shifts, and unreliable narration to the larger arguments students need to build in essays and class discussions.

Reading a novel for class is one thing; building an argument about its themes, symbols, or narrative structure is something else entirely. Shubhada teaches students to move from surface-level summary to close reading — pulling apart passages line by line and connecting textual evidence to a clear thesis. Her own love of books and writing makes literary analysis feel like a conversation rather than an assignment.

I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old electronics, playing Pokemon, or picking at my guitar.

I am an interdisciplinary educator with an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. My background is primarily in integrated arts learning and museum education and I specialize in visual arts, history and art history, and object-based learning. In all subjects, I take a creative, inquiry-based and learner-centered approach, designing opportunities for each unique individual to meet their learning goals.

I am a recent graduate from a masters program in biostatistics at Columbia University. I received my Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences, with a focus in neurobiology at Northwestern University. In August, I will be starting a doctoral program in biostatistics at NYU. I was a teaching assistant at Columbia University in my department and also have tutored graduate students and undergraduates privately as well. My primary areas of tutoring are math and statistics coursework in addition to math sections on standardized tests such as the GRE and GMAT. I am very passionate about helping students feel more confident and excited about math. In my spare time, I enjoy running, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family.

I am a graduate of Wesleyan University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors. With eight years of experience working in education, I've tutored students in math, science, history, and English, as well as helped students prepare for standardized tests. I've guided adults towards passing the US Citizenship Exam and taught English in India, where I lived for six months. Whenever I work with a student I personalize the lessons to fit their particular learning style, since I know every student is unique and having the right fit can make all the difference in making learning fun and effective. My strengths are tutoring the social sciences and humanities, as well as making math and standardized tests approachable to students that normally don't like those subjects. In my spare time I like traveling, spending time in the outdoors (climbing & backpacking), meditation, and playing soccer. Next fall I will be beginning my PhD in Education at Harvard University.

I am proud to be a part of Varsity Tutors! I am originally from San Antonio, TX; I completed my undergraduate education at Rice University in Houston where I received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Currently, I am in my second year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine.