One method for teaching young people how to interpret literature was defined, and the effects of that method on the responses of ninth grade students to selected short stories were measured. Four English teachers and their 94 students were randomly assigned to two experimental and two control classes. Eight short stories were read during three and one half weeks. Instruction in accordance with the prescribed strategy was provided in experimental classes for the first six stories read. The control classes received no instruction, but read the stories independently and in the same sequence as that followed by students in the experimental classes. All students wrote free-response essays immediately following the reading or study of each story. As nearly as possible, these protocols were written by each class on the same day. The protocols (624) were analyzed in four ways: (1) through content analysis, (2) for quality, (3) for fluency, defined as the number of individual responses or ideas in a given protocol, and (4) for fluency, defined as the number of words in a given protocol. Significant differences (.01) were found both in the quality and in the overall pattern of student responses when the protocols of all groups for the six stories presented during the instructional period were compared. Significant differences were also found with both measures of fluency. The experimental treatment was judged effective in teaching students how meaning evolves in literature. (Author/CK)