Your discussion should demonstrate familiarity with the readings. You should be able to demonstrate the ability to understand others' comments in discussion, and remember what others have said. Your discussion contributions should demonstrate your ability to synthesize the contributions of other members of the class, by bringing together what has been said to form a new insight, question, or conclusion. Your class participation should demonstrate your ability to disagree constructively. That is, express your disagreements, with me or with the other members of the class, but do so in such a way as to advance the discussion rather than simply contradicting.
Good discussion requires good reading.
Look up words you're unfamiliar with and enter the definitions as well. Jot down your immediate response to the work. Characterize the diction and figurative language used in the work.