Is this Scarlet Letter paper an 'A' paper (no pun intended)?

[ereks mom]

EK (11th grade) wrote a paper on The Scarlet Letter. This assignment (from the Progeny Press Scarlet Letter Study Guide) was:

 

Hawthorne examines or describes many events and characters from different viewpoints, demonstrating that a person's point of reference or frame of mind can affect how he or she views reality. Choose two characters, objects, or events in the story and demonstrate how Hawthorne describes them from different points of view and how this affects your impression of them. As a conclusion, describe how this technique affects the story as a whole.

 

Below is EK's paper. Please critique, and tell me if you think this paper deserves an 'A'. Please point out its strong points and weak points. Thank you!

 

Perspective in The Scarlet Letter

 

It is curious how things such as signs in the sky, bizarre medical conditions, and even elements of nature can often be viewed so differently. Indeed, some sight or happenstance that would strike terror into one person could be the very thing that brings another peace. The individual perspective of each person plays an enormous role throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlet Letter.

 

Reverend Dimmesdale, during one of his late-night vigils, believes he has seen a red letter “A” in the sky. “We impute it, therefore, solely to the disease in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,—the letter A,—marked out in lines of dull red light.” (149) The minister is overcome with guilt at the sight of this symbol in the sky, although it is written that “. . . someone else’s imagination could have easily seen in it the image of his own guilt, and not the minister’s.” (149) In fact, the very next day the minister is approached by the sexton, who mentions that he also has seen the symbol, but he interprets the letter A to stand for “Angel”, in honor of Governor Winthrop, who passed away the night before (153). It is because of their very different circumstances that these two men’s interpretations of the event are so dissimilar.

 

When at last Reverend Dimmesdale makes his public confession, he tears away his robe and shows the crowd the scarlet “A” emblazoned on his chest by some ghastly medical miracle. All who are present undoubtedly see the minister’s scarlet letter, but for the most part, those in the crowd pick and choose what they remember and believe. In fact, many of Reverend Dimmesdale’s friends and parishioners refuse to in any way accept his guilt, even after his public confession.

 

It is singular, nevertheless, that certain persons, who were spectators of the whole scene, and professed never once to have removed their eyes from the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, denied that there was any mark whatever on his breast, more than on a new-born infant’s. Neither, by their report, had his dying words acknowledged, nor even remotely implied, any, the slightest connection, on his part, with the guilt for which Hester Prynne had so long worn the scarlet letter. (241) [This paragraph was a block quote in her paper, but I couldn't format it that way for the WTM forum.]

 

Their devotion to Dimmesdale, even after his dramatic confession and his death, drives the people to believe what they wish to believe, rather than the truth. This is an obvious case of bias affecting the interpretation of blatant fact.

 

Even the forest is viewed in diverse perspectives: sometimes as a rather enchanted place of beauty, while at other times, the home of the Devil himself. On one occasion, Mistress Hibbins, believed a witch by the townsfolk, invites Hester Prynne to a party with the Devil in these woods. “‘Wilt thou go with us to-night? There will be a merry company in the forest; and I well-nigh promised the Black Man [the Devil] that comely Hester Prynne should make one.’” (116) However, this same forest is later seen as a kind of sanctuary for Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. It becomes the place where their burdens can be lifted, if only for a while. “Such was the sympathy of Nature—that wild, heathen Nature of the forest, never subjugated by human law, nor illumined by higher truth—with the bliss of these two spirits!” (193) The forest became, for those around it, whatever they needed it to be. For some, this meant that the forest was a satanic place to be avoided, but for others it was a charming vacation from their less-than-ideal circumstances.

 

Much of the plot in The Scarlet Letter was not based on the facts, but rather on the understanding of the characters therein. The connotation that follows people, places, and even things is often of more importance than are the actual circumstances. The use of different perspectives in this novel, from each individual character, is what makes this story great.

Edited March 31, 2012 by ereks mom

[ereks mom]

bump

[Jean in Newcastle]

I think it is well written.

 

She does a good job answering the question. I like her introduction and her examples.

 

The only comment I have is that the last paragraph seemed a bit short. I'm trying to figure out why. . . I think it is the last sentence. Why would using different perspectives necessarily make the story great? I think she needs to hone in more on why the author used that particular technique. If it was deliberate, and I think it was, then it was for a specific literary purpose. She hints at it but doesn't completely come out and tell us what that was.

 

Do you have rubric you use to grade?

[happyhomemaker]

She writes very well. I think she answered the main part of the question well, but the conclusion where she needs to explain how the technique affects the story is lacking to me. How is it intrical to the storytelling? Is the author telling us something by using differing viewpoints? If so, what?

[ereks mom]

She does a good job answering the question.

 

I think she answered the main part of the question well...

 

The biggest problem is that she didn't answer the prompt....

Her thesis doesn't really answer the prompt.

 

:( Now I don't know what to think. I HATE grading essays. It's too subjective.

 

Do you have rubric you use to grade?

 

Yes, I do. In fact, I have several, but I always have a hard time applying a rubric to a specific assignment. She's my daughter, and I know what she's trying to say, so I probably grade her essays too leniently. That's why I posted this one here--to get some impartial opinions. But I'm getting opposing viewpoints. :(

[ereks mom]

First of all, this is a very good paper for an 11th grader. The biggest problem is that she didn't answer the prompt. This would be the kiss of death for a college paper.

...

I hope this helps. It was a pretty well written paper for a high school student, but in college it would be ripped to shreds.

 

Thanks for your input. I appreciate your constructive criticism. I have to say, though, that I'm wondering why you pointed out how this would be viewed if it had been a college paper, since this was a high school assignment.

[ereks mom]

I pointed it out because that is the level where I want my children's skills to be. And to be honest, the whole problem is the thesis. It doesn't address the prompt. That is what I have my children submit to me first, so that would have been caught before the rest of the paper was written. On the flip side, your daughter's paper does not sound formulaic and with a few exceptions her word use is excellent. That is hard to teach. I don't think you have as many differing views as you think. Two other people mentioned that she didn't address part of the prompt:

 

"I think it is the last sentence. Why would using different perspectives necessarily make the story great? I think she needs to hone in more on why the author used that particular technique. If it was deliberate, and I think it was, then it was for a specific literary purpose. She hints at it but doesn't completely come out and tell us what that was."

 

"but the conclusion where she needs to explain how the technique affects the story is lacking to me. How is it intrical to the storytelling? Is the author telling us something by using differing viewpoints? If so, what? "

 

 

It may be my experience of having my teachers emphasize how important it is to answer ALL of the prompt, especially my AP teachers. Honestly, that is EASY to fix. Writing style is not. She is doing a great job. My goal is to get my children to survive writing their college papers. AS I mentioned before, I my children must give me their thesis statement before they write the paper.

 

Well, she did give me her thesis statement before she wrote the rest of the paper, and I thought it was fine. Hmmm... Maybe I didn't read the prompt carefully enough myself.

 

I'm planning to have her rework her paper, using some of the suggestions you and others have made. I'm not sure I can convey to her what exactly is needed, because I'm not quite sure I can even put a finger on it myself.

 

I must confess that this is one of EK's first attempts at including quotes in a literary analysis paper. However, she has written frequent reader's response paragraphs as well as several opinion essays on contemporary topics, and a few months ago, she wrote this essay on Machiavelli's The Prince--which I think was her VERY first attempt at using quotes in a literary analysis essay.

[TippyCanoe]

nm

Edited November 21, 2012 by Doodler
Oi oi oi -- grammar! typos!

[ereks mom]

Thank you very much! Your input really is helpful. Thanks for the encouragement for me as well. :)

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[Matryoshka]

My dd now keeps a notebook specifically for question-generating sessions. I got this idea from a book called "If You Change Just One Thing," which has some concrete examples of how this can work.

 

Doodler - don't want to hijack, but would you mind giving a link, or at least author of this book? I need another writing book like a hole in the head, but this sounds like a really useful resource. Amazon and Google searches do not find me a book by this title. :(

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[ereks mom]

Here's the book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Just-One-Change-Questions/dp/161250

 

 

 

The above link didn't work for me, but I searched and found this book, which I think is the book Doodler was talking about.

[Charles Wallace]

EK (11th grade) wrote a paper on The Scarlet Letter. This assignment (from the Progeny Press Scarlet Letter Study Guide) was:

 

Hawthorne examines or describes many events and characters from different viewpoints, demonstrating that a person's point of reference or frame of mind can affect how he or she views reality. Choose two characters, objects, or events in the story and demonstrate how Hawthorne describes them from different points of view and how this affects your impression of them. As a conclusion, describe how this technique affects the story as a whole.

 

Below is EK's paper. Please critique, and tell me if you think this paper deserves an 'A'. Please point out its strong points and weak points. Thank you!

 

With all due respect, this is not yet an A paper. I've included my comments below, and I hope you can find them helpful.

 

Perspective in The Scarlet Letter

 

It is curious how things [Always avoid this vague word and substitute a concrete noun instead.] such as signs in the sky, bizarre medical conditions, and even elements of nature can often be viewed so differently. Indeed, some sight or happenstance that would strike terror into one person could be the very thing that brings another peace. The individual perspective of each person plays an enormous role throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlet Letter.[Right here, the paper has slipped below the level of a C. Unfortunately, it has not specifically answered the prompt, so it has not fulfilled the fundamental purpose of the essay at this time without further revision.[/color]

The prompt asked for the following to be addressed:

1. Two different characters, objects, or events

2. How Hawthorne describes them from different points of view

3. How this different point of view affects the readers' impression of them

4. How the technique affects the story as a whole.

It can be a very helpful technique to teach your student to treat a prompt as if it were a checklist (as I've shown above) and that the thesis addresses each "ingredient" in the checklist]

 

Reverend Dimmesdale, [Generally speaking, it's better not to presume that the reader knows who Dimmesdale is. Even saying, "Reverend Dimmesdale, the tortured secret sinner of Hawthorne's novel, believes he has seen a red letter 'A' in the sky during one of his late-night vigils" would be quite helpful.]during one of his late-night vigils, believes he has seen a red letter “A†in the sky. [Very jumpy transition to the quotation here. Instead, encourage your student to practice two skills: 1) Leading in to the quotation smoothly by incorporating the quotation into the sentence and 2) cutting the quotation in smaller bits. For example, "Hawthorne, acting as the all-seeing narrator whose perspective (Note the repetition of a key term from the prompt) extends to Dimmesdale's conscience and actions, saying that Dimmesdale's 'disease in his own eye and heart' caused him to '[behold[ there the appearance...'" et cetera.]“We impute it, therefore, solely to the disease in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,—the letter A,—marked out in lines of dull red light.†(149) The minister is overcome with guilt at the sight of this symbol in the sky, although it is written [by whom?] that “. . . someone else’s imagination could have easily seen in it the image of his own guilt, and not the minister’s.†(149)[Place periods after the parentheses.] In fact, the very next day the minister is approached by the sexton, who mentions that he also has seen the symbol, but he interprets the letter A to stand for “Angelâ€,[Commas go inside the quotation marks.] in honor of Governor Winthrop, who passed away the night before (153). It is because of their very different circumstances [You assume the reader knows how or in what way the Governor's circumstances differ from Dimmesdale's, but the reader does not necessarily have this information.] that these two men’s interpretations of the event are so dissimilar.[Now, wind up this paragraph with a nod toward Hawthorne's point. What larger message is he communicating about perspective? About the ways in which our conscience alters our perceptions?]

 

When at last Reverend Dimmesdale makes his public confession, he tears away his robe and shows the crowd the scarlet “A†emblazoned on his chest by some ghastly medical miracle. All who are present undoubtedly see the minister’s scarlet letter, but for the most part, those in the crowd pick and choose what they remember and believe. [it is crucial in any literary analysis to back up central assertions -- such as this one -- with evidence from the text for which you provide context and analysis, explaining why this piece of evidence supports your claim.]In fact, many of Reverend Dimmesdale’s friends and parishioners refuse to in any way accept his guilt, even after his public confession.[Again, return here to Hawthorne's message. How does perspective affect the way in which we interpret the world around us?]

 

It is singular, nevertheless, that certain persons, who were spectators of the whole scene, and professed never once to have removed their eyes from the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, denied that there was any mark whatever on his breast, more than on a new-born infant’s. Neither, by their report, had his dying words acknowledged, nor even remotely implied, any, the slightest connection, on his part, with the guilt for which Hester Prynne had so long worn the scarlet letter. (241) [This paragraph was a block quote in her paper, but I couldn't format it that way for the WTM forum.]

 

[Quotations are more effective when embedded into the sentence, broken up into smaller and more readable pieces, and explained in detail.]

Their devotion to Dimmesdale, even after his dramatic confession and his death, drives the people to believe what they wish to believe, rather than the truth. This is an obvious case of bias affecting the interpretation of blatant fact.[so what is Hawthorne's point? Is this not a very cynical scene, given the fact that this is a community that is founded on the idea of belief? Apparently, belief and truth are not the same thing -- or is that what Hawthorne is asserting here?]

 

Even the forest is viewed in diverse perspectives: sometimes as a rather enchanted place of beauty, while at other times, the home of the Devil himself. [Avoid talking about scenes out of chronological order. Therefore, put the forest before Dimmy's death.]On one occasion, Mistress Hibbins, [Context?]believed a witch by the townsfolk, invites Hester Prynne to a party with the Devil in these woods. “‘Wilt thou go with us to-night? [Make this transition more smooth, e.g., ...invites Hester Prynne to a party with the Devil in these woods, asking her, "Wilt thou go with us...?"] There will be a merry company in the forest; and I well-nigh promised the Black Man [the Devil] that comely Hester Prynne should make one.’†(116) However, this same forest is later seen as a kind of sanctuary for Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. It becomes the place where their burdens can be lifted, if only for a while.[same suggestion as before: Embed the quote, break it up, give it context, and comment on the words.] “Such was the sympathy of Nature—that wild, heathen Nature of the forest, never subjugated by human law, nor illumined by higher truth—with the bliss of these two spirits!†(193) The forest became, for those around it, whatever they needed it to be. For some, this meant that the forest was a satanic place to be avoided, but for others it was a charming vacation from their less-than-ideal circumstances. [Return to Hawthorne's point or message.]

 

Much of the plot in The Scarlet Letter was not based on the facts, but rather on the understanding of the characters therein. The connotation that follows people, places, and even things is often of more importance than are the actual circumstances. The use of different perspectives in this novel, from each individual character, is what makes this story great. [Why does it make the story great? Why, when people ignore facts but rely on their own (flawed) understanding, does that equal greatness? Your reader would appreciate at least a brief discussion.]

Hope this helps!!

[ereks mom]

With all due respect, this is not yet an A paper. I've included my comments below, and I hope you can find them helpful.

 

Perspective in The Scarlet Letter

 

It is curious how things [Always avoid this vague word and substitute a concrete noun instead.] such as signs in the sky, bizarre medical conditions, and even elements of nature can often be viewed so differently. Indeed, some sight or happenstance that would strike terror into one person could be the very thing that brings another peace. The individual perspective of each person plays an enormous role throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlet Letter.[Right here, the paper has slipped below the level of a C. Unfortunately, it has not specifically answered the prompt, so it has not fulfilled the fundamental purpose of the essay at this time without further revision.

The prompt asked for the following to be addressed:

1. Two different characters, objects, or events

2. How Hawthorne describes them from different points of view

3. How this different point of view affects the readers' impression of them

4. How the technique affects the story as a whole.

It can be a very helpful technique to teach your student to treat a prompt as if it were a checklist (as I've shown above) and that the thesis addresses each "ingredient" in the checklist]

 

Reverend Dimmesdale, [Generally speaking, it's better not to presume that the reader knows who Dimmesdale is. Even saying, "Reverend Dimmesdale, the tortured secret sinner of Hawthorne's novel, believes he has seen a red letter 'A' in the sky during one of his late-night vigils" would be quite helpful.]during one of his late-night vigils, believes he has seen a red letter “A” in the sky. [Very jumpy transition to the quotation here. Instead, encourage your student to practice two skills: 1) Leading in to the quotation smoothly by incorporating the quotation into the sentence and 2) cutting the quotation in smaller bits. For example, "Hawthorne, acting as the all-seeing narrator whose perspective (Note the repetition of a key term from the prompt) extends to Dimmesdale's conscience and actions, saying that Dimmesdale's 'disease in his own eye and heart' caused him to '[behold[ there the appearance...'" et cetera.]“We impute it, therefore, solely to the disease in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,—the letter A,—marked out in lines of dull red light.” (149) The minister is overcome with guilt at the sight of this symbol in the sky, although it is written [by whom?] that “. . . someone else’s imagination could have easily seen in it the image of his own guilt, and not the minister’s.” (149)[Place periods after the parentheses.] In fact, the very next day the minister is approached by the sexton, who mentions that he also has seen the symbol, but he interprets the letter A to stand for “Angel”,[Commas go inside the quotation marks.] in honor of Governor Winthrop, who passed away the night before (153). It is because of their very different circumstances [You assume the reader knows how or in what way the Governor's circumstances differ from Dimmesdale's, but the reader does not necessarily have this information.] that these two men’s interpretations of the event are so dissimilar.[Now, wind up this paragraph with a nod toward Hawthorne's point. What larger message is he communicating about perspective? About the ways in which our conscience alters our perceptions?]

 

When at last Reverend Dimmesdale makes his public confession, he tears away his robe and shows the crowd the scarlet “A” emblazoned on his chest by some ghastly medical miracle. All who are present undoubtedly see the minister’s scarlet letter, but for the most part, those in the crowd pick and choose what they remember and believe. [it is crucial in any literary analysis to back up central assertions -- such as this one -- with evidence from the text for which you provide context and analysis, explaining why this piece of evidence supports your claim.]In fact, many of Reverend Dimmesdale’s friends and parishioners refuse to in any way accept his guilt, even after his public confession.[Again, return here to Hawthorne's message. How does perspective affect the way in which we interpret the world around us?]

 

It is singular, nevertheless, that certain persons, who were spectators of the whole scene, and professed never once to have removed their eyes from the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, denied that there was any mark whatever on his breast, more than on a new-born infant’s. Neither, by their report, had his dying words acknowledged, nor even remotely implied, any, the slightest connection, on his part, with the guilt for which Hester Prynne had so long worn the scarlet letter. (241) [This paragraph was a block quote in her paper, but I couldn't format it that way for the WTM forum.]

 

[Quotations are more effective when embedded into the sentence, broken up into smaller and more readable pieces, and explained in detail.]

Their devotion to Dimmesdale, even after his dramatic confession and his death, drives the people to believe what they wish to believe, rather than the truth. This is an obvious case of bias affecting the interpretation of blatant fact.[so what is Hawthorne's point? Is this not a very cynical scene, given the fact that this is a community that is founded on the idea of belief? Apparently, belief and truth are not the same thing -- or is that what Hawthorne is asserting here?]

 

Even the forest is viewed in diverse perspectives: sometimes as a rather enchanted place of beauty, while at other times, the home of the Devil himself. [Avoid talking about scenes out of chronological order. Therefore, put the forest before Dimmy's death.]On one occasion, Mistress Hibbins, [Context?]believed a witch by the townsfolk, invites Hester Prynne to a party with the Devil in these woods. “‘Wilt thou go with us to-night? [Make this transition more smooth, e.g., ...invites Hester Prynne to a party with the Devil in these woods, asking her, "Wilt thou go with us...?"] There will be a merry company in the forest; and I well-nigh promised the Black Man [the Devil] that comely Hester Prynne should make one.’” (116) However, this same forest is later seen as a kind of sanctuary for Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. It becomes the place where their burdens can be lifted, if only for a while.[same suggestion as before: Embed the quote, break it up, give it context, and comment on the words.] “Such was the sympathy of Nature—that wild, heathen Nature of the forest, never subjugated by human law, nor illumined by higher truth—with the bliss of these two spirits!” (193) The forest became, for those around it, whatever they needed it to be. For some, this meant that the forest was a satanic place to be avoided, but for others it was a charming vacation from their less-than-ideal circumstances. [Return to Hawthorne's point or message.]

 

Much of the plot in The Scarlet Letter was not based on the facts, but rather on the understanding of the characters therein. The connotation that follows people, places, and even things is often of more importance than are the actual circumstances. The use of different perspectives in this novel, from each individual character, is what makes this story great. [Why does it make the story great? Why, when people ignore facts but rely on their own (flawed) understanding, does that equal greatness? Your reader would appreciate at least a brief discussion.]

Hope this helps!!

 

I was going to have her rework her essay, but I don't even know where to start! I'm overwhelmed and very, very discouraged. "Below the level of a C"... REALLY??? I thought her essay was so much better than it actually is, apparently. :'(

 

I am extremely confident in my ability to teach my children in every area except writing. After reading these comments, I just want to cry. EK's a high school junior and I obviously haven't succeeded in teaching her to write an essay. What have I done?!? I've obviously done something very wrong. :confused:

Edited April 4, 2012 by ereks mom

[Charles Wallace]

Listen, I'm sorry you feel discouraged, but if you wanted people to focus solely on the positives, it would have been helpful to know. I stand by the assertion that the paper fell below a "C." A "C" represents average mastery of crucial elements. A paper lacking a thesis is missing really the most important element--and others pointed out that it is also lacking evidence. I think it has good potential, but it does need one more round of development. I hope the time the posters here have taken to help you truly does help, and I wish you well in your efforts.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Charles Wallace

[ereks mom]

Listen, I'm sorry you feel discouraged, but if you wanted people to focus solely on the positives, it would have been helpful to know. I stand by the assertion that the paper fell below a "c." A "c" represents average mastery of crucial elements. A paper lacking a thesis is missing really the most important element--and others pointed out that it is also lacking evidence. I think it has good potential, but it does need one more round of development. I hope the time the posters here have taken to help you truly does help, and I wish you well in your efforts.

 

I do appreciate the time that people took to read and comment, and I have already used many of the suggestions people made to help EK work on her paper. I did ask people to "please point out its strong points and weak points," so, no, I was not wanting people to focus only on the positives, but I didn't want people to focus only on the negatives either. Also, I expected people to treat this as a high school assignment, not a college assignment, as some did. Even though I knew that the essay wasn't perfect, I admit that I was totally unprepared to see so many negatives, let alone a 'less than a "C"' evaluation. For us, less than a "C" = "F"--we don't use D's in our grading scale--and that was a bit hard to swallow. As I said, I knew before I posted it on the forum that it needed a bit of work, but I just cannot agree that it is deserving of an "F".

Edited April 5, 2012 by ereks mom

[Charles Wallace]

I do appreciate the time that people took to read and comment, and I have already used many of the suggestions people made to help EK work on her paper. I did ask people to "please point out its strong points and weak points," so, no, I was not wanting people to focus only on the positives, but I didn't want people to focus only on the negatives either. Also, I expected people to treat this as a high school assignment, not a college assignment, as some did. Even though I knew that the essay wasn't perfect, I admit that I was totally unprepared to see so many negatives, let alone a 'less than a "C"' evaluation. For us, less than a "C" = "F"--we don't use D's in our grading scale--and that was a bit hard to swallow. As I said, I knew before I posted it on the forum that it needed a bit of work, but I just cannot agree that it is deserving of an "F".

 

No, neither would I! It is by no means an F paper. I think that if the elements other folks have brought up already are addressed in good faith, it has every chance of being an A paper -- again, no pun intended here either. The paper has good bones, as it were, and fundamentally and importantly, the writing is grammatically accurate and clear. An F paper is one so riddled with errors that the reader finds it challenging to make meaning of the text. As for analysis, an F paper either doesn't address the prompt at all, or does so in a way that's so superficial it's doubtful that the reader understood what the prompt was asking. Anyone can see that this paper isn't even remotely close to that level. Mostly, it needs a stronger thesis and topics and more evidence and analysis.

 

Listen, if it'll help, feel free to use this one-size-fits-all checklist/template as a basic essay organizer, if it will work for your family. If not, chuck it and say it's not for you. It's a bit of a boilerplate, but as a place to start, it might be of some use. Hope it helps.

 

INTRO

* Begin with a strong (but relevant) statement or quotation.

* Name the author, title, and genre of the work.

* Give overview of the work, focusing on the main issue you're writing about.

* Narrow to the thesis, which ideally should include the following:

^ The author's name and title (optional if previously mentioned)

^ Key words from all parts of the prompt or question.

^ The author's message or point.

 

BODY PARAGRAPHS

 

I. Transitional signal + topic sentence with thesis key words (or synonyms that address key ideas in the thesis). Refer to, touch upon, or address the author's point in each topic sentence -- that's the main element your reader really needs to understand.

 

A. Context for the first major quote to support the point.

1. The quotation (embedded in the context sentence and broken into "bite-sized pieces").

2. Analysis explaining why, how, or in what way that specific quotation supported the point being made. (This should be a multi-sentence analysis.)

 

Repeat A, 1, and 2 as needed for further quotations if needed.

 

B. Conclusion or transition to the next body paragraph or conclusion.

 

CONCLUSION

* Avoid direct restatement of the thesis.

* Explain why this issue is of relevance to the larger world outside the text. Why should your reader care about this issue? What, in essence, is "at stake" here for all of us, not just the characters in the text?

* Conclude by returning to the quotation or strong statement with which you began in order to "tie the bow" on your essay.

 

Hope this is of use.