Critical Lens Essays

THE SCARLET LETTER

IN GENERAL--THE TASK

You are given a statement about literature You put that statement into your own words You agree or disagree with the statement You support your position with details from 2

works of literature you have read

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Agree or disagree with ONE of the following statements using two works of literature including The Scarlet Letter to support your opinion.

1. “Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength” Henry Ward Beecher

2. “Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure.” William Saroyan

REQUIREMENTS

Your paper should:1. Be typed and at least 2 pages long.2. Provide a clear interpretation of the lens you choose.3. Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the lens.4. Discuss 2 works of literature we have studied this

year to support your point. (one must be The Scarlet Letter)

5. Discuss at least 2 different literary techniques to support your argument.

6. Have well developed paragraphs including topic sentences, supporting details, and explanation of details.

DUE DATE

Your critical lens essay on The Scarlet Letter will be due:

MONDAY 29 APRIL 2013

ORGANIZATION

You should have 4 paragraphs Intro Body 1 (about first text) Body 2 (about second text) Conclusion

ORGANIZATION

I. Intro

A. Lens

B. Interpretation

C. Agree/Disagree

D. Title, Author, Genre Information

INTRO

Interpret the lens -- Steps

1. Figure out what the lens means

2. Think about how it will apply to literature

3. Put that meaning into your own words

4. Don’t go word by word and replace with synonyms.

INTERPRETING THE LENS

“A person is a person through other persons.”

Don’t simply say:

A HUMANHUMAN is a HUMANHUMAN through other HUMANSHUMANS.

Think about how it will apply to the literature.

Write an interpretation of this lens that applies to The Scarlet Letter.

INTERPRETING THE LENS

When applied to The Scarlet Letter this would work better:

We learn who characters truly are through their relationships with others.

In the novel which characters do we learn about through their relationships with others?

Planning your paper

List two characters we learn about through their relationships with others.

CHARACTER RELATIONSHIP LEARN

CHILLINGWORTH DIMMEASDALE EVIL-Pries into soul-Pretends to help-Heals physically-Destroys mentally

Agree / Disagree

Usually easier to agree Don’t make reference to yourself. Combine this with the TAG information Don’t say “the quote”, “the statement”, “the lens” Make reference to your interpretation Agreeable means nice, not that you agree.Example:Two works of literature that show how we learn about

people from their relationships with others are The Scarlet Letter, a novel by Hawthorne, and The Great Gatsby, a novel by Fitzgerald.

Sample Intro

Jordan Baker once said, “A person is a person through other persons.” This means that we find out who characters truly are through their relationships with others. Two works of literature that show how we learn about characters most through their relationships with others are The Scarlet Letter, a novel by Hawthorne and The Great Gatsby, a novel by Fitzgerald.

Organization

II and III Body Paragraphs

A. Topic Sentence (1 sentence)

Should sound like interpretation

Example:

One character that shows how we learn most about characters through their relationships with others is Roger Chillingworth.

Body Paragraphs

B. Supporting Details (8-10 sentences)Provide specific details from the text that show what we learn about characters from their relationships with others. Include quotations and literary techniques.

Example:Chillingworth pries into Dimmesdale’s soul. He

destroys Dimmesdale mentally while healing him physically, keeping him alive just so he can torture him more.

Literary Techniques

If you can think of nothing else, characterization and conflict will usually work.

Discuss how the CONFLICTCONFLICT between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale supports your point.

Example:Chillingworth is trying to destroy Dimmesdale to

punish him for committing adultery with Hester. This CONFLICT CONFLICT shows Chillingworth to be a bitter and angry old man.

Organization

C. Explanation of Details (2-3 sentences)

How do the details you have mentioned support the topic sentence of your paragraph?

Example:

The torturous relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale reveals exactly how evil a character Chillingworth has become. He takes advantage of Dimmesdale’s trust only to further torment him.

Organization

IV. Conclusion

A. Restate thesis

B. Summarize main points

Example:

Characters often learn about themselves through their relationships with others. In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale’s conflict with Chillingworth and Hester’s decision to stay in Boston make it clear that we learn most about characters from their relationships with others.

FOR RIGHT NOW:

Begin working on your essay:

1. Choose a lens

2. Interpret the lens

3. Choose two characters from the novel.

4. Decide which details will support your point.

5. Decide which literary techniques you will use to support your point.

6. BEGIN WRITING.