Writing a Synthesis-Response

Mr. Wilson – English 406

What are we going to do? We are going to compare Steinbeck’s Of

Mice and Men to Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.

What are you looking for?SimilaritiesInspirationAllusionsCharactersThemes

What is a Synthesis-Response? Synthesizing is the action of “putting your

ideas together.” THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS A FORMAL

ESSAY. A Synthesis-Response has more to do with

getting your ideas down onto paper in a semi-unstructured way.

It does not need an intro-conclusion, but it does need to be organized into paragraphs and to answer a general question.

Main Themes or Ideas? (write this down…)

What are some of the main themes or techniques we keep discussing from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men?

The Depression Dreams or goals Being poor Disabilities Stereotypes - Racism Frustration

Main Themes or Ideas? (Write this down…)

What are some of the themes from Million Dollar Baby?

Things to focus on… Metaphors? Symbols?

What appears in the movie and the book as a

metaphor or a symbol? Allusions?

What are some of the major allusions in the book? Do they appear in the movie as well?

Characterization? Do specific characters have specific roles to

play? What are they and why are they significant?

Your Response Your response can be as long as it has to be. Each paragraph should be at least 4 to 5 full

sentences, with references to the movie and the book.

You can use the first person, but not too much. It is fairly unstructured, but your ideas should be

organized into each paragraph.

Lastly – Make sure you answer the question!!!

Main Question Consider the similarities between Of Mice

and Men and Million Dollar Baby: Discuss the main role of the characters’ dream(s) or goal(s).

How does this dream or goal drive the entire story?

How do these dreams or goals affect their decisions?

MLA Formatting Standard MLA Formatting

In text Author-Page citations If the author’s name appears in the

sentence, then just the page number is necessary.

But if it is just the quote, then you need to specify the author and the page number.

Full bibliographical reference will appear in your Works Cited page at the end of your essay.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/

Examples Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry

was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

Works CitedWordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads.

London: Oxford U.P., 1967. Print.

“The Impact of Global Warming in North America.” GLOBAL WARMING: Early Signs. 1999. Web. 23 Mar. 2009. <http://www.globalwarming.com>

The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Polygram, 1995. Film.

Now start organizing your

thoughts!

(And start writing…)