Writing andAnalysis

Packet

9th and 10th Grade

Watkinson School

Contents!!Detailed!essay!outline!........................................................!3!Simple!essay!outline!...........................................................!5!Essay!graphic!organizers!..................................................!7!Citing!text!formatting!.........................................................!9!Guides!and!exercises!.......................................................!15!Punctuation!.........................................................................!22!DisciplineCspecific!notes!................................................!23!CultureCspecific!differences!.........................................!30!

Note to students and other educators: the following is a solid structure for a five-paragraph analytical essay. It includes the basics of what generally goes into constructing an argument, and how you might put that argument together. While it's appropriate for 9th graders to study and internalize this structure, it's not appropriate to think of writing an analytical essay as formulaic. In fact, constantly sticking to the outline below well beyond the 9th grade will show a lack of inventiveness and skill, and will definitely not impress a reader. The idea here is for kids to understand and make use of this model, but ultimately to move on from it to create essays that are more original and unique to their own style and thinking. This learning and then dispensing with "the formula" may happen by the end of 9th grade, but it may not happen until somewhat later in their academic careers. 9th Grade Five-Paragraph Essay Outline Introduction 1. Title and author (and translator, if there is one)—These must be included somewhere in your introduction, so you might as well do it right off the bat. Remember that this is not a full sentence. It's only the beginning of the first sentence, the rest of which will be . . . 2. General framing statement— A general statement that directs the reader towards, or focuses the reader on, your thesis; lets the reader know what, generally, you will be writing about, without giving away your thesis. 3. Narrow towards thesis/nod to 3 points— In one or more sentences, brief reference to the three major ideas that you will discuss in the body of your essay (one per body paragraph). 4. Thesis—Your arguable assertion, or what you are going to prove in your essay. This is the answer to the essay question or prompt, if there was one. Depending on the complexity of your idea, it may take more than one sentence to explain fully and clearly. Must be CAPPI: Clear, Arguable, Provable, Progressive, and Interesting. Everything that follows in your essay must relate to your thesis. Body Paragraphs 1. Transition—A word or phrase that links this paragraph to the previous one. Remember that this is not a full sentence. It's only the beginning of the first sentence, the rest of which will be . . . 2. Mini-thesis (topic sentence)—The arguable point that you will prove and explain in this paragraph. It is a statement of this part of your argument (in proving your thesis). In a full essay, the mini-thesis in the first body paragraph will be the beginning of the argument; in the second body paragraph it will be the next part of the argument; and in the third it will be the final part of it, or complete it. Put together, and in order, the three mini-theses should show a progression towards proving the overall thesis of the paper, and often also a progression through the text itself. 3. Background information/details—Anything needed to explain your mini-thesis further.

4. Context—In one or two sentences, sets up the quote you will use for proof by indicating, through brief description of crucial plot events and/or character details, where the passage comes from in the text. The "WWW" (what, where, when) of the quote you're about to use. Make sure, here, not to lapse into lengthy plot summary. 5. Quote—Always from the text, always properly formatted. (As you master the analytical essay, you may choose to paraphrase rather than quote directly, but for now make sure to use an actual piece of text.) 6. Analysis— Explains how the quote you just cited supports your thesis. Addresses two or three specific words and/or phrases from the quote, and explains how each of these words/phrases may be interpreted to prove your point. Focus is on close reading, where you look at things like nuance, connotation, implication, metaphor, simile, allusion, image, symbol, etc.. This is the "beefy-est" part of your body paragraph and should be more than one sentence per word/phrase you've chosen to discuss. In general, shoot for something between 5 and 8 sentences. Conclusion 1. Transition—A word or phrase that links this paragraph to the previous one. Remember that this is not a full sentence. It's only the beginning of the first sentence, the rest of which will be . . . 2. Gather your points—Pull all of your major points together into one or two strong sentences. 3. Link thesis to theme—This is what your whole paper has been driving at. It answers the question “So what?” or “What’s the point?” and explains how your thesis and what you have explained in your argument connect to a theme—the “universal lesson” that we gain from reading the book/poem/play/etc.. It moves your reader from your focus on the specific text, character, idea you've been working with to to how it relates to the world in general, the human condition, and or a Truth (note the capital "T"). 4. Final statement—A statement that “completes” the conclusion, so the end of it does not seem overly abrupt, and so your statement of theme is clear and resounding. Leave your reader thinking that what you've said is important to think about.

Watkinson School—English 9 5 Paragraph Essay

Introduction 1. title and author Do this as part of your first sentence, most of which will

be . . . 2. general framing statement A general statement that directs the reader towards, or

focuses the reader on, your thesis; lets the reader know what, generally, you will be writing about, without giving away your thesis.

3. narrow towards thesis/

nod to three points In one or more sentences, make brief reference to the three major ideas that you will discuss in the body of your essay (one per body paragraph).

4. thesis Your arguable assertion, or what your idea/answer is.

Depending on the complexity of your idea, this may take more than one sentence to explain fully and clearly. Must be CAPPI:

• Clear • Arguable (have at least one other side) • Provable (with quotes from the text) • Progressive (ideas will build logically)

• Interesting 5. final statement If necessary, a statement that “completes” the

introduction—so the end of it does not seem overly abrupt.

Body Paragraphs (same structure for each body paragraph) 1. transition A word or phrase that links this paragraph to the

previous one. 2. mini-thesis (topic sentence) The arguable point that you will prove and explain in this

paragraph. Statement of this part of your argument (in proving your thesis).

3. context Sets up the quote you will use for proof by indicating,

through brief description of crucial plot events and/or character details, where the passage comes from in the text.

4. proof A direct quote from the book, properly cited with the page number after it.

5. analysis Explains how the quote you just cited supports your

thesis. Addresses two or three specific words and/or phrases from the quote, and explains how each of these words/phrases may be interpreted to prove your point. Focus is on close reading, symbol, metaphor, and implication.

6. repeat statement, proof, As needed, repeat the process of stating an idea, analysis supporting it with text, and analyzing the text. 7. link to thesis If your analysis has not done so already, a statement of

how this points directly proves part of your thesis. Conclusion 1. transition A word or phrase that links this paragraph to the

previous one. 2. gathering of points Pull all of your major points together into one or two

strong sentences. 3. link thesis to theme In a way, this is what your whole paper has been driving

at. Answers the question “So what?” or “What’s the point?” Explains how your thesis and what you have explained in your argument connect to a theme—the “universal lesson” that we gain from reading the book/poem/play/etc..

4. final statement A statement that “completes” the conclusion, so the end of

it does not seem overly abrupt, and so your statement of theme is clear and resounding. Leave your reader thinking.

Five Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer

Title, author, general framing statement Narrowing of idea Nod to three points Thesis/Final statement

Transition and mini-thesis Background and context for analysis

Transition and mini-thesis Background and context for analysis

Transition and mini-thesis Background and context for analysis

Quote, properly formatted and cited Quote, properly formatted and cited Quote, properly formatted and cited

Analysis of at least three specific words or phrases Link to main thesis

Analysis of at least three specific words or phrases Link to main thesis

Analysis of at least three specific words or phrases Link to main thesis

Gathering of points Link thesis to theme Final statement

Five Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer

Citing Text in Your Body Paragraphs

Case 1: Prose narrative, three lines or fewer. R~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, “Y~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~” (#). T~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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The double quotation marks show that this passage is narrative from the text.

Citing Text in Your Body Paragraphs

Case 3: Prose narrative, more than three lines.

B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. (#)

V~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Skip a line.

Skip a line.

Narrow

your margin.

Narrow

your margin.

You do NOT need quotation marks here because creating the space around the quote already says that this is narrative from the book.

Citing Text in Your Body Paragraphs

Case 2: Prose dialogue, only one person talking, three lines or fewer.

B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, “ ‘T~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,’ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, ‘~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~’ ” (#). D~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

The double quotation marks show that this is narrative from the book.

The single quotation marks show that someone is talking.

Citing Text in Your Body Paragraphs

Case 4: Prose dialogue, one person speaking more than three lines OR more than one person speaking (no matter how long). B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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“F~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. “I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.” (#)

R~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

Skip a line.

Skip a line.

Narrow

your margin.

Narrow

your margin.

In this case, the double quotation marks show that someone is speaking, because the space you’ve created around the quote already shows that this is from the book.

Citing Text in Your Body Paragraphs

Case 5: Verse, three lines or fewer. R~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, “Y~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~” (#). T~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

The double quotation marks show that this passage is narrative from the text.

At the end of each line of verse, put a slash after whatever punctuation is there, then put a space and begin the next line.

Citing Text in Your Body Paragraphs

Case 6: Verse, more than three lines.

B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. (#)

V~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

Skip a line.

Skip a line.

Narrow

your margin.

Narrow

your margin.

You do NOT need quotation marks here because creating the space around the quote already says that this is narrative from the book.

Developing a Thesis

A thesis statement is a one or two sentence statement of what you are going to prove in your essay. Without a well-developed thesis, your essay will lack focus, specificity, and depth. A good thesis statement does the following three things:

• asserts your opinion about your topic (without mentioning yourself)—one with which a reasonable person could argue • deals with a subject that can be adequately proven with a progressive argument, given the text and the assignment

• expresses one main idea Put another way, a good thesis statement must be CAPI: clear, arguable, provable, and interesting. To develop a good thesis, follow these steps: 1. Annotate your text well. 2. Pick a topic (or maybe you’ll have been assigned one). For example: power 3. Review your annotations for anything (passages, symbols, metaphors, dialogue, etc.)

that relates to that topic. Look for development of the topic or patterns or trends around the topic. Track them.

4. Narrow the topic to something more specific—often, you’ll want to focus on a

particular character, event, or symbol. For example: Penelope, Odysseus and power

Note that this idea is a fragment, not a complete sentence. It not only announces your topic, but it focuses on a couple of key characters: Penelope and Odysseus. It gives more detail to the topic, but it is not a thesis statement because it’s not yet an arguable idea. It doesn’t state your point of view about the topic yet, because that’s your next step . . . 5. Think about what you’ve stated as your focus (#4), and add details that make it

even more specific. For example: Penelope and Odysseus have different kinds of power

Note that this is a complete sentence, but it’s not yet a thesis statement, because it’s not arguable. On reading this sentence, a reasonable person could be expected to say, “Of

course they have different kinds of power. That’s the way it is with men and women!’—or something like that. 6. Finally, take an arguable position on your focused topic sentence (#5)—that is, say

something about it that a reasonable person could argue with, but that you can adequately prove. For example: Penelope is more powerful than Odysseus because

Penolope fights and overcomes every challenge, not just some of them.

This sentence states the topic clearly, asserts an idea about it that is arguable, and suggests what you’re going to have to do to adequately prove it. It has some depth to it, because you’ll have to argue that Odysseus does not overcome every monster or obstacle he faces. You’ll also have to prove that what Penelope faces is just as challenging as what Odysseus does.

7. Once you have what you think is a good thesis, ask yourself, is it CAPI? To be sure,

consult a few other people in the class. Ask them: • is it Clear? • is it Arguable? • is it Provable? • is it Interesting? If it’s not all of these things, you should back up to step 4, and try again.

Some information herein is modified from: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

Annotating Fiction Annotation: a critical or explanatory note or body of notes added to a text

—Dictionary.com

If you’re reading for school, you should be thinking while you’re reading. Good annotation makes it possible to review your reading and bring it, and all the thinking you did while doing it, back to your memory. If you’re not thinking while reading, there’s no point in annotating, and there’s little benefit to reading as a way to learn.

Good annotation means that all of your work, all of your thinking, is right there in the book, so you don’t need to refer to any other notes. It’s portable!

What should you be thinking about as you read fiction for English class? Here are the basics… • narration: point of view (person and distance), tone, etc.

• character development—protagonist and those directly involved with his/her story: internal and external conflicts; relationships; view of others, environment, and self; etc. • setting: where and when—year, date, location (internal and external), etc.; shifts in setting • conflict (of any kind) • symbols, metaphors, imagery, etc.—and any development of any one of these

Some techniques commonly used for annotation: 1. Underline (with a pencil or pen, not a highlighter) important passages about/including

• themes and ideas we’ve discussed in class • character development • important symbols, motifs, images, and metaphors

2. When you’ve underlined, make some kind of note(s) in the margin as to why you did so. 3. Circle words you don’t understand; either figure them out from context or discussion, or look them up. Write meanings of words in the margin. 4. Write down questions you have and/or make note of things you don’t understand. 5. Develop and use different marks, symbols, or colors to signify different categories of important ideas, themes, character development, symbols, etc. 6. Write (in the margin, not on separate paper) brief summaries after each section or chapter. 7. Make connections. If something you read reminds you of, or develops, what we’ve been discussing in class, or something you noticed or were thinking before, make note of that in the margin. If it connects to a specific page, write that page number in the margin. As Mr. Aavatsmark advises, no one writes to be boring, wrong, or confusing. When a text seems this way, start by assuming that you are missing something, not the writer, and work to find what value or sense the author intends.

Contextualization Guide

Context: the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc. Contextualization: to put (a literary passage, an event, etc.) in a context, esp. one that is characteristic or appropriate, as for purposes of study. When studying literature, reading and comprehending the actual words on the page is only a piece of the job at hand. Keeping track of basics like plot, setting, and character are only the first steps, and will only get you a pretty simple, concrete understanding of a text. Higher level reading and analysis requires you to apply much that you have already learned to the text, thereby giving it a depth of meaning that does not exist if you’re only reading the words on the page. This is called contextualization, and you simply cannot be an advanced reader unless you do it. Every time you read, rather than narrowing your focus to the events in the book, you should broaden your thinking as much as you can, actively seeking to incorporate anything that can inform and enrich what’s happening on the page before you. Though there are endless possibilities from which to draw, here are the most relevant contexts—and questions about them—that you should consider every time you read. What you know about studying literature—What common metaphors show up in literature (light/dark, etc.)? What do you do with allusions in the text? Can you apply what you know about archetype and archetypal stories (like the hero’s journey or the Garden of Eden)? What have writers before this writer tried to do in/with their writing? What is this writer trying to do? What you know about history—Based on setting, what’s going on in that time and place? What’s going on in the rest of the world? Any major wars? Any major political movements or revolutions? Who’s in power in the world? Who’s being oppressed? What’s going on in terms of science? What’s going on with industry, technology, philosophy? What you know about religion—Are any religions being directly addressed in the text? What are the most important beliefs in those religions? What kind of people tend to follow those religions? What are the important stories in that religion? Historical events? What you know about art and culture—What else is going in the arts at this place and time? What else is going on culturally? What has happened in the recent past in the arts and culturally? What about Pop culture?

Levels of Analysis

1st Level of Analysis: to support a fact. A reference, not a quote, to a particular line or part of the of text. No need to follow it with commentary. 2nd Level of Analysis: to support a fairly clear but important idea; to make sure your point of view about that idea is clear and developed. A short quote followed by a brief, one or two sentence analysis. Addressing specific language in the text is suggested but not totally necessary. 3rd Level of Analysis: to address the topic sentence/mini-thesis directly. This is the “meat” of an analysis. It deals with a “juicy” piece of text and contains commentary on the specific language of the text you quote. A block quote (4-7 lines) followed by a comprehensive, detailed analysis of language. In the following paragraph, please identify where and why Level 1 and Level 2 are used, and then write the 3rd Level of analysis after the block quote . . . Before we even meet Othello, he is portrayed as a wild animal that only cares about sex. A

general in the Venetian army, Othello is disliked by several of his men, especially Iago and

Roderigo. Iago hates him because Othello picked someone else—Cassio—to be his lieutenant

instead of Iago himself (I, i, 43-4), and Roderigo despises him because he believes that Othello

stole his true love, Desdemona (I, iii, 305-6). In his hatred for Othello, Iago especially seeks to

denounce him from his position of power. Iago begins by emphasizing the Moor’s race. “What

a full fortune does the thick-lips owe,/ If he can carry it thus” (I, i, 67-8). The term “thick-lips”

is a racial slur towards Othello and the fact that he is black, and the “the” that precedes the

slur refers to the fact that the general is not someone but something. Iago goes even further

than this, however, when he riles Desdemona’s father, Brabantio.

Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise; Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you. (I, i, 89-92)

Four Types of Referencing/Using Text 1. Reference to text.

Because he’s the one relating it, it’s easy to assume that the narrator, a visiting engineer, is a dependable teller of Ethan Frome’s story. Careful consideration of the way he goes about learning Ethan’s story shows, however, that he’s anything but reliable, and that we must hold our own understanding of Frome distinct from what our narrator would have us believe. From the very beginning of the novel, it’s clear that the narrator sees Ethan from afar and through a not-so-clear lens. He makes assumptions about the people of Starkfield, he at first doesn’t even talk directly to Ethan (23), and his primary source of information is Harmon Gow, whose intelligence the narrator himself calls into question. Indeed, in these early pages, Wharton gives us as much information about her narrator as her protagonist and, given what we learn about them both, we move into the text uneasy with taking the narrator’s version at face value—a discomfort made all the more striking given that all of Ethan’s story happened more than twenty years ago. 2. Text. Because he’s the one relating it, it’s easy to assume that the narrator, a visiting engineer, is a dependable teller of Ethan Frome’s story. Careful consideration of the way he goes about learning Ethan’s story shows, however, that he’s anything but reliable, and that we must hold our own understanding of Frome distinct from what our narrator would have us believe. From the very beginning of the novel, it’s clear that the narrator sees Ethan from afar and through a not-so-clear lens. He makes assumptions about the people of Starkfield, and at first he doesn’t even talk directly to Ethan: “Every one in Starkfield . . . gave him a greeting tempered to his own grave mien; but his taciturnity was respected and . . . [he would talk] so low that his words never reached me . . .” (23). Also, the narrator’s primary source of information is Harmon Gow, whose intelligence the narrator himself calls into question. Indeed, in these early pages, Wharton gives us as much information about her narrator as her protagonist and, given what we learn about them both, we move into the text uneasy with taking the narrator’s version at face value—a discomfort made all the more striking given that all of Ethan’s story happened more than twenty years ago.

3. Reference and text. Because he’s the one relating it, it’s easy to assume that the narrator, a visiting engineer, is a dependable teller of Ethan Frome’s story. Careful consideration of the way he goes about learning Ethan’s story shows, however, that he’s anything but reliable, and that we must hold our own understanding of Frome distinct from what our narrator would have us believe. From the very beginning of the novel, it’s clear that the narrator sees Ethan from afar and through a not-so-clear lens. He makes assumptions about the people of Starkfield, he at first doesn’t even talk directly to Ethan (23), and his primary source of information is Harmon

Gow, whose intelligence the narrator himself calls into question when he says “Gow developed the tale as far as his mental and moral reach permitted him” (14). Indeed, in these early pages, Wharton gives us as much information about her narrator as her protagonist and, given what we learn about them both, we move into the text uneasy with taking the narrator’s version at face value—a discomfort made all the more striking given that all of Ethan’s story happened more than twenty years ago. 4. Text and text. Because he’s the one relating it, it’s easy to assume that the narrator, a visiting engineer, is a dependable teller of Ethan Frome’s story. Careful consideration of the way he goes about learning Ethan’s story shows, however, that he’s anything but reliable, and that we must hold our own understanding of Frome distinct from what our narrator would have us believe. From the very beginning of the novel, it’s clear that the narrator sees Ethan from afar and through a not-so-clear lens. He makes assumptions about the people of Starkfield, and at first he doesn’t even talk directly to Ethan: “Every one in Starkfield . . . gave him a greeting tempered to his own grave mien; but his taciturnity was respected and . . . [he would talk] so low that his words never reached me . . .” (23). Also, the narrator’s primary source of information is Harmon Gow, whose intelligence the narrator himself calls into question when he says “Gow developed the tale as far as his mental and moral reach permitted him” (14). Indeed, in these early pages, Wharton gives us as much information about her narrator as her protagonist and, given what we learn about them both, we move into the text uneasy with taking the narrator’s version at face value—a discomfort made all the more striking given that all of Ethan’s story happened more than twenty years ago.

Punctuation Guide

“The Equalizer” (semicolon ;) A semicolon joins two complete sentences. It says that these two things are related and equally important. The second part is often an extension or elaboration of the first. You know you’ve used the semicolon correctly if what comes before it is a complete sentence and what comes after it is a complete sentence.

“The Announcer” (colon :) Use a colon when you are about to make a list or when you want to indicate that whatever comes next is important. Either way, it announces to your reader that something that matters is coming up. “The main idea is this: _____” What comes after the colon does not need to be a complete sentence.

“The Connector” (hyphen - ) The hyphen creates one word (usually a descriptor) out of the two words you are connecting, as in “dirty white shoes” is different than “dirty-white shoes.” Hyphenated, “dirty-white” becomes a new color in and of itself, rather than “dirty” describing the white shoes.

“The Interruptor” (dash — ) Use the dash to interrupt yourself to say it better. It means, “Here, this is what I really mean; this is what I really want to say.” It interrupts your own thought to say it better/more clearly/more completely, or with more force and finality. When you use it, you do not put spaces between it and the preceding and following words. (“word—word”) The “Bad Guys”: Comma Splices and Fused Sentences A comma splice is when you join two complete sentences with a comma and nothing else. THIS IS BAD! To correct a comma splice, you add a conjunction after the comma, replace the comma with a semi-colon, or make it two separate sentences. Example: “Andrew needs a haircut, Hayden does, too.” BAD Andrew needs a haircut, and Hayden does, too. GOOD Andrew needs a haircut; Hayden does, too. GOOD Andrew needs a haircut. Hayden does, too. GOOD A fused sentence, AKA a run-on sentence, is when you join two complete sentences without any punctuation at all. THIS IS BAD! To correct a fused sentence, you have the same options as you have when correcting a comma splice. Example: “Andrew needs a haircut his hair is way too long.” BAD Andrew needs a haircut, as his hair is too long. GOOD Andrew needs a haircut; his hair is way too long. GOOD Andrew needs a haircut. His hair is way too long. GOOD !

Discipline­Specific Notes on Essay Writing

Thesis Statements

In general terms, a thesis statement comes at or near the beginning of your work, and is the statement of what you are going to discuss and/or prove in it. However, depending on the discipline, there are different ways to look at this statement. In English, your thesis is your arguable assertion, and if you can remember the acronym “CAPPI” as you compose it, you’ll be on the right track.

C stands for Clear. It’s got to be a good, well­written sentence. A stands for Arguable. In the case of an English paper, this means that another person

could disagree with your opinion. In other words, what you are stating is NOT a fact. Note also that this what makes your essay interesting to read—and to write!

P stands for Provable. In the case of an English paper, this means that you can prove your idea using evidence from the text, usually in the form of a paraphrase or a direct quote.

P (the second one) stands for Progressive. In the case of an English paper, this means that you can lay out your argument (to prove your thesis) in a step­by­step, logical manner in which you build one idea on top of another. You are NOT writing a good thesis if you are just going to give three examples of the same thing to prove it.

I stands for Interesting. This means that your reader won’t be bored by your idea. So your idea needs to be, again, more than a statement of fact, more than something about which you’ll simply give several similar examples.

So, in English, your thesis needs to be CAPPI, not a statement of fact. ****************************************** In History, your thesis answers a question. This may be a question that your teacher has given you, or one that you’ve come up with yourself.

A thesis is a claim, based on historical evidence, that the essay will prove. It should articulate an argument. It’s quite similar to what your English teachers are asking.

****************************************** In Science, your thesis is a hypothesis.

Similar to an English paper, a scientific hypothesis is something you will prove—not with text from a book, though. You’ll prove it with your experiment and the data you get from that.

Different from an English paper, this may be a fact.

Introductions

In general terms, an introduction sets up the rest of the essay by giving pertinent background information, the thesis, and a sense of how the thesis will be proven.

In an English essay, your introduction must somehow include:

the title of the text about which you are writing the author (and editor or translator, if necessary) your thesis a “nod” to the points you will make to prove your thesis relevant background and context

In a History essay, your introduction must somehow include:

In a history paper, get right to the argument. The thesis is the introduction. No need to make sweeping, general claims.

Don’t start an essay with: “Throughout history there have been many wars.” Do open with specific references to the time period and major historical actors and

forces you’re analyzing: “Beginning in the 1780s, the French Revolution involved class conflict between aristocrats and the bourgeoisie.”

Look at how actual historians write: Some begin with a quick statement, some begin by describing a scene.

Keep it simple. In a Science you will write lab reports instead of essays. The “introduction” of your lab report must include:

I. Background section that gives information related to your topic paraphrased from your sources and cited in APA style (Author, Year).

II. Hypothesis and Rationale section that presents your hypothesis (expected outcome) and the reason why the hypothesis makes sense (rationale) based on observation or ideas from your sources (cite as (Author, year). The passive voice is preferred where you avoid using personal pronouns to convey objectivity. “The hypothesis of this study…” rather than saying “my hypothesis”.

Body Paragraphs

In general terms, a body paragraph works to prove part of your thesis. Added together logically, all of your body paragraphs (however many there are) will give and discuss

enough evidence to prove your thesis as a whole. In an English essay, each body paragraph must somehow include:

A topic sentence (also called a “mini­thesis”), which tells what you will prove in that paragraph—just like the overall thesis of your essay, this must be a CAPPI statement.

This should usually also include a transitional word or phrase. Evidence from the text (this could be a direct quote, a paraphrase, or a reference to a

specific moment or idea). Context, as necessary, for the evidence—THIS COMES BEFORE THE EVIDENCE, and

is a description of what’s going on, not a page number. An analysis that explains specifically and in detail how the evidence you’ve given

supports the idea in the topic sentence/mini­thesis. In a History essay, each body paragraph must somehow include:

a topic sentence that states the theme of the paragraph. the theme should clarify how the paragraph relates logically to your larger argument. It

should tie back to your thesis Use information from sources to support claims that you make­­don’t use quotes to make

statements for you. Use direct quotes sparingly; save them for especially revealing comments.

Ideally, multiple sources should be used in each paragraph. Generally do not begin or end a paragraph with a quotation. Transition between paragraphs

In a Science lab report, the “body paragraphs” include the following sections:

III. Procedure section where you explain the methods and how the hypothesis will be tested.

IV. Results section where you present the data in three forms: (1) paragraph(s) where the major trend and important data points and averages, (2) data table and (4) graph.

Conclusions

In general terms, a conclusion ends your essay by gathering up all the ideas you have discussed and coming to some kind of conclusion, or further idea, about them.

In an English essay, your conclusion must somehow include:

a “gathering” of points (ideas) from your essay a commentary on what the ideas you’ve discussed in your essay have to do with the

overall human condition, or the link between your thesis and a broader theme In a History essay, your conclusion must:

somehow include a suggestion about the larger meaning of your work. Do not restate what you’ve already said. Put the piece in a larger context.

Note: Don’t begin the final paragraph with: “As you can see, the French Revolution was very bloody.”

Note: Do consider a larger comparison: “Unlike the American Revolution, the French Revolution involved bloody class conflict. That is why the French Revolution was the first modern Revolution. It became a model for later violent revolutions such as the Russian and the Chinese revolutions of the twentieth century.”

In a Science essay, your conclusion includes the following section:

Discussion paragraphs where you (1) restate and evaluate your hypothesis (supported, not supported or partially supported), (2) explain the scientific explanation for the trend in the data (3) discuss sources of error and (4) explain the broader meaning or implications of the findings.

Overall Voice

In general terms, voice is the stance you take as the writer of the essay, which is that of an expert. You need to sound like you know what you’re talking about (even if you

don’t!).

In an English essay, your active voice is when: The subject of sentence performs the action.

Active Voice ­ The dog bit the man. (Good) Passive Voice ­ The man was bitten by the dog. (Bad & Ugly)

The writer uses Third Person Singular:

he, she, it (subjective); him, her, it (objective); his, hers, its (possessive) (Good) The writer uses Third Person Plural:

they (subjective); them (objective); their/theirs (possessive) (Good)

The writer Does Not Use First Person Singular/Plural: First Person: I, we (subjective); me, us (objective); my/mine, our/ours

(possessive) (Bad & Ugly) The writer Does Not Use Second Person Singular/Plural:

Second Person: you (subjective); you (objective); your/yours (possessive) (Bad & Ugly)

NOTE: In place of using first or second person, the writer can refer to the reader as

“one” or simply “the reader”. NOTE: Avoid cliches, figures of speech, and slang.

In a history essay, the form is similar to English essays. One addition: stick to the past tense. In history, all the action already happened. Keep it in the past.

Avoid cliches, figures of speech, and slang.

In a Science lab reports, the passive voice is required.

Citations

In an English essay, your internal citation for Novels should follow: (Author’s Last Name Page Number)

ex: (Salinger 48­9) The “Author’s Last Name” is the name found in your works cited at the end of the essay. There is no comma between the name & page number.

In an English essay, your internal citation for Plays should follow:

(Act. Scene. Line#) ex: (II. iv. 34­56)

“Periods” are placed in between each section The “Act” needs to be capitalized Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, etc.) The “Scene” needs to be lower­case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, etc.) The line numbers need to be in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.) The author of the play should be referenced within the text before the cited quote.

ex: It is within William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, where Capulet states… In an English essay, your Works Cited should follow:

Use EasyBib or the Google Add­On for the construction of the Works Cited Must be on a separate page from essay Check spelling / double check Works Cited from EasyBib or Google Add­On Must be in alphabetical order & double spaced

In a History essay: in many instances, you will follow the same format as English class. In certain cases, such as formal research papers, your teacher may require footnotes using a variation of the Chicago Style. Individual teachers will provide details for how to cite those exceptional assignments.

Do not include urls as citations. For research writing, your papers must have a Works Cited page in MLA format.

Discipline­Specific Requirements in Essay Writing

Thesis/

Hypothesis

Introduc­

tion

Body Conclu­

sion

Voice Format /

Citations

Discipline

Specific

English Clear

Arguable

Provable

Progressive

Interesting

title

author

background

thesis

nods

statement

(topic

sentence)

proof

analysis

link thesis to

theme

active MLA

History Answers a

question.

Makes a

claim that

needs

defending

Dates,

places.

Provide a nod

to each step

in your

argument.

First

sentence may

have a hook.

Topic

sentences tie

back to

thesis.

Quote

sandwich for

evidence

Goes beyond

to suggest

larger

meanings,

why it

matters.

active MLA. No urls.

Science Clear

Testable

Supported by

observations

or other

sources

Background:

general to

specific info

from other

sources or

observations

Hypothesis &

Rationale;

Procedure;

Results

Discussion:

evaluate

hypothesis,

scientific

explanation,

relate to

larger world

passive APA. Internal

citation:

(Author,

Year)

URLs given in

Works Cited

Paraphrase.

Not direct

quote

Quotes used

only for

unique

phrases

Culture­Specific Differences in Academic Writing

Chinese Writing English Writing

Copying (cutting and pasting) others’ ideas indicates honoring the

author’s words. Encouraged. Therefore, citations don’t exist. (Students

need to learn this task.)

Plagiarism: Copying others’ ideas. Not acceptable. Understood to be

stealing others’ ideas. Cite all others’ ideas.

Circular approach, never directly discussing the subject (results in

wordy, lengthy papers)

Concise and straight to the point

Poetic, flowery language (found in dictionary) Clarity, precision

No definite and indefinite articles (determiners); no verb tenses; no

male/female pronouns (he, she, him, her); personal pronouns less

precise

Prepositions and phrasal verbs very precise (ex: “in/on” or “check out,

check in, check on”)

Rote memorization valued Creativity valued (own ideas)