Brave New World
Expository
Essay Unit
Great Gatsby
Expository Essay Unit
Unit Dates
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Research Notes/Plan: Thursday, April 25
Thesis proposal: Friday, April 26 (beginning of class)
Outline: Monday, April 28
Rough Draft: Tuesday, April 29
Polished Copy: Wednesday, April 30
Evaluation
• Thesis /10
• Outline /20
• Rough Draft (Process) /5
• Polished Essay /50
Note: All rough work must be handed
in with polished essay
Essay Topics (Parts)
1. Explain how a topic or idea is developed into a
theme in the novel (Levels of Learning from PFC)
2. Choose a symbol.
3. Choose one character and demonstrate
how the character develops in the novel.
4. Develop a thesis based on your own idea
chapter questions
THEME
• NOT a single word i.e.“love”, “utopia”
• Single words are simply TOPICS or MOTIFS
that are seen appearing in the novel
• THEMES are more like a MESSAGE, a
MORAL, an IDEA or EXPRESSION that is
developed throughout the novel
• Have a VERB or a MODIFIER in the THEME
SYMBOL
• A CONCRETE (it exists and can be touched)
representation of something ABSTRACT
CHARACTER
• Person or persons in the novel
• Note what they
represent, or what the
character alludes to, or
how they change
QUESTIONS/WORK
• Questions on Brave New World or Great
Gatsby chapters may have given you your
essay topic and a workable thesis
• Class theme worksheets, PFCs, bottle
diagrams, etc
THESIS PROPOSAL
• You propose what opinion you wish to express and
explain/defend
• Can be changed
• Use the forms provided on the website
• EXTENDED THESIS – add word “because”
or “due to” or “since” or “in spite of” etc
so as to extend the thesis for more
precision and focus
Method of Development
• MOD
• Primary means of developing thesis-based
arguments
• In literary essays your MOD is mainly three
or more main points using examples from
the text
• Also use examples from secondary texts
(or sources)
QUOTES
• Also called “citations”
• Direct placing of primary source materials
into your essay
• Does NOT have to be dialogue – any text
from the primary source will do
• Eg “- he had discovered TIME and DEATH
and GOD.”
Secondary Source Material
• Information and literary criticism from other
sources besides your novel
• MUST be legitimate!
• Non-legit: take a guess!
Literary Essay Outline
• Follow basic essay format
• Use bullets, point form for arguments
• Use FULL quotes/citations for MODs
• Do this before the ROUGH DRAFT
Basic Class Work
“modus operandi”
• All work done in class must be shown to teacher
• Prevents plagiarism (cheating)
• Work at home really begins AFTER the
Essay Outline begins (Friday)