English III AP/IB Supervised Writing: The Stranger
You will need:
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Your book
Your Motif Chart (5 motifs x 3 quotations/commentaries, equaling 15 total entries)
Your tone word list
Your analytical brain
Choose one of the following prompts:
How does the author use setting (geography, time period, physical spaces) to establish theme,
draw characters, and/or establish conflict?
Does this story take place in a specific time and place? If so, how does the author go about
establishing this setting and why is this specific time and place important/necessary? If not,
what stylistic techniques does the author incorporate to create the sense that this could happen
anywhere, anytime?
How is the novel structured? Are there chapters, sections, or other divisions in the text? If so,
what do you see as the author’s purpose in this structure? Does it reflect a change in point of
view? Shifts in conflict? Breaks in chronology? How does this affect a central theme of the
novel?
What is the point of view established by the author? Did he draw a reliable narrator or did he
imbue the narrator with flaws that call their account into question? Why?
How do we learn about characters in this novel? Are the characters more or less important than
the ideas? In other words, based on how the author established characters and theme, do you
believe that he cared more about establishing characters who we care deeply about or drawing
characters to serve as a launching pad for some sort of idea?
Answer these questions:
1. What is the purpose of your essay?
2. What is your argument? Why is it important? Address the prompt and connect all
textual details to the author’s thematic purpose. This is your thesis.
3. What preliminary evidence and/or reasons will you use to support your
claims? Write as many topic sentences and body paragraphs as you need to prove your argument
and address the prompt (at least three body paragraphs). Make sure you are focusing your analysis on
authorial technique – style and literary elements.
Reminder: A paragraph for this essay is one topic sentence and the following sentences that include
 literary labels
 embedded quotations
 analytical commentary that addresses the prompt and connects your textual details to
the author’s thematic purpose
 MLA internal citations
.Important: You must submit your Supervised Writing to turnitin.com by the end of
class.
*Note to IB Students: This Supervised Writing may become the first draft of your externally assessed
Written Assignment.