Name___________________________ Period______ Date Due: Thursday, October 11
Your Task: Write a critical essay in which you discuss TWO characters from a work of literature(the
poem, “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns and the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.)
you have read from the particular perspective of the statement that is provided for you in the
Critical Lens. In your essay, provide a valid interpretation of the statement, agree or disagree with
the statement as you have interpreted it, and support your opinion using specific references to
appropriate literary elements from the work. You may use scrap paper as you plan your response .
Critical Lens:
“If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another
way. The moral imperative of humanism is the endeavor alone, whether successful or not,
provided the effort is honorable and failure memorable.”
E. O. Wilson
Guidelines:
Be sure to
•Provide a valid interpretation of the critical lens that clearly establishes the criteria for analysis
•Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it
•Use both works that you have read that best support your opinion (the poem, “To a Mouse,” by
Robert Burns and the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.)
•Use the criteria suggested by the Critical Lens to analyze the works you have chosen
•Avoid plot summary. Instead, use specific references to appropriate literary elements (for
example: theme, characterization, setting, point of view) to develop your analysis
•Organize your ideas in a unified and coherent manner
•Specify the titles and authors of the literature you choose
•Follow the conventions of standard written English
Essay Check List (Turn in with your essay)
□Intro Paragraph:
□Hook: (discuss the idea of control)
□Critical Lens (quote): write down the exact quote for your critical lens-THIS is what you will be
writing about! You will just use the texts: the poem, “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns and the
novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
□Interpretation of the quote: Clarify the quote and discuss the meaning.
□Agree/disagree: State if quote is true or false.
□T-A-G =Title, author, genre of the piece,
□Thesis statement: a VERY specific sentence about the quote that can be seen as a lesson about
life/human nature in both texts.
□□TWO Body Paragraphs: (the following must be included in EACH
paragraph- one paragraph for each character)
□□Topic sentence: Very Specific sentence that tells what this paragraph will be about to prove
your thesis statement to be true.
□□At least three examples/quotes from the text to support your thesis statement
□□ Transition words for each example.
□□Connections/explanation of examples- your own explanation of how each example shows
how your thesis statement is true- must be longer than examples!
□□Discuss at least one Literary element used in each text and how it is used to show thesis
statement to be true. You can discuss more than one!
□□Concluding statement (s) specific sentence connect ideas and thesis statement
□Concluding Paragraph:
□Restate thesis statement in a different way
□Wrap up all of your ideas regarding your thesis for your reader, drive home your point.