ELA Regents – Part 4 Critical Lens Essay Pre-Writing/Review
Critical Lens: "There is only one way in which one can endure man's inhumanity to man and that is to try, in one's
own life, to exemplify man's humanity to man." Alan Paton.
Steps to Writing a Critical Lens Essay:
1. Read the quote
a. Select keywords from the quote
b. Define the keywords you chose
c. Replace the words if needed for better understanding
d. Write what you think the quote means
e. Look for themes
f. Analyze the quote and think about what it says about the purpose or ideas of the literature we read, or
what it demonstrates about humanity.
g. Think of books that best fit your interpretation.
2. Agree or disagree with the quote. (It’s easier to agree.)
3. Write two works of literature that support your position- for purposes of this assignment you will write about A
Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, and Night by Elie Wiesel.
4. Try and incorporate at least TWO literary elements into your argument, but don't go into so much detail. Save that
for your first body paragraph.
5. Your first paragraph should focus on one of the books and how the book supports your interpretation of the quote.
Provide a brief BRIEF summary of the book – no more than one to two sentences. Your sole purpose is to PROVE
how this work of literature SUPPORTS the Critical Lens/Interpretation. THEN use the literary elements to discuss
how a key character or event supports the critical lens interpretation. End this paragraph with a statement about
how these details support your interpretation.
6. Your second paragraph should follow the same order, except writing about the second book.
7. Your conclusion should sum up what you've written and end with some profound message that each of these
books has demonstrated as it relates to the critical lens.
8. INCORPORATE TRANSITIONS, VARIED SENTENCE STRUCTURE, and HIGHER LEVEL VOCABULARY – check your
PUNCTUATION!!!!!
Introductory Paragraph
1. (Rewrite Critical Lens) According to (author), “____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________.”
2. This quotation means (provide your THOUGHTFUL interpretation here)_________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________(now stretch it – go beyond the basic
meaning)_____________________________________________________________________________.
3. This statement is valid/not valid(CIRCLE ONE) and two works of literature that support this interpretation are
(TANG 1)_________________________________ and (TANG 2) __________________________________________.
4. Through the literary elements of ____________________ and _________________________ (You should have at
least TWO literary elements, but you can have as many as FOUR – you just need to be able to support each one with
details from your literature) (Author 1), and (Author 2) demonstrate how (restate interpretation).
Literary elements in two works of literature from 9th, 10th, or 11th grade:
Literary Element
Title/Author/
Nationality/Genre
(TANG)
Protagonist-name and
brief description
Antagonist – name
and brief description
Foil – name of
character who
contrasts another
character and brief
description
Setting: time period,
place, major issues or
events of the time,
and where major
action takes place
Internal Conflict –
what does the
protagonist struggle
with/against? WHY?
External Conflict –
who or what does the
protagonist struggle
against/with? (person,
nature, society). WHY?
Themes – what is the
author’s overall
message(s) about life
or humanity that
he/she is trying to
emphasize in the work
of literature? How do
you know?
1st Work of Literature
2nd Work of Literature
5a. In the chart below, explain additional details/key events (at least TWO) from each work of literature that will help
to support your thesis – your interpretation and agreement (or disagreement) of the critical lens. Remember – the
details/key events you provide MUST have an explicit connection to your interpretation of the critical lens.
5b. Once you have done this – go back through your list and label which of the literary elements is evident in the
detail/event. This will help you incorporate the literary terms in your essay.
(Body Paragraph 1) 1st work of literature
(Body Paragraph 2) 2nd Work of literature
Label
Literary
Element
Label
Literary
Element
6. Concluding Paragraph



Explain how both works support critical lens
Explain how character from each work supports critical lens
State a message about critical lens