Name ______________________________________________________ Period _____ “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Essay Writing Task: In literature, a character’s personality is revealed through their own actions, the narrator’s descriptions, and the actions/comments by other characters in the story. In a well-developed essay, discuss Miss Strangeworth’s character in “The Possibility of Evil.” Support your analysis of her personality with evidence from the text: what Miss Strangeworth does, what the narrator states about her, and how other characters interact with her. A TTACK the PROMPT Essay Genre: __________________________________ DO WHAT 1. 2. a. b. c. Rough Draft Thesis: Make sure to use precise adjectives that reinforce your opinion about Miss Strangeworth’s personality and how it is shaped by herself, the narrator, and other characters. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 1 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment B RAINSTORM Miss Strangeworth’s overall personality traits: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Body ¶ #1 What Miss Strangeworth does/says Body ¶ #2 What the narrator says about her Body ¶ #3 How other characters interact with her C HUNK & C HOOSE ORDER Go back through your brainstorm. Chunk (group) the ideas that go together. Using a logical organizational pattern (Hint: Body Paragraph #1 should have your second best idea, Body Paragraph #2 should have your third best idea, and Body Paragraph #3 should have your best idea. Remember: the goal is to make a good first impression, and leave a lasting impression with your audience, so save the best for last!), number the ideas according to the order that you would like to discuss them in your essay. 2 D “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment raft Your Essay Use the following outline to help you with the structure of your paragraphs. Draft your essay on a computer, and be sure to adhere to MLA format rules. Also, refer to page 4 of this packet for an example of a literary analysis introduction, page 5 for a body paragraph example, and page 6 for a guide. I. Introductory Paragraph A. Hook/Opening Sentence (quote, statistics, surprising statement, etc. about the typical elderly woman) B. Background Information (Discuss the following: Shirley Jackson, her story, “The Possibility of Evil,” and the character you are going to analyze) C. Thesis [Identify her personality trait(s) and how it is formed by her actions/comments, the narrator’s descriptions, and how others interact with her. II. Body Paragraph 1—what she says and does: Explain how Miss Strangeworth’s personality is shaped by what she does and says A. Topic Sentence (contains strong opinion that supports thesis statement) B. Chunk 1 (start with introducing new information transition) i. at least one cited CD/EVIDENCE (quote) from the story along with your CMs/SUPPORT explaining how/why that example emphasizes Miss Strangeworth’s personality. C. Chunk 2 (start with adding information transition) i. at least one more cited CD/EVIDENCE (quote) from the story along with your CMs/SUPPORT explaining how/why that example emphasizes Miss Strangeworth’s personality. D. Concluding Sentence (start with concluding transition; rephrase the topic sentence with new diction) III. Body Paragraph 2—What the narrator states: Explain how Miss Strangeworth’s personality is shaped by what the narrator states A. Topic Sentence (contains strong opinion that supports thesis statement) B. Chunk 1 (start with introducing new information transition) i. at least one cited CD/EVIDENCE (quote) from the story along with your CMs/SUPPORT explaining how/why that example emphasizes Miss Strangeworth’s personality. C. Chunk 2 (start with adding information transition) i. at least one more cited CD/EVIDENCE (quote) from the story along with your CMs/SUPPORT explaining how/why that example emphasizes Miss Strangeworth’s personality. D. Concluding Sentence (start with concluding transition; rephrase the topic sentence with new diction) IV. Body Paragraph 3—how the other characters interact with her: Explain how Miss Strangeworth’s character is developed by how others interact with her A. Topic Sentence (contains strong opinion that supports thesis statement) B. Chunk 1 (start with introducing new information transition) i. at least one cited CD/EVIDENCE (quote) from the story along with your CMs/SUPPORT explaining how/why that example emphasizes Miss Strangeworth’s personality. C. Chunk 2 (start with adding information transition) i. at least one more cited CD/EVIDENCE (quote) from the story along with your CMs/SUPPORT explaining how/why that example emphasizes Miss Strangeworth’s personality. D. Concluding Sentence (start with concluding transition; rephrase the topic sentence with new diction) V. Concluding Paragraph A. Summarize the three main points of the essay B. Rephrase and Restate Thesis (start with concluding information transition) C. Reverse Hook/Closing Sentence (leave the reader thinking) 3 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment Example Literary Analysis Introductory Paragraph The following introductory paragraph is taken from a literary analysis essay discussing the character, Maggie, from the story “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker. This is very similar to what you will be doing except that you are analyzing Miss Strangeworth’s character. Directions: Read through the introductory paragraph below. Label the student’s hook/opening sentence, background information, and thesis statement. Next, draw a box around the background information. Then, underline the student’s thesis statement. Lastly, label the three controlling ideas in the student’s thesis statement. Like the clouds in the sky and blades of grass, people are all different. Alice Walker’s short story, “Everyday Use,” is an excellent example of three very different female characters. Maggie, specifically, is an extremely timid young woman who is both physically and mentally scarred. Maggie’s fearful character is developed by a traumatizing event from her youth, by the narrator’s detailed descriptions of her, and by her overbearing sister, Dee. Now follow this student’s format and write your introduction for your essay here. __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 4 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment Example Literary Analysis Body Paragraph The following body paragraph is taken from a literary analysis essay discussing the character Maggie. This is very similar to what you will be doing except that you are analyzing Miss Strangeworth. Directions: Read through the body paragraph below. Label the numbered parts of the paragraph, using the list in the box below. Some items will be repeated. a) chunk 1 transition b) speaker c) speaker tag d) topic sentence e) concluding sentence transition 1 = ____ 2 = ____ 3 = ____ 1 4 = ____ 5= ____ 6 = ____ k) rephrased topic sentence g) citation h) quote i) chunk 2 transition j) link 7 = ____ 8 = ____ 9 = ____ 10 = ____ 11 = ____ 12 = ____ l) story context m) commentary 13 = ____ 14 = ____ 15 = ____ 16 = ____ Maggie is so disturbed from her childhood home burning down that she has become a shy, under- appreciated, young lady. 2To demonstrate, 3Maggie is so self-conscious that her mother says she walks like a dog run over by a car: 4“chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground” 5(6). 6This description helps to illustrate Maggie’s lack of self-confidence and her inability to make eye contact. 7She thinks that if she cannot see the people around her that they cannot see her. 8 In addition, 9Maggie’s noticeable scars have an effect on the way she carries herself. 10 According to Mama, when she was pulling Maggie out of the fire, Maggie’s arms were sticking to her, 11 “her hair was smoking, and her dress was falling off her in black papery flake” 12(6). fire actually physically scars her. reason she hides away. 15 14 13 This is significant because it shows how much the These scars are everyday reminders to Maggie of that tragic day and the Needless to say, 16Maggie’s evident lack of confidence in herself is caused mostly by the fire. 5 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment Body Paragraphs Guide Use the guide below for assistance when writing your three body paragraphs. Be sure to vary your wording, so your paragraphs are not repetitive. You may NOT repeat ANY phrases, transition words, lead-ins, speaker tags, or links ANYWHERE in your essay—everything must be NEW and ORIGINAL. ________________________________________________________________________________. CONTROLLING IDEA from THESIS _________________________________, _____________________________, ________________________, CHUNK 1: INTRODUCING FIRST IDEA TRANSITION STORY CONTEXT (LEAD-IN) SPEAKER and SPEAKER TAG “_____________________________________________________________” (_____). _____________ PROPERLY PUNCTUATED QUOTE /EVIDENCE CITATION LINK ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. FIRST SENTENCE OF COMMENTARY/SUPPORT that EXPLAINS HOW THE QUOTE PROVES THE TOPIC SENTENCE. ___________________________________________________________________________________. AT LEAST ONE MORE SENTENCE OF COMMENTARY/SUPPORT that FURTHER EXPLAINS HOW THE QUOTE PROVES THE TOPIC SENTENCE ______________________________, _______________________________, __________________________, CHUNK 2: ADDING INFORMATION TRANSITION STORY CONTEXT (LEAD-IN) SPEAKER and SPEAKER TAG “_____________________________________________________________” (_____). _____________ PROPERLY PUNCTUATED QUOTE/EVIDENCE CITATION LINK ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. FIRST SENTENCE OF COMMENTARY/SUPPORT that EXPLAINS HOW THE QUOTE PROVES THE TOPIC SENTENCE. ___________________________________________________________________________________. AT LEAST ONE MORE SENTENCE OF COMMENTARY/SUPPORT that FURTHER EXPLAINS HOW THE QUOTE PROVES THE TOPIC SENTENCE _____________________, ___________________________________________________________________. CONCLUDING TRANSIITION REPHRASE TOPIC SENTENCE USING NEW PHRASES and DICTION 6 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment What to Use When Introducing Quotes Transitions that indicate an example (Use to introduce first quote in paragraph) For example, For instance, To demonstrate, To illustrate, Specifically, Particularly, In particular, Namely, That is, Transitions that add information (Use to introduce second quote in paragraph) Furthermore, Moreover, In addition, Also, Additionally, Likewise, Similarly, Transitions that wrap ideas up (Use with concluding sentences and restating thesis in conclusion) As a result, Finally, Nevertheless, Nonetheless, Lastly, Without a doubt, Clearly, Therefore, Thus, Undoubtedly, Accordingly, Hence, In other words, Lead-ins (help to introduce a quote) What the author does … (Ex: Jackson describes, “…”) What the character does (Ex: one day Miss Strangeworth says, states, remarks, implies, questions, wonders, suggests, ponders, reflects, etc…) Plot summary (Ex: when Miss Strangeworth takes her evening stroll …) 7 E “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment dit and Revise After writing both your rough draft (RD) and final draft (FD), read through your essay and place a check mark next to each item that has been completed. If you have not completed an item, you know that you need to work on including that item in your essay in order to improve your writing and raise the final grade that you will receive. How is your structure? Title RD FD ____ ____ My title is unique and catchy. ____ ____ My title is an accurate representation of what my paper discusses. Introduction Hook/Opening Sentence RD FD ____ ____ I have captured the reader’s attention by using at least one of the following: □ imagery □ figurative language □ surprising statement □ quote □ shocking statistic/fact □ strong opinion Background Information RD FD ____ ____ I have discussed the general topic of my essay. ____ ____ I have offered a brief summary of the text. ____ ____ I have connected the general topic to the literature. ____ ____ I have mentioned the author’s first and last name, title, and genre. ____ ____ I have capitalized the author’s first and last name. ____ ____ I have capitalized and italicized the title. Thesis Statement RD FD ____ ____ My thesis is the last sentence of my introduction. ____ ____ My thesis tells the main point of my essay. ____ ____ My thesis contains an opinion. ____ ____ My thesis has three points. ____ ____ My thesis uses precise adjectives that add to my opinion. 8 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment Body Paragraphs RD FD ____ ____ I have at least 3 body paragraphs. ____ ____ Each of my body paragraphs focuses on one point of the thesis. ____ ____ My body paragraphs follow a logical order. Topic Sentences RD FD ____ ____ Each of my topic sentences include one point from the thesis. ____ ____ Each of my topic sentences contains precise adjectives that add to my opinion. Transition Words RD FD ____ ____ I have used appropriate transitions to: □ introduce new ideas/quotes □ add more information □ connect ideas □ end body paragraphs ____ ____ I have varied the use of my transitions. Lead-ins RD FD ____ ____ I have offered a brief phrase about the author’s purpose or plot summary in order to assist the reader’s understanding. ____ ____ I have properly introduced quotes with a speaker and speaker tag. ____ ____ I have used accurate, descriptive speaker tags. ____ ____ I have varied the use of speaker tags. Concrete Details (Quotes) RD FD ____ ____ I have used at least 2 quotes per body paragraph. ____ ____ Each of the quotes help prove my topic sentences. ____ ____ I have properly introduced the quotes. ____ ____ I have properly punctuated the quotes. ____ ____ I have properly cited the quotes. 9 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment Commentary RD FD ____ ____ My commentary thoroughly explains how each quote proves my topic sentences. (Hint: You need at least 2 sentences of commentary per concrete detail, but more is often required in order to make your thinking clear to your reader.) Concluding Sentences RD FD ____ ____ Each of my concluding sentences rephrases the topic sentence. ____ ____ I have used a transition word in each of my concluding sentences to give my body paragraphs a finished feel. Conclusion Summary of Main Ideas RD FD ____ ____ I have briefly summarized the main ideas of my body paragraphs. Rephrased and Restated Thesis RD FD ____ ____ I have used a transition word to emphasize my essay’s overall main point. ____ ____ I have restated my thesis in different words. Reverse Hook/Closing Sentence RD FD ____ ____ The last part of my essay is a strong reflection or conclusion that offers my reader insight. ____ ____ The last part of my essay hints at the hook from my introduction paragraph. 10 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment How is your grammar and style? Word Choice/Diction RD FD ____ ____ I have replaced words that appear too often in my essay with synonyms. ____ ____ I have replaced vague or inappropriate words with stronger, more sophisticated, precise, vivid, academic words. Flow RD FD ____ ____ When reading my paper aloud, it is pleasant to read. (Hint: Are you able to read it without confusion or awkwardness? Do you flow from sentence to sentence without sounding choppy or long-winded?) Sentence Structure RD FD ____ ____ I have combined sentences in order to vary my sentence structure. ____ ____ I have varied the beginnings of my sentences so that they don’t all start the same way. ____ ____ I have fixed all run-on sentences. ____ ____ I have fixed all comma splices. ____ ____ I have fixed all sentence fragments. Tone RD FD ____ ____ I have used academic language and avoided slang, swearing, and unnecessary sarcasm. (Hint: Avoid saying things like twenty-four seven and retarded.) Point of View RD FD ____ ____ I have written in the third person point of view? (Hint: Did you avoid first person personal pronouns such as me, my, I, mine, us, we, and our? Did you refrain from speaking directly to the reader with second person pronouns you and your?) Tense RD FD ____ ____ I have written in the present tense. (Hint: Instead of saying The narrator remembered…say The narrator remembers). 11 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment Spelling RD FD ____ ____ I have double-checked any words that I was not confident how to spell. Punctuation RD FD ____ ____ I have used the correct end mark for each sentence. ____ ____ I have used quotation marks around each quote. ____ ____ I have properly quoted dialogue with a single quote around dialogue and double quotes around the entire quote (quote within a quote). ____ ____ I have placed the page number in parentheses outside of each quote. ____ ____ I have placed a period on the outside of each citation. ____ ____ I have used apostrophes to show possession. ____ ____ I have used appropriate punctuation when combining sentences. ____ ____ I have used commas: □ with double adjectives □ with introductory words/phrases □ in series □ with non-essential clauses □ with conjunctions (FANBOYS) that combine sentences □ to set off quotes from explanatory words and speaker tags Commonly Confused Words RD FD ____ ____ I have double-checked all commonly confused words, including those listed below, to make sure I have used the correct ones. □ there, their, they’re □ accept, except □ to, too, two □ affect, effect □ its, it’s □ lose, loose □ are, our □ past, passed □ your, you’re □ were, wear, where, we’re □ than, then □ through, threw Capitalization RD FD ____ ____ I have capitalized the first word of every sentence. ____ ____ I have capitalized all proper nouns. 12 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment F inalize Before submitting your final draft, look over the formatting of your essay and place a check mark next to each item that has been completed. If you have not completed an item, you know that you need to work on fixing that part of the formatting in order to adhere to MLA guidelines and raise the final grade that you will receive. How is your formatting? Overall ____ I have used 12 pt. Times New Roman font throughout my entire essay, including the title. ____ I have double-spaced the entire essay. ____ I have used a one-inch margin all the way around the page. ____ I have stapled my final draft on top of all of my prewriting, rough drafts, and peer edits. ____ I have indented each paragraph. ____ I have included a properly formatted Irving 1 header in the top right hand corner of each John Irving page (0.5” from the top). Mrs. Lopez English 2 First Page ____ I have included a properly formatted header in the top right hand corner of the page (0.5” from the top). ____ I have included a properly formatted heading in the top left corner of the page. ____ I have centered the title. ____ I DID NOT underline, quote, or bold my title. 15 December 2009 XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 “The Possibility of Evil” Response to Literature Assignment Last Page/Works Cited ____ The last page of my essay is a properly formatted Works Cited page. ____ The title (Works Cited) is at the top center of the page. ____ I DID NOT underline, quote, or bold the title. ____ The source entry begins at the margin. ____ Each additional line of the source entry is indented. ____ I have placed the source information in proper order according to MLA formatting guidelines. ____ I have included proper punctuation according to MLA formatting guidelines. ____ I have capitalized all proper nouns. Irving 4 Works Cited Jackson, Shirley. “The Possibility of Evil.” Interactive Reader & Writer for Critical Analysis. Ed. Janet Allen, et al. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2008. 50-64. Print. 14