Essay analysis for April Fools on Polar Circus
1) Activate prior knowledge: April Fools—associations. Not’s fool’s so the subject
would be people who are somehow fools? Polar Circus. Circus—bright lights,
exciting, fun, but also the idea of circles. Something happening at North or south
pole? Polar circus is an alpine climb in the rockies. I know it can be very
dangerous. Took place on April Fool’s but she’s also making a pun.
2) Informal: narrative essay, conversational tone. Subject is the author, vivid
language and imagery. “The tiny puffs of light float slowly upward and burn
deeper into a maze of ice, snow, and rock.” Pg 380
3) Pattern of argument: exposition. She’s exploring the idea of fear and how testing
her limits and boundaries help her grow as a person.
4) Essay structure: Narrative: she tells the story of her climb beginning with an
earlier point in the climb, following the conflict she faces “I don’t know about
this, Barb” pg 381 to the summit of the mountain. Along the way she analyses the
significance of the climb: The fluctuation between fear and a feeling of calm.
Uses dialogue.
5) Method of organization: Chronological/climactic
6) Thesis: “Climbing leads me into myself, through my hidden doors, into corners
and attics.
Exploring her fear makes her stronger.
7) Types of proof: examples: personal experience, analogies: wedding, tango,
quotations (Kafka), facts
8) Style: conversational, sincere, passionate, philosophical
9) The analogies of the tango and wedding create a consistent focus. Helps us make
a connection especially if we haven’t been mountain climbing before. Uses
powerful verbs “I rail and pound against it. The dance becomes a struggle.” Pg
381. Powerful imagery. Lights at beginning linked with lights at end. What did
she learn? How did it make her wise? Was able to test her limits and rewarded for
it? Tango imagery perhaps more effective than the wedding imagery.