Embedded Assessment #1: The Poisonwood Bible
We have been studying, reviewing, applying and analyzing this year how literary criticisms can be used to better understand literary texts. Now you
will need to apply this knowledge to The Poisonwood Bible. Your assignment is to select one of the critical perspectives (cultural, historical,
Marxist, feminist, or archetypal) and write a 5-paragraph essay that analyzes a 1-2 page section of the novel through the critical perspective
you have chosen. This essay needs to be typed in 12 point font - Times New Roman, with 1 inch margins, and a title that reflects the content of your
essay and it must be submitted to Turnitin.com. There are NO personal pronouns allowed in this essay. This essay is DUE on Thursday, April 26st
during your class period. However, we will begin accepting essays from Monday, April 23rd through Wednesday, April 25th for 10 points
extra credit. This essay is worth 100 points and will fall under the embedded assessment category. All essays must be received to Turnitin.com
by your class period on April 26th - Late essays will earn ½ credit.
Suggested steps to complete this assignment:
 Choose a criticism you understand, are comfortable with, and have definitely seen evidence of in the novel so far or through our discussions.
 Choose a passage in the novel for analysis from the list below. You will need to be able to analyze the passage in-depth, use quotes from the
passage to support your analysis, and connect these critical ideas to the portion of the novel we have read so far.
Format for essay:
Introduction: Includes an attention getter, identification of the novel and author, transitional sentences, and a thesis statement that identifies
the passage and critical perspective you are using.
Body Paragraph One: Explanation of how perspective is seen in the passage you are analyzing using a specific quote, an analysis of that
quote, and how the information in your quote ties to the novel as a whole.
Body Paragraph Two: Explanation of how perspective is seen in the passage you are analyzing using a specific quote, an analysis of that
quote, and how the information in your quote ties to the novel as a whole.
Body Paragraph Three: Explanation of how perspective is seen in the passage you are analyzing using a specific quote, an analysis of that
quote, and how the information in your quote ties to the novel as a whole.
Conclusion: How does the critical perspective that you have used effect understanding of the novel. Is it useful? Helpful? Does it make the
conflict/story/characters easier to understand?
Choices for analysis:
Leah – 279-287
Adah – 276-278
Ruth May – 271-273
CATEGORY
Fully Developed
Adequately Developed Minimally Developed Attempted
Absent
Use of single
critical
perspective
for
analysis/focus
*Clearly shows how
critical perspective
helps illuminate
important ideas within
the passage
*Attempts to explain how
critical perspective addresses
important ideas within the
passage
* Choice of critical
perspective is obvious but
is lacking explanation of
important ideas within
passage
*Selected a critical
perspective but does not
demonstrate how that
perspective can be used to
explain important ideas
within passage
*No single perspective
chosen and lack of
explanation of important
ideas within the passage
Connection of
ideas to novel
as a
whole/support
*Ideas within the
passage explored
through critical
perspective are
effectively connected
to the novel as a whole
and illuminate
important
ideas/concepts
*Ideas within the passage
explored through critical
perspective are connected to
the novel as a whole but not
completely developed
* Only some of the ideas
within the passage explored
through critical perspective
are connected to the novel
as a whole and they lack
development
* There is an attempt to tie *The ideas within the
ideas within the passage
passage are not tied to novel
explored through critical
as a whole.
perspective to the novel but
it is not successful.
Depth of
analysis/
organization
*Addresses all relevant * Addresses relevant parts of
parts of the passage
the passage with some
directly and
analysis
thoroughly.
*Addresses some of the
relevant parts of the
passage, but ignores or
glosses over some of the
important text.
*Addresses passage briefly *Analysis is not apparent.
and with lack of depth.
Conventions
* Minor or no errors in
all categories. *No
major digressions.
*Minor errors in all categories. *Minor errors in all
*No major digressions.
categories. *Some
digressions.
*Major and minor errors in
all categories. *Major
digressions.
Specific
requirements/
quotes, copy
of passage
* Has 3 direct quotes
that relate specifically
to the criticism.
*Turned in the copy of
the passge that was
analyzed.
* Has 3 direct quotes that
relate to the criticism. * Did
not turn in the passage that
was analyzed.
* Has 1 or fewer direct
*Lacking quotes *Did not turn
quotes that relate to the
in passage that was
criticism or paraphrased
analyzed.
instead of using quotes.
*Did not turn in the passage
that was analyzed.
Comments:
* Has 1-2 direct quotes that
relate to the criticism or
paraphrased instead of
using quotes. *Did not turn
in the passage that was
analyzed.
*Major errors in all
categories. *Major
digressions.