Mr. Everhart
Room 218
Second Marking Period Menu
11th Grade English
2nd Nine Weeks
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Room 218
Composition 5: Get Real! Critiquing Fictional
Realism
PROMPT: After viewing/reading and taking notes on a book or a film or a TV series (even a
cartoon), write a review in which you evaluate how realistic it is. There are varying degrees of
realism, so this model topic sentence may help you to state your position the way you want:
TOPIC SENTENCE: The [film, book, television series, cartoon, soap opera]
__________________ seems [unrealistic, scarcely realistic, somewhat realistic, entirely realistic]
when evaluated in terms of the events, characters, and the setting.
INTRODUCTION IDEA: Summarize the plot if a book or a film. Describe the major characters if a
TV series.
CONCLUSION IDEA: Summarize ways that the work was real/unreal…and whether the degree
of realism made it better or worse. If the goal of the writer was not realism, what was it--and do
you think he achieved it?
RREQUIRED RESEARCH: You must include at least 1 MLA style citation within your essay and
a works cited page at the end of your essay or the highest score you can receive is an 80%/B-.
[see model essay on next page]. +5 Bonus for an additional source cited and a whole letter grade
higher for any student choosing to critique a piece of literature.
Focus Skills
1. TS/Subs/Intro/Concl
2. Frag/Run
3. Sp
4. Square 10 Vivid Verbs
5. Catchy Introduction
6. 3.5 Pages of Rough Copy
*1 Citation / MLA Works Cited Required
+10 if critiquing literature
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Mega-Tips for Content Development
Do not regurgitate plot. Discuss only those details of the work that relate to the subtopic
criteria.
If you miss the work presented in class, select a film or book that you have access to at
home as your topic.
Use quotations when possible to demonstrate and develop your points.
It is easier to critique a work that is unrealistic than it is one that is real—so pick
something “out of this world” if you are having difficulty.
See model essay for book citation and Works Cited formats. See your all-year packet for
Works Cited formats for movies or TV shows.
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SUBTOPIC ONE: In__________________, [no, a few, far too many]
audience's sense of probability.
events
stretch the
List here events that either stretch probability or seem portrayed as true-to-life with remarkable
care and detail.
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SUBTOPIC TWO: In ___________________, [few if any, most]
of believable changes because they are [one-sided, two-sided].
CHARACTER
NAME
EXPLAIN HOW and WHY
THE CHARACTER
CHANGES—IF AT ALL
characters seem capable
MOST IMPORTANT SCENES THAT
PROVE THAT THE CHARACTER
CHANGES OR DOES NOT
CHANGE
setting
SUBTOPIC THREE: In___________________, the
captures [accurately, poorly] the
aura of [ insert a time and/or place here, like a 1950's American high school, the Old West,
suburban Illinois in the 1990's].
List below details that make the time and the place of the story seem real… that is, historically or
socially accurate. Consider details of work life, clothing styles, hair styles, music, architecture,
furniture, automobiles, speech, day-to-day routines, the natural scenery, and other features that
build a sense of being there in the audience.
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Probability of the Events: Do the outcasts react to their suffering as real-life people would be likely to react? Consider
how the famous Donner Party reacted in the historical example that parallels this one.
Believable Character Changes: Oakhurst and Mother Shipton both change. How? And whose change is more
believable…because we have little trouble buying into the motivation for that change?
Authentic Old West Setting: What details of speech, dress, geography, meteorology, and law enforcement make this
seem like the real or unreal Old West?
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Bret Harte
As Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, stepped into the main street of Poker Flat on the
morning of the twenty-third of November, 1850, he was conscious of a change. Two or
three men ceased as he approached and exchanged significant glances.
“I reckon they’re after somebody,” he reflected; “likely it’s me.” He returned to his
pocket the handkerchief with which he had been whipping away the red dust of Poker Flat
from his neat boots.
In point of fact, Poker Flat was “after somebody.” A secret committee had determined
to rid the town of all improper persons. This was done permanently in regard to two men
who were then hanging from the boughs of a sycamore in the gulch, and temporarily in the
banishment of certain other objectionable characters. I regret to say that some of these
were ladies.
Mr. Oakhurst was right in supposing that he was included in this category. A few of the
committee had urged hanging him as a sure method of reimbursing themselves from his
pockets of the sums he had won from them. “It’s agin justice,” said Jim Wheeler, “to let
this yer young man from Roaring Camp—an entire stranger—carry away our money.”
Mr. Oakhurst received his sentence with calmness. He was too much of a gambler not to
accept Fate.
A body of armed men accompanied them to the outskirts of the settlement. Besides Mr.
Oakhurst, the party consisted of a prostitute known as “The Duchess”; another, a
malevolent madam who had won the title of “Mother Shipton”; and “Uncle Billy,” a
suspected sluice-robber and confirmed drunkard. The exiles were forbidden to return at
the peril of their lives.
The philosophic Oakhurst alone remained silent. He listened calmly to Mother Shipton’s
desire to cut somebody’s heart out.
The road to Sandy Bar seemed to offer some invitation to the emigrants but lay over a
steep mountain range. It was distant a day’s severe travel. In that late season, the party
soon passed out of the moist, temperate regions of the foot-hills into the dry, cold, bracing
air of the Sierras. The trail was narrow and difficult, but soon they settled in a clearing and
made camp.
Suddenly Oakhurst heard his name called. A horseman slowly ascended the trail. In
the fresh, open face of the new-comer Mr. Oakhurst recognized Tom Simson, otherwise
known as “The Innocent” of Sandy Bar. He had met him some months before over a “little
game,” and had, won the entire fortune—amounting to some forty dollars. After the game
was finished, Mr. Oakhurst drew the youthful speculator behind the door and said,
“Tommy, you’re a good little man, but you can’t gamble worth a cent. Don’t try it ever
again.” He then handed him his money back, pushed him gently from the room, and so
made a devoted friend of Tom Simson.
Tom had started, he said, to go to Poker Flat to seek his fortune.
“Alone?” Oakhurst asked.
No, not exactly alone; in fact he had run away with Piney Woods. They had been
engaged a long time, but Jake Woods had objected, and so they had run away and were
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going to Poker Flat to be married, and here they were. All this the Innocent delivered
rapidly, while Piney, a stout, comely damsel of fifteen, emerged from behind the pine-tree.
Mr. Oakhurst seldom troubled himself with sentiment, still less with propriety; but he
had a vague idea that the situation was not fortunate.
The air had grown strangely chill and the sky overcast.
Mr. Oakhurst was a light sleeper. Toward morning he awoke benumbed and cold. As
he stirred the dying fire, the wind, which was now blowing strongly, brought to his cheek
that which caused the blood to leave it,—snow!
He started to his feet with the intention of awakening the sleepers, for there was no
time to lose. But turning to where Uncle Billy had been lying, he found him gone. He ran to
the spot where the mules had been tethered; they were no longer there. The tracks were
already rapidly disappearing in the snow.
He did not waken the sleepers. Mr. Oakhurst, drawing his blanket over his shoulders,
stroked his mustaches and waited for the dawn. It came slowly in a whirling mist of snowflakes that dazzled and confused the eye. He looked over the valley, and summed up the
present and future in two words,—“snowed in!”
A careful inventory of the food, which had escaped the felonious fingers of Uncle Billy,
disclosed the fact that they might last ten days longer. “
The cheerful gayety of the young man, and Mr. Oakhurst’s calm infected the others.
Haply the frigid days and nights were spent by an accordion, produced somewhat
ostentatiously by Tom Simson from his pack. But the crowning festivity of the evening was
reached in a rude camp meeting hymn, which the lovers, joining hands, sang with great
earnestness and vociferation.
“I’m proud to live in the service of the Lord,
And I’m bound to die in His army.”
So with small food and much of the accordion, a week passed over the heads of the
outcasts. The sun again forsook them, and again from leaden skies the snow-flakes were
sifted over the land. Day by day closer around them drew the snowy circle, until at last
they looked from their prison over drifted walls of dazzling white, that towered twenty feet
above their heads. It became more and more difficult to replenish their fires, even from the
fallen trees beside them, now half hidden in the drifts. And yet no one complained. The
lovers turned from the dreary prospect and looked into each other’s eyes, and were
happy. Mr. Oakhurst settled himself coolly to the losing game before him. The Duchess,
more cheerful than she had been, assumed the care of Piney. Only Mother Shipton—once
the strongest of the party—seemed to sicken and fade. At midnight on the tenth day she
called Oakhurst to her side.
“I’m going,” she said, in a voice of querulous weakness, “but don’t say anything about
it. Don’t waken the kids. Take the bundle from under my head and open it.” Mr. Oakhurst
did so. It contained Mother Shipton’s rations for the last week, untouched. “Give ’em to the
child,” she said, pointing to the sleeping Piney.
“You’ve starved yourself,” said the gambler.
“That’s what they call it,” said the woman as she lay down again, and, turning her face
to the wall, passed quietly away.
The accordion and the bones were put aside that day, and when the body of Mother
Shipton had been committed to the snow, Mr. Oakhurst took the Innocent aside, and
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showed him a pair of snow-shoes, which he had fashioned from the old pack-saddle.
“There’s one chance in a hundred to save her yet,” he said, pointing to Piney; “but it’s
there,” he added, pointing toward Poker Flat. “If you can reach there in two days she’s
safe.” “And you?” asked Tom Simson. “I’ll stay here,” was the curt reply.
The lovers parted with a long embrace. “You are not going, too?” said the Duchess, as
she saw Mr. Oakhurst apparently waiting to accompany him. “As far as the canyon,” he
replied. He turned suddenly, and kissed the Duchess, leaving her pallid face aflame, and
her trembling limbs rigid with amazement.
Night came, but not Mr. Oakhurst. It brought the storm again and the whirling snow.
Then the Duchess, feeding the fire, found that some one had quietly piled beside the hut
enough fuel to last a few days longer. The tears rose to her eyes, but she hid them from
Piney.
The women slept but little. In the morning, looking into each other’s faces, they read
their fate. Neither spoke; but Piney, accepting the position of the stronger, drew near and
placed her arm around the Duchess’s waist. They kept this attitude for the rest of the day.
That night the storm reached its greatest fury, and, rending asunder the protecting pines,
invaded the very hut.
Toward morning they found themselves unable to feed the fire, and they fell asleep
peacefully for the last time.
They slept all that day and the next, nor did they waken when voices and footsteps
broke the silence of the camp. And when the Law of Poker Flat brushed the snow from
their wan faces, you could scarcely tell which was she that had sinned. Even the law of
Poker Flat recognized this and turned away, leaving them locked in each other’s arms.
But at the head of the gulch, on one of the largest pine trees, they found the deuce of
clubs pinned to the bark with a bowie-knife. It bore the following, written in pencil, in a firm
hand:—
Beneath This Tree
Lies The Body
Of
John Oakhurst,
Who Struck A Streak Of Bad Luck
On The 23d Of November, 1850,
And
Handed In His Checks
On The 7th December, 1850.
And pulseless and cold, with a Derringer by his side and a bullet in his heart, though
still calm as in life, beneath the snow lay he who was at once the strongest and yet the
weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat.
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Grokking a Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein is a science-fiction masterpiece
that springboards the reader into a futuristic world filled with technology currently unknown
to mankind. Set around the year 2224, the novel chronicles the efforts of a group of
astronauts who return to Earth after embarking on a three-year expedition to Mars. As they
exit the shuttle, they carry with them a human-like specimen that they found on Mars.
Accustomed to the atmospheric pressure and gravity level on the red planet, the man from
Mars, who the crew dubs “Mike,” is forced to recuperate until his body adjusts to the
conditions of Earth. After a full recovery, he decides to travel around his new world and
learn all that he possibly can about human nature. Pretty bizarre events, right? Perhaps
so, but in terms of Heinlein’s characters and settings, Stranger in a Strange Land comes
across, as do many high quality sci-fi novels, as a scarcely realistic story about a
surrealistic character.
In Stranger in a Strange Land, most of the events stretch the reader’s perception of
probability, as you might anticipate from the genre. Set around the year 2224, the novel
contains technology and ideas that probably seem at least mildly preposterous to
contemporary readers. In the beginning of the novel, a group of people travel to the planet
Mars. This is a huge stretch of the imagination considering the fact that we currently lack
the ability to land a spaceship with a large group of people on Mars and power it back to
Earth again. Our space shuttles just would not be large enough to transport multiple
people. Problems would also occur when dealing with Mars’ weak gravitational pull. Even
if it were possible for humans to breathe on Mars, it would be difficult for them to walk
without floating into the air. Scientists would have to develop some kind of suit that
balances out the gravity just enough to allow a human to walk is if they were on Earth. In
addition to executing manned missions to Mars, this futuristic Earth has automobiles that
can fly. Unless a number of major breakthroughs occur in the near future, I don’t think we
are going to witness flying cars anytime soon. Not only would a new system of highways
and skyways have to be constructed in order to manage the airborne traffic, but a
mechanism would have to be invented that enables cars to fly at a high altitude while
accelerating forward. As Mike regains his strength, he is able to use what to humans seem
like supernatural powers surprisingly similar to the force powers used by Jedi in the Star
Wars trilogy. He has the ability telepathically to move objects and make things disappear.
While many believe that supernatural abilities exist, no scientifically controlled studies offer
repeatable evidence to the contrary.
In contrast, most of the characters in Stranger in a Strange Land seem capable of
believable change because they are multi-dimensional. Mike, the Martian, is the character
who goes through the biggest transformation. During the first few months after his arrival
on Earth, his personality could be described as childlike and naïve. He doesn’t understand
the customs of human culture and knows only a few of the English words that were taught
to him by the astronauts. When he is in the care of Jill, the nurse, she is forced to dress
him, clean him, teach him wrong from right, and other duties that pertain to taking care of a
child. As Mike regains his strength, he goes out into the world and learns everything there
is to know about humankind and the planet Earth. After one year, Mike evolves from
“childlike naïveté to a self-sufficient and independent genius” (Heinlein 78). Due to his
special Martian powers, he is able to understand or, as he says, “grok” things in a deeper
way than any human can. Jill also undergoes a transformation during the course of the
novel. In the beginning, Jill is a carefree young woman who is happy with her life and
wants to settle down with a nice husband. After she meets Mike and decides to fulfill the
role of his guardian, her entire outlook on life changes. She develops a new personality in
which she puts the needs of other people ahead of her own. With this new personality, not
only does she advance her current status in life by furthering her medical career and
learning the ways of the Martians, but she strengthens her relationships by understanding
people in a deeper way, hence becoming much closer to them. Jubal is another multidimensional character who evolves from one personality to another. Jubal is a prudent old
man who has spent most of his life studying law, literature, and philosophy. Due to his age
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and substantial wisdom, he has the supercilious personality of one who thinks he is on a
higher level and knows more than anyone else. After he takes in Mike, his views on life
change. He comes to realize that even with his vast knowledge, he is still naïve and that
everyone should be treated equally no matter what his status or beliefs.
In Stranger in a Strange Land, the setting tries to capture the futuristic aura of a
world around the year 2224, but assessing its realism is a matter of pure conjecture. Who
knows what technologies the marvels of medicine and nanophysics may unfold. In the
story’s beginning, Mike is placed in Bethesda Hospital. The actual building is like any
normal hospital, but in addition to nurses and doctors tending to patients, there are also
androids, a type of robot with human emotions. The medical technology used in the story
is also out of this world. There are machines that rejuvenate the dead, automatically
perform surgery without the help of doctors, and much more. In addition to advanced
technology, the city skyscrapers are thousands of feet taller than the ones here on presentday Earth. The flying cars also fit in perfectly with the futuristic setting.
Stranger in a Strange Land is one my favorite science-fiction novels. I think that it
does a wonderful job of depicting what planet Earth might be like in the future. This
fanciful depiction is what makes the novel a provocative reading experience. Even with the
futuristic setting, I think the goal of the writer is a type of a futuristic realism—though not
pure realism, to be sure.. The politics and the way people reacted to the man from Mars
ring true to how people currently act on Earth. After reading, sci-fi fans might question what
life is really about. All and all, Stranger in a Strange Land is a great book because it
juxtaposes present day human nature with a futuristic setting with great results.
Works Cited
Heinlein, Robert. Stranger in a Strange Land. New York:
Doubleday and Company, 2001.
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Composition 6: What Makes Us Laugh?
PROMPT: Analyze how writers and performers of humor utilize several comedy techniques to
make audiences laugh. One of your [3] techniques must be satire, citing Rick Reilly’s magazine
article “The Meek Shall Inherit the Gym” found later in this packet.
INTRODUCTION CONCEPT: Tell an anecdote relating the funniest thing you ever witnessed or
heard. A mooning incident? A scene from a film? An accident? A joke? Then, explain in a
sentence which of the 6 techniques studied in class made it so funny. If you can't get started,
begin with the phrase, I'll always remember the time that…
CONCLUSION IDEA: What we laugh at tells us a lot about ourselves. Explain which of the
techniques is most popular with American audiences--and what might this tell us about us as
people?
RREQUIRED RESEARCH: You must include at least 1 MLA style citation within your essay and
a works cited page at the end of your essay or the highest score you can receive is an 80%/B-.
[see model essay on next page]. +5 Bonus for an additional source cited
Focus Skills
1. TS/Subs/Intro/Concl
2. Frag/Run
3. Sp
4. Punctuation
5. Catchy Introduction
6. 3.5 Pages of Rough Copy
*1 Citation / MLA Works Cited Required
from the Rick Reilly article
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Mega-Tips for Content Development
Use quotations to add specific detail.
Avoid plot regurgitation. Make sure that all of your details relate to the subtopic criterion.
Select the three techniques you understand the best or enjoy the best.
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The Six Techniques
SLAPSTICK--physically outrageous actions or appearances
> Jim Carrey
> Jack Black
> Johnny Knoxville
VULGARITY--cussing/sexual remarks or jokes ridiculing those who don't deserve it.
> American Pie
> Chappelle or Mencia
> South Park
> Blond Jokes
PLOT COMPLICATION--mistaken identity or highly unlikely events
> Austin Powers
> White Chicks
> Seinfeld
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WORD PLAY
Puns: words that have two meanings, one serious, the other comical.
> What did the grape say when he got stepped on?
Malapropisms: stupid character misuses big word
>The ancient Greeks studied their constipations.
Sarcasm: smart-alecky insults and cuts
> “Did your mother have any kids that lived?”
Character-Setting
> Beverly Hillbillies
CHARACTER INCONGRUITY
Character-Character
> 2 ½ Men
Character-Self
> Johnny Bravo
SATIRE--deserved ridicule of politicians, music, commercials, snobs, hypocrites, social practices.
Satire is achieved through some degree of exaggeration and parody.
>Saturday Night Live
>Weird Al Yankovich
>Mad TV
>What does George Bush think Roe vs. Wade is?
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~ The Best Medicine ~
I will never forget the time when my friend Missy and I were part of a Stress Management
class. When we walked into the room, we were instructed to take off our shoes and to lie down
on the floor. We were the unfortunate ones who got to lie down by all of the shoes, some less
aromatic than others.. Then weird music began playing, you know, that New Age Yanni stuff,
beneath which a man was telling us to “breathe through the crown of your head and out through
the tips of your toes,” a physiological impossibility. Right away, Missy and I began laughing, the
only two out of about one hundred and fifty, the rest of the class taking their cues from the YanniLord with utmost seriousness. After five minutes of trying to contain laughter, we realized that
everyone was asleep but us. The next thing I knew, Missy was poking at my side. Previous to
her poking me, I heard the girl to my right snoring. I knew right away that Missy thought I was the
source. I began poking her back, hoping that she would know I was silent but awake. After about
five pokes and forty-fine minutes of inane stress relief, we could finally let out all of our laughter.
If anything, Stress Management had added to our stress. Everyday life is filled with moments of
humor like this, but rarely do we ask why such moments are funny. In this case, it was the
incongruity of our teacher’s seriousness against the sheer silliness of his subject matter—and the
undignified snoring that underscored how utterly boring his entire subject was. Professional
comedy writers exploit not only incongruities from real life experiences like this one but a host of
other techniques as well, namely slapstick, satire, and word play.
Slapstick entails physically outrageous actions or appearances to make viewers laugh.
One example of a film that uses the slapstick technique is Dumb and Dumber. In one scene,
Harry is going on a date with a woman who Lloyd likes, so beforehand Lloyd slips some TurboLax into Harry’s drink. When Harry gets to Mary’s house, he asks her if he can use her
bathroom. He scuttles in and does his business -- loudly. While in the bathroom, Mary tells Harry
that the toilet is broken and not to flush it. Knowing he cannot in good conscience leave the toilet
un-flushed, he immediately tries to fix it. After several attempts at repair, he hears Mary yells in to
ask what is taking so long. He tells her that he is shaving and will be ready to go shortly. In the
meantime, he is opening a window, frantically waving his arms to vent out the bathroom. Another
example of slapstick in the movie is when Lloyd sells a dead parrot to a blind kid. He needs
some extra money for the road trip that Harry and he are about to undertake. Unfortunately, the
bird that he sells does not have a head. To fix that problem, he tapes the head top the neck so
that when the kid pets the bird it will feel like it is attached. This part of the film is funny because
at one point in the movie we see the blind kid petting the decapitated fowl, trying earnestly to get
it to talk. Also, slapstick emerges when Lloyd and Harry drive a little mo-ped up the Rocky
Mountains. They trade in their van because it is too hard on gas, but it is snowing and freezing
on the poorly equipped moped. The sight alone is hilarious, but to add humor, Lloyd tells Harry
that he has to go to the bathroom. They don’t want to stop, so Harry tells him to just go--and he
does. When they get to Aspen and slump off the moped, they are frozen together by force of
Harry’s urine.
A more cerebral comedy technique, word play often capitalizes on witty insults and cuts.
In the movie Tommy Boy, Richard is constantly affronting Tommy. For example, in the beginning
of the movie, Tommy is talking into a fan saying, “Luke, I am your father.” Richard walks in and
says he is sorry for interrupting “happy time” but that they actually have to get some work done.
He never takes anything that Tommy does or says seriously. It seems as if Tommy is an
encumbrance to Richard. After Tommy’s Dad died, Tommy and Richard go on the road to sell
Callahan brake shoes. More sarcasm appears when they are about to sell some of their products
to an auto parts company. Before they enter the building, Tommy asks Richard if the suit he is
wearing makes him look bad. Richard, very seriously, says that it is his face that makes him look
bad. Later, when the two are driving down the road looking at a map, Richard asks Tommy to
find the town where they are headed to make their next sale. Tommy has no idea where they are
on the map, which makes it difficult for him to give sage advice on where to go next. After looking
for several minutes, Richard says, “Give it here, Magellan.” Tommy, not even knowing who
Magellan is, did not comprehend the insult. Later in a restaurant, the two are talking about
Tommy ineptitude at sales, much unlike his Dad. Tommy’s excuse is that his Dad was a much
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smarter person than he is. Quickly Richard says, “That’s true. There are two kinds of smart book smart and street smart. Book smart waved bye-bye to you a long time ago.” Beneath the
insults, the fact that Tommy does not know that he is being insulted makes the word play even
funnier.
Satire, the most mental of all humor tactics, ridicules politicians, music, commercials—
anything or anyone that deserves it. For example, Rick Reilly satirizes the increasingly noncompetitive nature of schools and society in general his Sports Illustrated article “The Meek Shall
Inherit the Gym”. Reilly laments that gym classes are outlawing competitive activities like dodgeball in favor of less in-your-face games like duck-duck-goose. He foresees a future in which little
Ambers and Alexanders who never experienced the world of physical competition will be
disadvantaged in the business world where cut-throat competition prevails, where those who do
not know how to compete will be “serving chalupas…very non-competitive” (Reilly 95). Saturday
Night Live satirizes politicians regularly, as in their lampooning of George Bush. Of course, Bush
deserves ridicule because he is not one of the smartest presidents ever elected. When asked a
question during a presidential debate about obscure world leaders, he replies in the skit with such
answers as “I have no idea” or “pass.” He does say one thing with perfect clarity, however,
“Don’t mess with Texas.” Of course, we know that President Bush is not as stupid as they make
him out to be on the skit. The exaggeration of his stupidity is the funny part, exaggeration the
cornerstone of effective satire. During the same presidential debate, SNL pokes fun at Al Gore’s
arrogance and artificial, plodding delivery style. During the debate, he interrupts Bush on several
occasions, gives lengthy answers that don’t make sense, and acts as if he deserves the
presidency more that Bush does. Every answer that Gore gives has to do with his social security
lock box obsession. The satire clicks because while George Bush is giving farcical answers, Al
Gore is waxing grandiloquent. In Living Color also makes fun of politicians. In one skit Jim
Carrey is dressed as Bill Clinton. There is rap music playing and female dancers all over the
stage. Clinton is singing a song entitled “Humpin’ Around”, alluding to how he cheated on his
wife, Hillary Clinton. Clinton contends that there was “no humpin’ around going on” outside his
marriage. While singing, he dances around lewdly, making vulgar motions with his hips. This skit
is funny because everyone knows that Bill Clinton did, in reality, cheat on his wife. That Bill
denied his affairs makes him such an easy target for ridicule.
What we laugh at tells us much about ourselves. What do most Americans laugh at? If
you trust box office sales and Neilson Ratings, we tune into vulgarity and slapstick comedy more
than any other forms. Perhaps Americans would rather have their humor obvious and naughty
rather than having to think about why they are laughing. As Mark Twain once quipped, “No one
ever went broke underestimating the taste and intelligence of the American people” (Twain 1).
Works Cited
Reilly, Rick. ”The Meek Shall Inherit the Gym”. Sports Illustrated. 12 October,
2000: 95.
Twain, Mark. Bartletts’ Famous Quotations. Ed. John Bartlett. New York: Simon
and Schuster, 1973.
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Room 218
Reilly, Rick. ”The Meek Shall Inherit the Gym”. Sports Illustrated. 12 October, 2000: 95.
Not to alarm you, but America is going softer than left-out butter. Exhibit 9,137: Schools
have started banning dodgeball. I kid you not. Dodgeball has been outlawed by some school
districts in New York, Texas, Utah and Virginia. Many more are thinking about it, like Cecil
County, Md., where the school board wants to ban any game with "human targets." Personally, I
wish all these people would go suck their Birkenstocks.
Human targets? What's tag? What's a snowball fight? What's a close play at second?
Neil Williams, a physical education professor at Eastern Connecticut State, says dodgeball has to
go because it "encourages the best to pick on the weak." Noooo! You mean there's weak in the
world? There's strong? Of course there is, and dodgeball is one of the first opportunities in life to
figure out which one you are and how you're going to deal with it.
We had a bully, Big Joe, in our seventh grade. Must have weighed 225 pounds, used to
take your underwear while you were in the shower and parade around the locker room twirling it
on his finger. We also had a kid named Melvin, who was so thin we could've faxed him from class
to class. I'll never forget the dodgeball game in which Big Joe had a ball in each hand and one
sandwiched between his knees, firing at our side like a human tennis-ball machine, when, all of a
sudden, he got plunked right in his 7-Eleven-sized butt. Joe whirled around to see who'd done it
and saw that it was none other than Melvin, all 83 pounds of him, most of it smile.
Some of these New Age whiners say dodgeball is inappropriate in these times of
horrifying school shootings. Are you kidding? Dodgeball is one of the few times in life when you
get to let out your aggressions, no questions asked. We don't need less dodgeball in schools, we
need more!
I know what all these NPR-listening, Starbucks-guzzling parents want. They want their
Ambers and their Alexanders to grow up in a cozy womb of noncompetition, where everybody
shares tofu and Little Red Riding Hood and the big, bad wolf set up a commune. Then their kids
will stumble out into the bright light of the real world and find out that, yes, there's weak and
there's strong and teams and sides and winning and losing. You'll recognize those kids. They'll be
the ones filling up chalupas. Very noncompetitive.
But Williams and his fellow wusses aren't stopping at dodgeball. In their Physical
Education Hall of Shame they've also included duck-duck-goose and musical chairs. Seriously.
So, if we give them dodgeball, you can look for these games to be banned next:
Tag. Referring to any child as it is demeaning and hurtful. Instead of the child hollering,
"You're it!" we recommend, "You're special!"
Red Rover. Inappropriate labeling of children as animals. Also, the use of the word red
evokes Communist undertones.
Sardines. Unfairly leaves one child alone at the end as the loser -- a term psychologists
have deemed unacceptable.
Hide-and-seek. No child need hide or be sought. The modern child runs free in search of
himself.
Baseball. Involves wrong-headed notions of stealing, errors and gruesome hit-and-run.
Players should always be safe, never out.
Hopscotch. Sounds vaguely alcoholic, not to mention demeaning to our friends of
Scottish ancestry.
Marbles. Winning others' marbles is overly capitalistic.
Marco Polo. Mocks the blind.
Capture the flag. Mimics war.
Kick the can. Unfair to the can.
If we let these PC twinkies have their way, we'll be left with:
Duck-duck-duck. Teacher spends the entire hour patting each child softly on the head.
Upsy down. The entire class takes turns fluffing the gym teacher's pillow before her nap.
Swedish baseball. Players are allowed free passage to first, second or third, where they
receive a relaxing two-minute massage from opposing players.
Smear the mirror. Students take turns using whipped cream to smear parts of their reflection they
don't like, e.g., the fat they have accrued from never doing a damn thing in gym class.
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Composition 7: Full-Fledged Research Paper
on a Controversial Issue or Policy
PROMPT: Select one of the following controversial issues and state your position on it: gun
control, the death penalty, terrorism, child abuse, the war on drugs, media violence, suicide, and
pornography. Then, read the Opposing Viewpoints essays related to each subtopic to gather
facts, quotations, statistics, and other information to supplement your own logic and knowledge
as you argue your points. You will need to cite each bit of information gleaned from outside
sources and document them in a works cited page.
TOPIC SENTENCE: Select a topic sentence from the list that follows,
numbers related to each research article.
including the page
INTRODUCTION: Try to get your reader to imagine the severity of your issue by picturing
themselves in a dramatic situation related to it.
CONCLUSION: After restating your subtopic arguments, indicate what the future may hold for
either society or for individuals if swift action is not taken to address your issue.
RREQUIRED RESEARCH: You must include at least 4 MLA style citations within your essay
and a works cited page at the end of your essay or the highest score you can receive is a 60%/D[see model essay]. At least one of your sources must be obtained and cited independently.
Focus Skills
1. TS/Subs/Intro/Concl
2. Frag/Run
3. Sp
4. Punctuation
5. Formal, Proper Usage
6. 3.5 Pages of Rough Copy
*4 Citations and 4 Sources / MLA Works Cited Required;
1 of the sources must be independently obtained






Mega-Tips for Content Development
Use your own ideas, knowledge, observations, and logic as a starting point—do not just
give a book report of the ideas from the book. A good research paper uses researched
material to support your ideas—not to replace them!
Use some of the weapons of argumentation in this packet as you state your case in each
paragraph.
Use a tag before each quotation and a citation after every direct quotation from a source.
Use an all-inclusive citation at the end of each paragraph if you have paraphrased
information sporadically throughout your paragraph from only one source. Do not use allinclusive citations if you have used more than one source per paragraph.
Quoting should not account for more than 25% of your essay.
Remember that all of the following constitute plagiarism if you do not use a citation:
borrowing another writer’s words without direct quote marks, borrowing another writer’s
ideas without a citation, borrowing just a few of another writer’s words without citations.
The Golden Rule of Research: If it was not in your brain before you started to do
research, then cite it!
Start each paragraph after your subtopic sentence by using one of the highlighted quotes
from the Opposing Viewpoints books. Then, follow the quote with facts, stats, personal
observation, and logic. Quote at least once in each paragraph.
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Topic Sentences for Research Papers
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
Media Violence
Among the most dangerous forms of media violence are television [39], video games [58], and
music lyrics [75].
The effects of television [49], video games [66], and music lyrics [84] on real-life violence are
greatly exaggerated.
Terrorism
America should fight the domestic war on terrorism through antiterrorism legislation [114], racial
profiling [123], and restricted immigration [133].
Antiterrorism legislation [118], racial profiling [129], and immigration restrictions [142] will not help
America in its fight against domestic terrorism.
The War on Drugs
Not only should heroin [166] and marijuana [176] be legalized, but so should many other banned
substances because their distinction from legal drugs is so arbitrary [161].
Because crime, health, and moral issues go hand-in-hand with illegal drugs [152], substances like
heroin [171] and marijuana [185] should not be legalized.
Child Abuse
Among the leading causes of child abuse are substance abuse [31], poverty [26], and globalization
[48].
The legal system should combat child abuse by banning child pornography [138], expanding police
powers [122], and enforcing community notification programs [109].
Gun Control
Guns should be controlled because they increase lethal crime [127], because they lead to school
violence [135], and because they are not protected by the Second Amendment [68].
Guns should not be controlled because ownership does not lead to higher rates of violence [24],
because doing so will not reduce school violence [139], and because guns are an effective means
of self-defense [86].
Pornography
Pornography should be controlled because it causes violence [48], harms those involved in its
production [57], and poses serious dangers over the internet [32].
Pornography should not be controlled because it does not cause violence [52], does no harm to
those involved in its production [63], and causes fewer problems over the internet than most people
believe [40].
The Death Penalty
The death penalty should be abolished because it is cruel [92], because wrongful executions are
likely [158], and because it fails to deter crime [119].
The death penalty should be enforced because it is not cruel [96], because wrongful executions are
unlikely [152], and because it deters crime [112].
Suicide
Homosexuality [52], mood disorders [74], and the drive for high-achievement [82] all place teens at
risk for committing suicide.
Restricting access to guns [160], lithium treatments [188], and better school responsiveness [178]
can help to prevent suicide among teens.
Sports in America
American sports do more harm than good because they do not benefit children [17], are detrimental
to black youth[30], and provide poor role models[47].
American sports do more good than harm because they benefit children[24], are not detrimental to
black youth[39], and should not be expected to provide perfect role models[50].
Gambling
Gambling should be legal because it helps communities[30], because it benefits states[143], and
because the problem of compulsive gambling is exaggerated[104].
Gambling should be illegal because it harms communities[22], because it hurts children[67], and
because it is addictive[137].
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Weapons of Persuasion and Propaganda
Generalization--a statement that applies to most or even all cases. [Men tend to be
physically attracted to women. Most rich people have better health insurance benefits
than those of lower income groups.]
Testimonial Appeals [ethos]—when a person speaks out in support of someone or
something [A NASCAR driver supports Firestone tires or a former compulsive gambler
speaks out for an anti-gambling law in his state.]
Logical Appeals [logos]—using statistics, percentages, numbers, studies, test
results, health issues to convince others of your viewpoint on an issue
Opinion—a non-provable statement not based on facts…words that convey feelings are
often opinion signals [nice, best, better, good, happy, poor, worst, ugly, wonderful,
marvelous, shoddy, etc]
Fact—a statement based on facts which can be proven
Propaganda or Bias—arguments or appeals that slant an argument away from solid,
impartial logic and facts in favor of a one-sided emotional approach or an approach that
uses faulty logic in any of these ways:
 Overgeneralization or “Sweeping Generalization”—a statement that goes too
far by applying a rule or observation to all cases or occurrences. [All men are
attracted to women. The rich are happier than the poor.]
 False Analogy—comparing “apples to oranges” [Doctors use x-rays when they
do surgery, so we should be able to use our vocabulary lists on quizzes.]
 Bandwagon—urging people to feel a certain way or change their behavior in
order to be part of the crowd [Everybody’s gambling—why aren’t you?]
 Stereotyping—over-generalizing a person or a group’s characteristics or traits
[Blacks are less intelligent than whites.]
 Attacking the Person—attacking those who oppose your viewpoint by namecalling [Abortion-supporters are nothing but 1st degree murderers.]
 Emotional Appeals [pathos]—exploiting people’s sense of pity, patriotism, fear,
security, morality, cuteness, family closeness, love, humor, etc. [It’s un-American
and downright un-Christian to oppose the president’s war effort. Think of the
terrorists out there who will be at your doorstep tomorrow if we don’t fight this
war.]
 Circular Reasoning—a conclusion that is nothing more than a restatement of
itself without any real logic or proof [I should be able to go the party because I
should be. Ralph Nader is the best candidate for president because he is totally
better than all the others. We should outlaw abortion because it aborts a fetus.]
 Oversimplifying—presenting a too-simple, non-proven solution to a complicated
problem [If we just got all them sheet-heads in one place and nuked the hell out
of ‘em, this whole terrorism problem would just go away. If we just gave kids a
practice PSSA test every day of the year, all of them would be proficient at the
end.]
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*underlined text comes from the author, not the research
Blood Simple: The Effects of Media Violence
Imagine that your six-year-old son stays up with you one night to watch a comic but
violent movie that you know is not suitable for him, but you think it will be fun to catch up on some
father-son bonding time. In one scene of the movie, you both witness a bloody accident which
involves a man taking a pencil and stabbing his friend in the right eye. The friend leaves the
pencil where it is and, turning towards the camera, laughs, proving that he is not in pain. You and
your son find it amusing and join in with giggles of your own. The next morning, you send your
son off to first grade, and he decides to re-enact for his friends the funny scene in the movie that
he saw the night before. He grabs the closest child to him and repeats the comic scene,
expecting everyone to laugh. Instead, his friend begins to yell, the class is in a panic, and what
your son thought was hilarious the night before is not so amusing now. Media violence harms
society because it increases violence, escalates the murder rate, and promotes violence against
women.
Violence in the media increases violence in the real world. As journalist Carl Cannon
writes, “Without violent television programming, there might be as many as ten thousand fewer
murders in the United States each year” (Cannon 20). Recent school shootings are excellent
proof. When the first shooting occurred, the media did not hesitate to jump on the topic. On every
channel there was extended coverage, no matter where anyone hid. Viewers could not escape
the attention that the young murderers were receiving. Soon after, other children, perhaps craving
similar attention, children who were bullied or with bad home environments, began to see school
shootings as a way to cry out for help or to unleash their rage. It seemed to some kids an easy
way to get rid of the issues that plagued them. Could television have contributed to the
bloodshed? Scientists Daniel Linz, Edward Donnerstein, Santa Barbara, and Steven Penrod
researched the effects that horror flicks and “slasher” films have on young men. The young men
were split into four groups. The first group took no part in watching the films. The second group
witnessed only non-violent “X”-rated movies, while the third group of men watched teenage
sexual innuendo movies. The fourth group watched slasher films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre,
Friday the Thirteenth, and Toolbox Murders. Afterwards, the young men received questions to
determine their levels of empathy for a female rape victim. The fourth group measured the lowest
empathy towards the female; however, the first group of men measured the highest level of
empathy. In conclusion, the movies had a strong effect on the attitudes that men have toward
violence committed against women, perhaps making them more inclined to carry out that violence
in real life (Cannon 17-20).
An escalated murder rate is also a result of media violence. Sociologist Susan Lamson
writes, “It is estimated that exposure to T.V. is etiologically related to approximately one half of
the homicides committed in the United States--or approximately ten thousand homicides
annually” (Lamson 26). Violence is rampant on television and in the cinema, and children are
pulled into violence more easily than older adults. A Tom and Jerry cartoon has more violence in
a half an hour than a police show does in an hour. Tom, the perennial villain, is always trying to
eat Jerry, the relatively benign mouse. Eventually, though, Jerry resorts to some malignant
measures--like directing a frying pan at Tom's mouth or summoning the bulldog to pulverize Tom.
Lamson writes, “…The violence is like a drug, viewers develop a tolerance for it" (17)”. When
people see repeated murders, they are less shocked by them. They become so immune to the
violence that they have a reduced moral outrage to what they witness. Violence is a drug, a drug
that the network merchants have a heavy supply of, and they’ll do anything to keep viewers
hooked. As Lamson concedes, “The problem is, violence sells”(Lamson 27). More people flock to
horror movies than they do to church on Sunday. The fall-out? In Manteca, California two
teenage boys were charged for breaking into a man’s home, kicking, stabbing, and beating him
with a fire poker, and finally choking him to death. When the boys were questioned about why
they poured salt into their victims’ wounds, they replied, “Oh, I don’t know. I just seen it on TV”
(Lamson 21).
Violence against women especially is brought on by violence in the media. Researcher
Susan Douglass writes, “According to the FBI, a women is battered by her husband or boyfriend
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every eighteen seconds in America" (Douglas 29). What type of media can lead to these
statistics? One show that comes to mind when talking about condoning mild violence and
unnatural control over women is the Man Show. This show repudiates the concept of female
modesty. It blows female sexuality out of proportion by implanting into the male brain the
conception that a women should serve her man beer in a bikini and do anything he demands
without question. When a man watches this show, he sees big breasted, ditsy blondes that run
around in tight thongs bikinis while the men take shots at smacking their bare buttocks. At least
some male viewers must think, “Well, the girls that I know don’t do that for me. Maybe I should
make them. After all, I’m a man, and I’m strong, and what I say goes.” The result: violent abuse
towards women. One picture I’ll never forget seeing was an advertisement for a skateboarding
company called Bitch. The company used a street sign for the poster. On it was a man holding
out a gun for all people to see. He was aiming the gun at the head of a woman, and below in big,
bold print were the letters “B-I-T-C-H” (Bitch 33). Not only was it an advertisement for the
skateboards, but it was also advertising the power that men should have over women. After
reading this advertisement, it comes as no surprise to me that an American woman is beaten
every 18 seconds.
Violence in the media contributes heavily to the increase of childhood violence, the
escalation of the murder rate, and the promotion of violence against women. Hopefully, in the
future, media violence and its inherent causes will be strongly addressed by the same media that
so brazenly promotes it as harmless entertainment and a cute form of art.
Work Cited
Bitch Skateboards. An advertisement in Skateboarder . 4 Feb, 1998.
Cannon, Carl. “Honey, I Warped the Kids,” Mother Jones, July/ August 1993.
Douglas, Susan. “Some Violence Is Not ‘News’,” The Progressive, May 1993.
Lamson, Susan. “TV Violence: Does It Cause Real-Life Mayhem?” American
Rifleman, July 1993.
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Composition 8: Novel Recommendation, Speak
PROMPT: After reading the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, recommend that other high
school students read it based on its figurative style, satirical tone, and real-life conflict.
INTRODUCTION: Either use the plot summary technique to discuss the heart of Melinda
Sordino’s conflict, or use the imagine technique to help your readers visualize themselves in
Melinda’s difficult situation.
CONCLUSION: Start with this critic’s opinion about the novel from Kirkus Review, “Speak
presents a raw look at the dynamics of the high school experience.” You are a real high school
student, not just a book critic, so you are in an expert position to agree or disagree with this
statement. Specifically, how does your high school experience mirror the fictional high school
experience portrayed in Speak?
RREQUIRED RESEARCH: You must include at least 1 MLA style citation within your essay and
a works cited page at the end of your essay or the highest score you can receive is an 80%/B-.
[see model essay on next page]. +5 Bonus for an additional source cited
Anderson, Lauren Halse. Speak. New York: Signet Books, 2000.
CLASS READINGS: The 198-page novel will be split into 10 readings of about 20 pages each.
We will read well over half of these 20 pages per day in class, leaving minimal reading time
outside of class. On even numbered reading days, we will spot check your subtopic notes for five
10-point check-ups. On odd numbered days, we will have five PSSA reading quizzes of at least
10-points each.
Focus Skills
1. TS/Subs/Intro/Concl
2. Frag/Run
3. Sp
4. 6 Quotes from the Text & Specific Detail
5. Formal, Proper Usage
6. 3.5 Pages of Rough Copy
*1 Citation / MLA Works Cited Required
Mega-Tips for Content Development

As you read each day, take notes in the subtopic charts that follow so that you have
specific details with page numbers ready to quote when you rough draft.

Keep your quotations brief, using a tag before and a page-number citation after each one
of the six subtopic quotes [two quotations per subtopic]. Do not simply lift the ellipsis-shortened
quotes from the packet—you need fuller details within the quote so that it makes sense to your
reader.

Lead into each quotation with background to set the stage; quote to prove the
subtopic; then follow up the quote with personal observation, explanation, and commentary. [see
model paragraph at end]

Do not plot regurgitate. Stick to the subtopics.
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Date
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Pages Due That
Day
3-22
22-41
41-61
61-80
80-99
100-119
120-137
141-159
160-180
180-198
Quizzes &
Journals*
Journals are cumulative
Quiz on 3-22
Journal Notes: 3-22 and 22-41
Quiz on 22-61
Journal Notes: 41-61 and 61-80
Quiz on 61-99
Journal Notes: 80-99 and 100-119
Quiz on 99-137
Journal Notes: 120-137 and 141-159
Quiz on 141-180
Journal Notes: 160-180 and 180-198
Points
20
10
20
10
20
10
20
10
20
10
All dates subject to change due to weather.
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figurative style, which is rich
SUBTOPIC ONE: I recommend Speak for Anderson’s
with metaphors and symbols that help to bring her characters to life.
PSSA Terminology Mini-lesson: Style is the way an author uses words. Anderson’s style is often
figurative instead of literal—that is, she uses comparisons like metaphors, similes, and symbols to
develop her characters, especially Melinda.
Reading
Assignment
Page s
3-22
Page on which comparison can be found.
What is being compared and what type of comparison is it?
What do the details of the comparison reveal about the character?
“I stand…blood sport” (5).
METAPHOR comparing Melinda and a girl with braces to wounded zebras and
Mr. Neck to a predator
[example]
22-41
Melinda is vulnerable emotionally and socially for some undisclosed reason,
and, unfortunately, some insecure teachers who have a need to exert their
authority and power [aggressive, blood-sport coaching types] prey on weaker
students rather than try to protect and support them.
“For a solid….at all” (30-31).
41-61
“I wash…slick nothing” (45).
61-80
“I pop the head off a Barbie doll...over Barbie’s mouth” (63-64).
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80-99
Room 218
“Our frog…in my hair” (81).
120-137
“I scurry….skin bag” (124-125). Compare to: “I wash….slick nothing” (45).
160-180
“Somebody flicks…roots” (160) & “My stuffed rabbits…hundreds of them”
(177). See also (96-97) for a great rabbit comparison at the doughnut shop.
160-180
“Pale green shoots…grow” (166) and “Can you buy some seeds?” (168)
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SUBTOPIC TWO: I applaud Speak for its
and aspect of high school society.
satirical tone toward just about every member
PSSA Terminology Mini-Lesson: Tone is the author’s attitude toward her topic or characters.
Anderson voices a satirical tone toward high school society—that is, her tone is one of deserved
ridicule. One way that she conveys that satire is through her exaggerated descriptions of
characters and her sarcastic humor.
Reading
Assignment
Page on which satire can be found.
Who is being satirized?
Page s
3-22
[example]
22-41
Why is the person or group being satirized—in other words, why do they deserve
to be ridiculed?
“The school board…I guess” (3-4).
WHO: school boards
WHY: because as elected officials who may have absolutely no experience or
training in education [and who do not even need to have high school diplomas to
be in charge of multi-million dollar school systems], school board members often
are less concerned about important education issues and more concerned about
being politically and morally correct so that nothing might stain their reputations
and prevent their re-election…thus their obsession with the school mascot and
the moral issue that it poses about contraception and abstinence.
“Finally…call it football” (28-29) and all of “Cheerleaders” on 29-30.
WHO: football players
WHY:
WHO: cheerleaders
WHY:
41-61
Entire chapter “The Marthas” on 42-43. Compare to “The Marthas…It helps a
little” (127-128).
WHO: Martha Stewart in particular but high school girl cliques in general
WHY:
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61-80
Room 218
“Heather says….no cultural” (69).
WHO: school board
WHY:
80-99
“Mr. Freeman…cricket husk” (91).
WHO: school board
WHY:
100-119
“It’s all…straightforward” (100). Compare to “She has a…pay for a sub” (84-85).
WHO: English teachers
WHY:
141-159
“The PTA…Hornet heinies” (141).
WHO: PTA’s, like school boards
WHY:
180-198
“By Monday…accident” (190). Compare to “The climax…salon” (176).
WHO: prom-goers and prom supporters
WHY:
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SUBTOPIC THREE: I suggest that readers check out Speak for Anderson’s depiction of
real-
life conflicts with which many American teenagers are familiar.
PSSA Terminology Mini-Lesson: Conflict is the emotional, psychological, social, moral, or
physical struggle that a character must confront and try to overcome. Authors often withhold
from the reader all of the details of the conflict to build suspense and intrigue.
Reading
Assignment
Page s
3-22
Page on which signs of Melinda’s conflicts can be found.
What signs of conflict do you see—what seems to be the source or cause of the
conflict and how is the character dealing with it?
“We fall into clans…Outcast” (4).
22-41
Melinda is socially shunned at school—she fits into no particular clique, as is true
of many high school students. No on sits with her on the bus, trash is thrown on
her, and her best friend tells her that she hates her. The cause of this shunning is
not yet clear but the author suggests that it has something to do with something
that happened over the summer.
“When we get to…she cares” (22).
41-61
“I see IT…throw up” (45-46).
61-80
“I bet….lives” (70).
80-99
“I open…cowards” (87-88).
[example]
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100-119
Whole chapter “Clash of the Titans” (113-116).
120-137
“We were…get up” (135).
141-159
“I don’t want to see him….Me” (154-155).
160-180
“Was I raped?...I can’t hear you” (164-165).
180-198
“My fingers wave….enough” (195).
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Subtopic 1--excerpt from student’s Speak essay
I recommend Speak for Anderson’s figurative style, rich with metaphors and symbols
LEAD INTO
QUOTE #1
WITH
BACKGROUND
DETAIL
that bring her characters to life. Through much of the novel, Melinda searches to regain a
sense of personal identity. Part of the emotional fall-out from being raped is that she feels
like an outcast and no longer has a voice to express the truth about what happened.
Anderson introduces mirrors early in the story as symbols for Melinda’s search for a new
self, one that is strong enough to speak up. As Anderson writes in the bathroom
scene, “I wash my face in the sink until there is nothing left of it, no eyes, no nose,
no mouth. A slick nothing” (Anderson 45). That Melinda cannot see herself in this
FOLLOW
QUOTE #1 W/
INTERPRETATION &
EXPLANANTION
bathroom mirror may symbolize that Andy Evans has stripped her of a sense of who she
is socially and emotionally. Frightened and friendless, she must regain her identity by
regaining her voice. In other words, she must rebuild enough of her old confidence that
she can name and confront her rapist. This rebuilding is no easy task because Melinda
does what many rape victims do—she blames herself. The mirror symbolism pops up
LEAD INTO
QUOTE #2
WITH BACKGROUND
DETAIL
later at Effert’s Department Store when Melinda is trying on a pair of blue jeans. She
looks into a three-way mirror, but this time she sees a reflection—correction, she sees
multiple reflections. Anderson writes, “I lean into the mirror. Eyes after eyes stare
back at me. Am I in there somewhere? A thousand eyes blink” (Anderson 124).
Perhaps Anderson is suggesting here that Melinda is exploring multiple identities, trying
FOLLOW
QUOTE #2 W/
INTERPRETATION &
EXPLANANTION
them on for size to see which fits best. The “Martha” identity does not fit, nor do the
identities of glamorous model, dutiful daughter, or honor student. Ultimately, the identity
that fits Melinda best is that of a fearless suffragette who speaks up at the climactic
conclusion to warn Rachel Bruin of oncoming disaster.
2nd Nine Weeks
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2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
2nd Nine Weeks
Room 218
30
2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
Room 218
Peer or Self Editing Response Sheet
Attach this sheet to the back of your final copy. It will be worth 10 points when completed by either you or a peer editor.
Composition 8: Literary Critique and Analysis
Write the topic sentence, underlining the subtopics that the author plans either to
“echo” or to “camouflage”—[a technique for advanced classes only].
________________________________________________________________ ________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The paper is now ____ pages. The author needs to add ____ more pages to make 3½
pages total.
Check the introduction technique used to grab the reader’s attention:
___the rhetorical question technique
___the imagine technique
___the quotation technique
___the personal anecdote [story] technique
___the plot or character summary technique
___powerful statistics or facts technique
Write one word [a lively verb or a sensory image, for example] from the introduction that
impresses the reader from the start:
_________________
List 3 words whose spellings should be double-checked when doing the final copy:
__________ __________ __________
Write one sentence from the composition that you are not fully sure is either a run-on or
a fragment: [put a * by any intentional stylistic fragments in the final copy]
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
List any words which may be too informal or improper in usage for this research
paper—slang, “You-I” references outside of the introduction, name-calling, emotionallycharged language, well-good usage, numerals, abbreviations, contractions.
Label at least 6 quotations in the margins of your rough draft Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, and
Q6. As you do so, check that they follow this 3-part format. Citations are required for
this essay! Follow quotations with personal commentary and explanation.
Tag, “Quotation” (Citation).
2nd Nine Weeks
31
2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
2nd Nine Weeks
Room 218
32
2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
Room 218
Peer or Self Editing Response Sheet
Attach this sheet to the back of your final copy. It will be worth 10 points when completed by either you or a peer editor.
Composition 7: Controversial Issue Research Stance
Write the topic sentence, underlining the subtopics that the author plans either to
“echo” or to “camouflage”—[a technique for advanced classes only].
________________________________________________________________ ________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The paper is now ____ pages. The author needs to add ____ more pages to make 3½
pages total.
Check the introduction technique used to grab the reader’s attention:
___the rhetorical question technique
___the imagine technique
___the quotation technique
___the personal anecdote [story] technique
___the plot or character summary technique
___powerful statistics or facts technique
Write one word [a lively verb or a sensory image, for example] from the introduction that
impresses the reader from the start:
_________________
List 3 words whose spellings should be double-checked when doing the final copy:
__________ __________ __________
Write one sentence from the composition that you are not fully sure is either a run-on or
a fragment: [put a * by any intentional stylistic fragments in the final copy]
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Write the first word, last word, and the paragraph number of a sentence whose
punctuation you are not 100% certain about: [Example: Dogs…bridge. Paragraph #3]
Ask your teacher or a peer for advice—make sure to Grammar-Check it on Microsoft
Word on the final copy.
___________________________________
List any words which may be too informal or improper in usage for this research
paper—slang, “You-I” references outside of the introduction, name-calling, emotionallycharged language, well-good usage, numerals, abbreviations, contractions.
2nd Nine Weeks
33
2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
2nd Nine Weeks
Room 218
34
2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
Room 218
Peer or Self Editing Response Sheet
Attach this sheet to the back of your final copy. It will be worth 10 points when completed by either you or a peer editor.
Composition 6: Comedic Analysis
Write the topic sentence, underlining the subtopics that the author plans either to
“echo” or to “camouflage”—[a technique for advanced classes only].
________________________________________________________________ ________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The paper is now ____ pages. The author needs to add ____ more pages to make 3½
pages total.
Check the introduction technique used to grab the reader’s attention:
___the rhetorical question technique
___the imagine technique
___the quotation technique
___the personal anecdote [story] technique
___the plot or character summary technique
___powerful statistics or facts technique
Write one word [a lively verb or a sensory image, for example] from the introduction that
impresses the reader from the start:
_________________
List 3 words whose spellings should be double-checked when doing the final copy:
__________ __________ __________
Write one sentence from the composition that you are not fully sure is either a run-on or
a fragment: [put a * by any intentional stylistic fragments in the final copy]
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Write the first word, last word, and the paragraph number of 2 sentences whose
punctuation you are not 100% certain about: [Example: Dogs…bridge. Paragraph #3]
Ask your teacher or a peer for advice—or make sure to Grammar-Check it on Microsoft
Word.
1.___________________________________
2.___________________________________
2nd Nine Weeks
35
2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
2nd Nine Weeks
Room 218
36
2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
Room 218
Peer or Self Editing Response Sheet
Attach this sheet to the back of your final copy. It will be worth 10 points when completed by either you or a peer editor.
Composition 5: Realism Critique
Write the topic sentence, underlining the subtopics that the author plans either to
“echo” or to “camouflage”—[a technique for advanced classes only].
________________________________________________________________ ________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The paper is now ____ pages. The author needs to add ____ more pages to make 3½
pages total.
Check the introduction technique used to grab the reader’s attention:
___the rhetorical question technique
___the imagine technique
___the quotation technique
___the personal anecdote [story] technique
___the plot or character summary technique
___powerful statistics or facts technique
Write one word [a lively verb or a sensory image, for example] from the introduction that
impresses the reader from the start:
_________________
List 3 words whose spellings should be double-checked when doing the final copy:
__________ __________ __________
Write one sentence from the composition that you are not fully sure is either a run-on or
a fragment: [put a * by any intentional stylistic fragments in the final copy]
________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
List the 10 vivid verbs that you will square in the final copy:
___________ __________ __________ __________ __________
___________ __________ __________ __________ __________
2nd Nine Weeks
37
2nd Nine Weeks
Mr. Everhart
2nd Nine Weeks
Room 218
38
2nd Nine Weeks