Critical Essay
Reading
What is a critical response?
• A critical response is an essay where you can
show your understanding and appreciation of a
text.
• A text can be prose, poetry, drama or media.
• It is an opportunity for you to show:
– Understanding of a text
– Your ability to analyse, which means being able to
examine the way the writer writes and the techniques
he or she uses
– Your ability to evaluate, which means judging how
well a text is written and having a personal response
to what you have read
Remember the basic structure
Introduction
o Name the work and author
o
o
o
Refer to the question or task and state the purpose of your essay
Give a brief account of plot
Give a brief account of theme
Body of the essay
o
3-6 lines of argument with PCQEs + references to task
Conclusion
o
o
o
o
Name the work and author
Refer to the task
Sum up points already made.
Give some personal response
Include a title
• Your title should give a good indication of
what your response is about.
• Which title is better?
– “Macbeth”
– “Ambition and how it destroys Macbeth”
• Your title should be focused on the topic
• It should tell the marker the purpose of
your essay.
Purpose
• Your purpose is basically what your essay
is about.
• It is crucial that you clearly answer the
task.
• Highlight key words and phrases in a task.
If a critical evaluation asks:
– “What techniques does Ted Hughes use in his
poem The Thought Fox and how effective are
they?”
• What key words in this task help you to
identify your purpose?
Introduction
• Every critical evaluation must have an introductory
paragraph.
• You should include:
– The title of the text
– The name of the author
– Your purpose (a clear indication of what you will be writing
about)
• Your purpose is where you refer to the task and clearly
state how you will answer it. Use the words of the task to
help you write the introduction
• You can also include a very brief comment about plot or
theme.
Example
• Task: “Choose a novel or a short story in which
you feel great sympathy for, or intense dislike of,
one of the characters”
“A short story in which I feel great sympathy for
one of the characters is ‘The Test’ by Angelica
Gibb, in which I sympathise with the main
character, Marian. By looking at how Marian
encounters racism as a black women I will show
how the author creates a character that we feel
great sympathy for.”
• Write introductions for the following:
– “Choose a poem in which a particular mood
such as joy, anger or sorrow is created. Show
how the poet uses poetic techniques to create
this mood.”
– “Choose a prose work of fiction that deals with
an important human issue: for example
injustice. Identify and explain what the issue is
and go on to describe the ways in which the
writer has made the prose work thought
provoking. Refer to features such as theme,
plot and character in your answer.”
Body of the essay
• The body of the essay is made up of 3-6
PCQEs.
• Another way to remember this pattern is
– P: Point
– E: Evidence (Quote in Context)
– E: Explanation
Points (topic sentences)
• Your points are (usually) the first
sentences of each new paragraph.
• They tie in with the topic of the essay (they
refer to the task)
• They let the reader understand the topic of
the paragraph you’re on.
Try task 2 on the sheet.
Points (topic sentences)
• Each point you make are arguments that help to
answer the task.
• Each point or argument should build on the last
one.
• They should follow a logical order. For example
you may deal with incidents/techniques in the
order that they appear in the novel, play or
poem.
• Use linking words to show that your argument is
developing. (See task sheet)
A developing argument
1. From the beginning of the poem the author conveys
a deep sense of sadness the title “Mid-Term Break”
makes us think of happy memories and having a
good time. However we soon find out that this is a
very sad time for the boy. This contrast straight away
conveys a sense of sadness.
2. The poet again uses contrast between the family’s
reactions to emphasise this sense of sadness.
3. To further convey the sense of sadness the poet
uses effective word choice.
4. In the last two stanzas the poet effectively uses
metaphor, alliteration and repetition to reinforce the
boy’s feelings loss and sadness.
Evidence
• For each point you need to provide
evidence. In other words, a quotation.
• If you are quoting anything longer than just
a single word or phrase then take a new
line and indent it.
• Use quotation marks.
Explanation/Analysis
• The explanation is where you show how
the evidence backs up your point.
• This is also where you analyse how the
writer achieves his purpose by looking at
techniques.
• Techniques could be simile, metaphor,
characterisation, contrast… basically any
feature of writing that the writer uses to
have an effect on the reader
Explanation/Analysis
• The first stage of analysis is identifying the
technique that the writer uses.
• Then explain what this technique or
feature of the text is doing. The following
words are useful in helping to show this:
– Has connotations of; suggests; shows;
creates; mirrors; establishes; underlines;
reinforces; emphasises; highlights;
foreshadows; exemplifies; explains;
demonstrates; echoes; reveals; hints;
reinforces.
Explanation/Evaluation
• The following words and phrases describe
how the reader feels, or how the text
affects us. Some of them imply judgment.
These are all elements of evaluation:
– Thought-provoking; inspiring; horrifying; hardhitting; stimulating; pivotal moment; key
idea(s); fast-paced; effective; gripping;
skillful(ly); perceptive; moving; profound;
striking; important; intelligent; thoughtful
Explanation
• Lastly, it is important to link your explanation to the
task.
• This makes sure that you don’t stray from the purpose
of your essay.
• Look at the example PCQE
–
–
–
–
–
–
Highlight the Point.
Highlight the Context.
Put a Q next to the quote.
In the explanation, highlight an example of analysis.
In the explanation highlight an example of evaluation.
By looking at the point and the explanation – what do you
think the task was for this essay?
– Evaluate this PCQE? Is it any good?
Conclusion
• Your conclusion should:
– sum up the main points of your essay and
show that you have answered the task
– give some personal response.
Conclusion – summing up
• Example:
– Seamus Heaney in “Mid-term Break” uses a
number of poetic techniques to effectively
create a mood of sadness including contrast,
word choice and imagery.
Conclusion – personal response
• Don’t write:
– “I liked this poem”, “This isn’t really my type of
poem, I prefer poems that rhyme”, “I think it
should’ve had a few more verses.”, “It was ok”.
• You have to be more sophisticated. For
example:
– “I thought the image of the snowdrops and
candles ‘soothing’ the room as the boy looked at
his brother was the most poignant image of the
poem. I could really empathise with the feelings
of sorrow that the boy was feeling at this point.”