Responsive
&
Critical
WRITING
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RESPONSIVE WRITING:
CONNECTING LITERATURE
AND
COMPOSITION
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This interaction
between text
and
Writer
depends
on the writer
as reader.
That interaction is complex .
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Studying literature
is
understanding literature
as
art.
REVIEW
• What is a “thesis”?
A thesis is a proposition.
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A proposition is not true, false or obvious. It is a “main idea” or
argument that the author will try to prove in an essay, article or book.
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• “Orange is a color” is too obvious to be a thesis. It is part of “general
knowledge,” and does not need to be proven.
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• “Professor Gray is a linebacker for the Patriots” would be impossible
to prove.
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• To turn these statements into “theses” (note the spelling of the plural
form of the word), you would have to qualify them. Examples would
be, “Orange is a soothing color,” or “Professor Gray wants to be a
linebacker for the Patriots.”
book or speech
• If you are responding to a book or speech, you
must also identify the author/speaker’s thesis or
main idea. This is usually stated in the
introduction or first chapter.
• Your paper, should then demonstrate whether
the author/speaker has proved his/her thesis.
• Your statements about the author’s thesis
become your thesis.
Structuring argument
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How to structure an argument:
The papers you write should have a “thesis” or main idea which you will
attempt to prove.
Methods of proof include:
•Evidence
•Sources
•Logic
•Analysis
•Statistics
•Precedent
•Examples
•Anecdotes
proving your thesis
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Techniques to use when you are proving your thesis include:
Examining the usefulness, applicability and reliability of your sources or evidence
Gather and analyze statistics related to your topic
Demonstrate to your reader the logical steps you took as you drew your conclusions
(how you got from “point A” to “point B”)
Provide examples which prove your thesis. Examine those which don’t, and explain
to the reader why those examples (or evidence, or sources) do not apply in this case
Show that something has happened before, and explain why you believe the same
thing happened a second time (precedent)
Citing the experience and credibility of the individuals you use as sources
Writing a Reaction or Response Essay
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Reaction or response papers are usually requested by teachers so
that you'll consider carefully what you think or feel about something
you've read.
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The following guidelines are intended to be used for reacting to a
reading although they could easily be used for reactions to films too.
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Read whatever you've been asked to respond to, and while reading,
think about the following questions.
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How do you feel about what you are reading?
What do you agree or disagree with?
Can you identify with the situation?
What would be the best way to evaluate the story?
Keeping your responses to these questions in mind, follow the
following prewriting steps.
Prewriting for Your Reaction Paper
• The following statements could be used in
a reaction/response paper.
• Complete as many statements as
possible, from the list , about what you just
read:
Complete as many statements as possible, from the list below,
about what you just read.
My Reaction to What I Just Read Is That . . .
• I think that
• I see that
• I feel that
• It seems that In my opinion,
• Because
• A good quote is
• In addition,
• For example,
• Moreover, However,
• Consequently,
• Finally,
• In conclusion,
• What you've done in completing these
statements is written a very rough
reaction/response paper.
• Now it needs to be organized.
• Move ahead to the next section.
Organizing Your Reaction Paper
A reaction/response paper has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
• Sentence 1:
• This sentence should give the title, author, and
publication you read.
• Sentences 2, 3, and sometimes 4:
• These sentences give a brief summary of what
you read (nutshell).
• Sentence 5:
• This sentence is your thesis statement:
• You agree, disagree, identify, or evaluate.
thesis
• Your introduction should include a concise,
one sentence, focused thesis.
• This is the focused statement of your
reaction/response.
BODY
• The body should contain paragraphs that provide support for
your thesis. Each paragraph should contain one idea. Topic
sentences should support the thesis, and the final sentence of
each paragraph should lead into the next paragraph.
• Topic Sentences =
• detail -- example --quotation --detail -- example -- quotation -detail -- example -- quotation -- detail -- example --quotation
• Summary Sentence
You can structure your paragraphs
in two ways:
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1.
Author
+
You
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2.
Author
+
in contrast to
• You
The conclusion
• The conclusion can be a restatement of
what you said in your paper. It also be a
comment which focuses your overall
reaction.
• Finally, it can be a prediction of the effects
of what you're reacting to.
• Note: your conclusion should include no
new information.
Summary
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Summary
In summary, this handout has covered prewriting and organizing strategies for
reaction/response papers.
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Prewriting
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Read the article and jot down ideas.
How do you feel about what was said?
Do you agree or disagree with the author?
Have you had any applicable experience?
Have you read or heard anything that applies to this what the writer said in the article or
book?
Does the evidence in the article support the statements the writer made?
Organizing
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Write the thesis statement first.
Decide on the key points that will focus your ideas. These will be your topic sentences.
Develop your ideas by adding examples, quotations, and details to your paragraphs.
Make sure the last sentence of each paragraph leads into the next paragraph.
Check your thesis and make sure the topic sentence of each paragraph supports it.
The Critical Essay
• The word "critical" has positive as well as
negative meanings. You can write a critical
essay that agrees entirely with the reading.
• The word "critical" describes your attitude when
you read the article. This attitude is best
described as "detached evaluation," meaning
that you weigh the coherence of the reading, the
completeness of its data, and so on, before you
accept or reject it.
Beginning a critical essay or review
• A critical essay or review begins with an analysis or exposition of the
reading, article-by-article, book by book. Each analysis should
include the following points:
• 1. A summary of the author's point of view, including
– a brief statement of the author's main idea (i.e., thesis or theme)
– an outline of the important "facts" and lines of reasoning the author used
to support the main idea
– a summary of the author's explicit or implied values
– a presentation of the author's conclusion or suggestions for action
• 2. An evaluation of the author's work, including
– an assessment of the "facts" presented on the basis of correctness,
relevance, and whether or not pertinent facts were omitted
– an evaluation or judgment of the logical consistency of the author's
argument
Once the analysis is completed
• Once the analysis is completed, check your
work! Ask yourself, "Have I read all the relevant
(or assigned) material?" "Do I have complete
citations?" If not, complete the work!
• The following steps are how this is done.
• Now you can start to write the first draft of your
expository essay/literature review.
• Outline the conflicting arguments, if any;
• this will be part of the body of your expository
essay/literature review.
• Ask yourself, "Are there other possible positions on this
matter?"
• If so, briefly outline them.
• Decide on your own position (it may agree with one of
the competing arguments) and state explicitly the
reason(s) why you hold that position by outlining the
consistent facts and showing the relative insignificance
of contrary facts.
• Coherently state your position by integrating your
evaluations of the works you read.
• This becomes your conclusions section.
Rough draft
• Briefly state your position, state why the problem you are
working on is important, and indicate the important
questions that need to be answered; this is your
"Introduction."
• Push quickly through this draft--don't worry about
spelling, don't search for exactly the right word, don't
hassle yourself with grammar, don't worry overmuch
about sequence--that's why this is called a "rough draft."
Deal with these during your revisions.
• The point of a rough draft is to get your ideas on paper.
Once they are there, you can deal with the superficial
(though very important) problems.
critical essay is informative
• The critical essay is informative;
• it emphasizes the literary work being
studied rather than the feelings and
opinions of the person writing about the
literary work;
• in this kind of writing, all claims made
about the work need to be backed up with
evidence.
Criticism does not mean you have to attack the work or the author; it
simply means you are thinking critically about it, exploring it and
discussing your findings.
• The difference between feelings and facts is
simple--it does not matter what you believe
about a book or play or poem;
• what matters is what you can prove about it,
drawing upon evidence found in the text
itself,
• in biographies of the author,
• in critical discussions of the literary work,
etc.
The literary essay
• The literary essay usually employs a serious
and objective tone.
• (Sometimes, depending on your audience, it
is all right to use a lighter or even humorous
tone, but this is not usually the case).
• Use a "claims and evidence" approach.
• Be specific about the points you are making
about the novel, play, poem, or essay you are
discussing and
• back up those points with evidence that your
audience will find credible and appropriate.
evidence
• Using evidence
• from the text itself
• is often your best option.
• If you quote or summarize
• (and you should expect do this),
• be sure you follow an appropriate format
(MLA format is the most common one
when examining literature) ,
• and be sure you provide a properly
formatted list of works cited at the end of
your essay.
• Your introduction should include a concise, one
sentence, focused thesis. This is the focused
statement of your reaction/response. More
information on thesis statements is available.
• The body should contain paragraphs that
provide support for your thesis. Each paragraph
should contain one idea. Topic sentences should
support the thesis, and the final sentence of
each paragraph should lead into the next
paragraph.
• REMINDER
• Document your Study Journal
SPECIFICALLY, IN DETAIL:
• Date/activity (name of PP etc.)
• Amount of time
THANK YOU
• FOR YOUR ATTENTION!