Introduction
Must name the title and author of the
work (The Crucible by Arthur Miller)
 Must have an arguable thesis

Thesis needs to cover:
The idea that
 ________’s alienation in The Crucible
reveals unpleasant truths about Puritan
culture.
Adjectives to describe Puritan culture:
(strict, harsh, unforgiving, punitive,
extremist, legalistic, etc.)
3 Fully developed Body
Paragraphs (11 sentences each)
Topic sentence
 3 quotations with 2 sentences of
commentary for each
 Concluding sentence
 Be sure you describe how the
character’s alienation reveals something
about Puritan culture

Embed your Quotations

Don’t let them float away!
Embed Quotations/ Cite page#
In order to demonstrate Elizabeth’s
coldness, John says to her, “Your justice
would freeze beer!” (1366).
 Foreshadowing occurs when Mary
Warren says strangely, “We all must
love each other now” (1345).

Edit to Eliminate 1st Person
Pronouns
1st Person Pronouns are not Appropriate
or Needed in a Literary Essay
 It is understood that the opinions
expressed in your paper are yours.
 Example: I believe John demonstrated
his love for Elizabeth when he
confessed to adultery.
 Correction: John demonstrated love for
Elizabeth when he confessed to
adultery.

Edit to Eliminate 2nd Person
Pronouns
2nd Person Pronouns are not Appropriate in
any Formal Paper
 They are generally conversational in tone
and they do not represent precision in
meaning.
 Example: In Puritan society, you have to
believe in witches because the Bible says
they are real.
 Correction: In Puritan society, people
believe in witches because the Bible says
they are real.

3rd Person Pronouns need
Referents
She says, “Then let you not earn it”
(1270).
 Without the referent, the reader will
wonder… Who is she? What is it?


Correction: When John complains of
Elizabeth’s suspicion, she says, “Then
let you not earn it” (1270).
Write about literature in the

Present Tense

Literature is “alive” and can be reread in
the again and again.
Use MLA Format
Write in ink
 Skip lines (like double spacing)
 Use the MLA heading

Student Name
Mrs. Rojas
English 11CP, Period 1
5 November 2015
Original Title