The Critical Lens Essay
A Review
Your Task
Write a critical essay in which you discuss
two literary works from the particular
perspective of the statement that is
provided for you in the critical lens. In
your essay, provide a valid interpretation
of the statement, agree or disagree with
the statement as you have interpreted it,
and support your opinion using specific
references to appropriate literary elements
from the two works.
The Quote
“No one can be at peace
unless he has his freedom.”
–Malcolm X
Brainstorm/Pre-Writing
• Interpret the quote in your own words
• Choose two works that support the
quote — (This is always easier than
disproving the quote)
• Decide which characters from each
work support the quote
Brainstorm/Pre-Writing cont’d
• Consider what literary elements from
each work support your argument
• There are several elements that can
ALWAYS be used:
characterization
motivation
conflict
• Use your notes to write your essay
Introduction
• Begin with the quote
Malcolm X once said, “No one can be
at peace unless he has his freedom.”
Introduction cont’d
• Paraphrase the quote without repeating any
words from the quote
This means that…
In other words…
Malcolm X once said, “No one can be at
peace unless he has his freedom.” In other
words, no one can be truly content without
autonomy. Independent thought and free will are
essential for people to feel whole and selfpossessed.
Introduction cont’d
• Apply quote to literary works
This is proven in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray
Bradbury and “Freedom’s Fool” by Robert
Service. In both works, the characters
rebel against an oppressive government.
Introduction cont’d
• End the introduction with a thesis
statement
• The thesis should state how the
characters prove the quote
Neither Montag, nor the speaker of the
poem can find inner peace while subject to
the excessive authority of their respective
governments.
Body Paragraph #1
• In this paragraph, explain how the first
literary work mentioned in your
introduction proves the quote
Body Paragraph #1 cont’d
• Begin with a topic sentence which
states the main idea
In Fahrenheit 451, Montag faces inner
turmoil when he realizes the extent to
which he and his fellow citizens have been
oppressed by government regulations
banning books.
Body Paragraph #1 cont’d
• Incorporate literary elements in your
discussion of how the text proves the quote.
The setting of the novel, in the near future,
provides reasoning for the government’s actions:
they wish to protect people from controversy in
order to achieve peace. Ironically, in wishing to
enact peace, they achieve war. As the novel
begins, Montag is virtually unaware of his limited
freedom. Still, he is characterized as an
unhappy man living a life without meaning.
Body Paragraph #1 cont’d
He works as a fireman, burning books, and lives
with a wife whose only happiness comes from
the television walls. When he meets Clarisse, he
begins to understand that his melancholy life is a
result of his lack of freedom, and he is
motivated to question society’s rules. Montag
develops an inner conflict when he steals a
book from the scene of a fire, and watches as a
woman chooses to die with her books rather
than renounce them.
Body Paragraph #1 cont’d
He has been taught to believe that books are
evil, and he is employed by the government to
destroy them, yet he wonders what mysteries
they hold. When he finally decides to read his
stolen book, and learns of the joy of reading, he
develops further conflicts, with his boss, his
wife, and finally with society itself. His boss
attempts to convince him that banning books is
for the greater good, his wife reports him to the
authorities, and he becomes a criminal in the
eyes of society.
Body Paragraph #1 cont’d
• Always stay on topic, making reference
to the quote.
Without the freedom to read, Montag has
no peace. He loses his job, his wife, and
his home, he kills his boss, and becomes
part of a rebellion. In fact, it is not until the
end of the book, when he discovers a
group of like-minded citizens, that he
begins to find the promise of joy in his life.
Body Paragraph #1 cont’d
• The literary elements you employ must
be relevant to the discussion at hand.
When he looks around the campfire at his
new friends, he realizes the importance of
his new-found freedom, and for once, the
fire is symbolic of warmth and rebirth,
instead of destruction.
Body Paragraph #1 cont’d
• End in a clincher sentence.
This illustrates one of Bradbury’s main
themes, that in order to be truly at peace
in the world, one must have exposure to
nature and the world of books, leisure to
think, and freedom to act.
Body Paragraph #2
• In this paragraph, explain how the
second literary work mentioned in your
introduction proves the quote
Body Paragraph #2
• Begins with a transition and topic sentence
Like…
Just as…
Similarly…
Like Montag, the speaker of “Freedom’s Fool”
resents government rules and vows to defy
them. Although these oppressive rules are
never clearly defined, the speaker says they are
“meddling laws” which he will never obey.
Body Paragraph #2 cont’d
• Incorporate literary elements in your
discussion of how the text proves the
quote.
Characterized as an angry and proud
individualist, the speaker says he would
prefer to go to “some lost island of the
sea,” than be subject to government
authority. He cannot find peace under the
rule of others, and thus, is motivated to
“fight and die” for his own freedom.
Body Paragraph #2 cont’d
The speaker’s strong will is emphasized
by his comparison of government to a
“bitter pill.” This metaphor suggests that
he finds government distasteful, as in the
proverb, “a bitter pill is hard to swallow.”
He would rather live alone on an island
than live by the rules of a controlling
government.
Body Paragraph #2 cont’d
• The literary elements you employ must
be relevant to the discussion at hand.
The ferocity of his conviction is further
emphasized by the alliteration in the line
“No force or fear shall forge my fate.”
Clearly, the speaker is stubborn and
determined to live by his own laws.
Body Paragraph #2 cont’d
• End in a clincher sentence.
As long as he is denied his freedom, the
speaker will never find peace.
Conclusion
• Sums up main ideas
Both Montag and the speaker of the
poem illustrate the damaging effects of
tyrannical societies. Montag becomes
depressed, alienated, and eventually,
violent, as a result of his loss of autonomy;
the speaker appears irate and militant over
his lack of sovereignty. Neither character
is able to achieve peace without freedom.
Conclusion
• Ends with a final, culminating thought
which applies the quote more generally
to the larger world
As a result, both works remind readers
that the value of a free society is
immeasurable.