Ideas and Organization for a PLEA Paragraph
Big question: How does the figurative language in this passage help characterize Max?
“Wrong again. The reading stuff Freak helped me figure out by showing how words are just voices on paper.
Writing down the words is a whole different story. No matter what Freak says, writing down the stuff is not like
talking, and my hand feels so huge and clumsy, it’s like the pencil is a piece of spaghetti or something, and it keeps
slipping away” (Philbrick 82).
Directions: Follow the prewriting steps in order to generate and organize ideas for a good PLEA paragraph that
answers the big question above.
I.
Prewriting: the process of gathering and organizing ideas before the drafting process begins
A. Brainstorming: gathering ideas
1. Analyze the writing prompt (the “Big Question”).
2. Define key words; annotate what you know about figurative language and characterization.
3. Now, restate the question in terms that you can better understand.
4. Finally, let your mind jot down as many ideas as you can think of regarding the key components of the
prompt. Use the box below in order to free write or create a web that lists the types of figurative
language that you know and what this language reveals about Max.
II.
Organizing: placing the ideas in a logic order that will make sense to your audience
A. Outlining: noting and sequencing the details of the key bits of information that you plan to discuss
B. PLEA: Use the PLEA acronym and the following four-square outline to help you accomplish this task.
Four-Square PLEA Outline
I.
Point:
II.
Link:
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A. Who? ________________________________
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B. What? _______________________________
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C. When? ______________________________
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D. Where? ______________________________
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E. Why? _________________________________
How does the figurative language in this passage help characterize Max?
III.
Evidence
A. Quoted figurative language:
Analysis:
A. What does the evidence (the figurative language
show?
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B. Parenthetical citation (author’s last name and
page number in parenthesis)
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B. How does the evidence support your point? In
other words, what does this evidence (the
figurative language, the comparisons) reveal about
Max’s character?
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PLEA Paragraph
Instructions: In your best handwriting, use your PLEA outline to create a PLEA paragraph. Skip lines. Write an X on the lefthand side of each line to help you remember where to write.
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Example Four-Square PLEA Outline
I.
Point:
The figurative language in this passage produces a sad and
dreadful mood, and this mood foreshadows that Freak and
Max will encounter negative circumstances at the
II.
Link:
A. Who? Freak and Max are characters, who
(together as Freak the Mighty) are trying to
overcome physical and mental handicaps.
B. What? Freak the Mighty is a fictional novel written
by Rodman Philbrick.
Testaments.
C. When? FTM is probably set sometime in the
1990s, and this particular scene occurs during the
rising action—just at a point of the story whenever
Max and Freak are testing their own code of
chivalry.
D. Where: Freak and Max are headed into a rough,
run-down part of town commonly referred to as
the New Testaments.
E. Why? They are trying to return a purse that they
retrieved from a storm drain.
What mood does the figurative language produce in this passage, and what does this mood foreshadow?
III.
Evidence:
A. Quoted figurative language: “shuts right up”; “It
looks sad and smells like fish and sour milk”
B. Quoted tone words and phrases: “sad”;
“screaming noises”; “monster”; “eek, eek”;
“bashed up and broken”; “falling-apart”
C. Parenthetical citation (author’s last name and
page number in parenthesis):
(Rodman 64).
IV.
Analysis:
A. What does the evidence show?
These tone words and vivid comparisons show that even
Max, who consistently considers himself as the ultimate
“butthead,” perceives the sense of dread and danger. The
mood quickly shifts from a “riding high,” vanquishingdragons-and-fools feeling, to the understanding that real
peril lurks in this part of town.
B. How does the evidence support the point?
Freak was talking “a mile a minute,” but he shuts
right up because he knows something is wrong—as if they
should not be there. This paragraph alone contains at
least eight different negative words or phrases, so the
writer apparently wants readers to feel this sense of alarm.
This rapid mood change evidently indicates that Freak the
Mighty will soon encounter a real-life “dragon” at the
Testaments.
PLEA Example
The figurative language in this passage produces a sad and dreadful mood, and this mood foreshadows that Freak and
Max will encounter negative circumstances at the Testaments. In the fictional novel Freak the Mighty, written by Rodman
Philbrick, Freak and Max are characters, who (together as Freak the Mighty) are trying to overcome physical and mental
handicaps. At this particular point in the novel, Freak and Max are testing their own code of chivalry by braving the New
Testaments—a rough, run-down part of town—in order to return a purse to its owner. As they enter the grounds of the
Testaments, Max’s mood and narration immediately take a turn for the worse with words and phrases such as “shuts right
up,” “falling-apart,” “looks sad,” “smells like fish and sour milk,” “bashed up and broken,” “screaming noises,” “monster,” and
“eek, eek” (Rodman 64). These tone words and vivid comparisons show that even Max, who consistently considers himself as
the ultimate “butthead,” perceives the sense of dread and danger. The mood quickly shifts from a “riding high,” vanquishingdragons-and-fools feeling, to the understanding that real peril lurks in this part of town. Freak was talking “a mile a minute,”
but he shuts right up because he knows something is wrong—as if they should not be there. This paragraph alone contains at
least eight different negative words or phrases, so the writer apparently wants readers to feel this sense of alarm. This rapid
mood change evidently indicates that Freak the Mighty will soon encounter a real-life “dragon” at the Testaments.
Rubric for PLEA Paragraph
Directions: Assign a numeric value, which matches the applicable description, for each letter of the acronym PLEA. Write
these numbers in the blanks next to the PLEA acronym at the bottom of the page, and then compute the average for a final
score ranging from 0-5. The final score should match the overall description of the number to the right of the acronym.
5 Points
Point
Link
Evidence
Analysis
The point is clearly written, and the argument is specific, insightful, intriguing, and requires evidence to validate the claim.
The link offers informative background information for the text and provides a clear connection between the point and
evidence; in other words, the audience is able to understand the situation: the who, what, when, where, and why.
The evidence clearly supports the point with specific and convincing examples/details; the evidence is documented accurately.
The analysis clearly shows how the evidence supports the point and features at least three thoughtful and insightful sentences.
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4 Points
Point
Link
Evidence
Analysis
The point is mostly clear, and the argument is specific, understandable, intriguing, and requires evidence to validate the claim.
The link offers informative background information for the text and provides a mostly clear connection between the point and
evidence; in other words, the audience is able to understand the situation: the who, what, when, where, and why.
The evidence mostly supports the point with specific and convincing examples/details – just a few minor errors in citation.
The analysis mostly shows how the evidence supports the point and features at least three thoughtful sentences.
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3 Points
Point
Link
Evidence
Analysis
The point is mostly clear, but the argument is vague and does not require much evidence to validate the claim.
The link offers some background information for the text and provides a vague connection between the point and evidence; in
other words, the audience is only able to understand the partial situation.
The evidence vaguely supports the point with examples/details; the evidence is documented, but errors are obvious.
The analysis vaguely shows how the evidence supports the point and features only one or two superficial sentences.
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2 Points
Point
Link
Evidence
Analysis
The point is mostly unclear; the argument is not specific and requires little evidence to validate the claim.
The link offers little background information for the text, and the connection between the point and the evidence is mostly
unclear; in other words, the audience receives only a vague sense of the situation.
The evidence mostly does not support the point with examples/details; the evidence is not documented accurately.
The analysis mostly does not show how the evidence supports the point and features only one or two superficial sentences.
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1 Point
Point
Link
Evidence
Analysis
The point is unclear; the argument is not specific and requires little evidence to validate the claim.
The link offers no background information for the text, and the connection between the point and the evidence is unclear; in
other words, the audience receives no sense of the situation.
The evidence does not support the point with examples/details; the evidence is not documented accurately (or is missing).
The analysis does not show how the evidence supports the point; analysis is superficial if present at all.
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0 points = did not attempt
Numeric value for
each element of
the paragraph (5 –
0)
Point =
Link =
Evidence =
Analysis =
Total =
5
4
3
2
1
0
5 – 4.5 = A
4.49 – 4 = B
Overall description of total grade (describes the paper as a whole)
Complete; accurate; advanced; superior effort; neat; organized; insightful; appropriate in terms of
purpose, audience, and format
Mostly complete; mostly accurate; above-average effort; mostly neat; mostly organized; mostly
appropriate in terms of purpose, audience, and format
Average/mediocre in all areas: completeness, accuracy, effort, neatness, organization, and
appropriateness in terms of purpose, audience, and format
Mostly incomplete; mostly inaccurate; below-average effort; mostly messy; mostly disorganized; mostly
inappropriate in terms of purpose, audience, and format
Incomplete; inaccurate; well below-average effort; very messy; disorganized; inappropriate in terms of
purpose, audience, and format
No attempt to complete the assigned tasks
3.99 – 3.5 = C
3. 49 – 3 = D
2.99 – 0 = F