Critical Essay Masterclass

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Critical Essay Masterclass

• Higher and Int 2
• Ian Yule

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The structure of the Critical Essay

• Some basic rules
• Setting out your answer
• Introductions
• Topic sentences / coherence
• How to use quotations
• Conclusions
• Proof Reading

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Some basic rules - Expression

• The Critical Essay is a not just a test of your
  knowledge of poems / plays etc it is also a
  test of your ability to write.
• Spelling, grammar and punctuation will be
  accurate. Language will be controlled and fluent
  and you will use critical terminology (such as
  metaphor, oxymoron, structure .. In your
  analysis.)
• It is also a test of your ability to write
  critically to organise a case and provide the
  evidence to support it.
• Where can you find lists(s) of critical
  terminology in the exam?

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Basic Rules to keep your examiner sweet

• Number your essay in the margin. Score out any
  plans after you have finished your essay.
• Start new essays on new pages.
• Put titles inside inside inverted commas
• Put quotations inside inverted commas
• Make sure that proper names, titles, first words
  in sentences have Capital Letters

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Basic Rules Keeping it formal

• This essay is a formal piece of writing. Avoid
  all informalities
• Do NOT use abbreviations
• Do NOT use contractions is not, does not, can
  not, not isnt, dont, cant
• Write numbers out as words e.g. there are five
  verses in the poem, not there are 5 verses in the
  poem
• And then most importantly

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Basic rules answer the question!

• Use a highlighter pen to highlight the key words
  in the question.
• Choose a novel which is influenced by the
  presence of a powerful or overbearing character.
• Show how the novelist creates this impression
  of the character and discuss to what extent you
  felt you could sympathise with him or her

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Possible highlighted words

• Choose a novel which is influenced by the
  presence of a powerful or overbearing character.
• Show how the novelist creates this impression
  of the character and discuss to what extent you
  felt you could sympathise with him or her.

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Highlighted words

• In the course of writing your essay try and use
  the words (vocabulary) you have highlighted.
• Remember to highlight words from both sentences
  and to answer the whole question a common fault
  is to ignore the language of the second sentence.
• This will help you to build up relevance

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Setting out your answer (1)

• In the 45 minutes you are given 5 are for
  planning/checking and 40 are for writing
• TAKE TIME TO PLAN
• Write down your heading in the centre of the page
• Build around it 3 or 4 relevant points, brief
  memory triggers of suitable quotations

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Setting out your answer (2)

• Try and form a line of thought through your
  essay. A critical essay is not a list of what you
  know, nor is a splat or a spew
• Use linking words or phrases that will give your
  essay a sense of structure or cohesion

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Linking words

• At the start
• Furthermore A further idea
• However
• Therefore
• On the other hand
• Clearly
• In conclusion Finally

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Introductions Whats wrong with this?

• A novel which I have read in class which was
  influenced by an overbearing character was the
  cone gatherers by Robert Jenkins.
• Although the essay is looking for your opinion
  you should avoid introducing yourself in your
  answer. That is, avoid I.
• The title is not in inverted commas nor does it
  have capital letters.
• The authors name is Robin Jenkins.

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Introductions Whats wrong with this?

• I am going to write about The Cone Gatherers
  and I am going to show how the writer makes the
  character of Duror overbearing. In this essay I
  will show how he does this through using
  contrast, key incidents and metaphor.
• Useless introduction what else is this but
  writing? You going to sing it?
• Three references to I
• Why mention in this essay where else you
  going to do it? On the toilet wall?

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Introduction Whats right with this?

• In The Cone Gatherers Robin Jenkins creates the
  impression that John Duror is an overbearing
  character by contrasting him with the character
  of Calum McPhie, through an extended metaphor and
  key incidents such as the deer drive.
• Title in inverted commas and capital letters
• Author correctly named in capital letters
• Relevance established by using the vocabulary in
  the question
• Critical terminology
• A plan is evident now prove it!

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Topic sentences (coherence)

• Use your plan to create topic sentences. As far
  as possible use your highlighted vocabulary in
  these topic sentences
• Look out for opportunities to use evaluative
  words and to use critical terminology (analysis).
• The first way that Jenkins effectively creates
  the overbearing presence of Duror is through the
  use of contrast.
• The overbearing presence is furthered by Jenkins
  use of a turning point incident, an event which
  also changes the readers sympathies towards
  Duror.
• Jenkins also brings out Durors overbearing
  presence through the use of a metaphor which is
  skilfully extended throughout the novel.
• Coherence is established through words such as
  first furthered and also. Note that each
  topic sentence is very relevant to the question.

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Quotations (NOT QUOTES!)

• You should weave in as many relevant quotations
  as you can, either by quoting them exactly or by
  referring to the text.
• Try and have one or two supporting quotations for
  each point you make. Take time to analyse any
  significant techniques, or words.
• Build your quotations into the structure of your
  sentence/paragraph using quotation marks
  correctly.

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Quotations (a bad example)

• The persona is shocked by the attack on her by
  the German soldiers. A quote which shows this is
  my bowels opened in a ragged gape of fear. The
  word gape shows that she was gaping at the
  soldier. The word ragged shows how rough the
  attack was.

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Quotations (A good example)

• Carol Ann Duffy describes the personas rape in
  violent terms My bowels opened in a ragged gape
  of fear. Here she uses inversion, gagged rape
  becomes ragged gape to draw attention to the
  violence and unpleasantless. The word gape
  suggests that the personal was shocked and
  startled by the attack on her.

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Conclusions

• It is important to the structure of the essay
  that there is a conclusion. You will be marked
  down if you do not conclude.
• No new points should be raised in the conclusion.
• Remember your conclusion is your final
  opportunity to remind the examiner of your essay
  you want to conclude effectively.

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The language of conclusion

• In conclusion
• Finally
• Thus
• Clearly, it can be seen that

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Conclusions an OK one

• In conclusion Jenkins has successfully created an
  overbearing character in John Duror. Duror
  literally casts a shadow over all the characters
  in the story spoiling their lives in many ways.
  In particular the use of the extended metaphor
  helps the reader to see that this evil had roots
  which creates some sympathy for Duror. However by
  the end of the novel all sympathy is gone.

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Conclusions a better one

• Clearly, it can be seen that the character of
  Duror casts a shadow throughout the novel. His
  overbearing presence, created through the use of
  contrast, key incident and metaphor is especially
  evident in the way that he treats the Cone
  Gatherers. Even though the metaphor of the tree
  makes it clear that Durors evil nature had
  roots, his murder of Calum effectively causes the
  reader to lose all sympathy for the character.
  The reader is glad when Duror kills himself thus
  bringing his overbearing presence to an end.

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What to do when finished

• Re read your essay (proof read) check for basics
  capital letters, inverted commas. Pay special
  attention to the first and last paragraphs.
• Look at your highlighted vocabulary list, have
  you used most / all of the words?
• Look for topic sentences / linking words
• If these are all in place then relax and good
  luck!