Critical Lens Essays

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Critical Lens Essays
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The Task

• You are given a statement about literature
• You put that statement into your own words
• You agree or disagree with the statement
• You support your position with details from
  literature you have read

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Organization

• You should have 4 paragraphs
• Intro
• Body 1 (about first text or character)
• Body 2 (about second text or character)
• Conclusion

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Organization

• Intro
• A. Lens
• B. Interpretation
• C. Agree/Disagree
• D. Title, Author, Genre Information

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Intro

• Interpret the lens
• Figure out what the lens means
• Put that meaning into your own words
• Think about how it will apply to literature
• Dont go word by word and replace with synonyms.

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Interpreting the Lens

• All literature is about the struggle between
  good and evil
• Dont simply say
• Every book is about the fight between nice and
  bad.
• Think about how it will apply to the literature.

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Interpreting the Lens

• When applied to The Crucible this would work
  better
• Conflicts in literature are often between those
  who want to help others and those who want only
  to help themselves.
• In the play who wants to help others? Who wants
  to help only themselves?

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Agree / Disagree

• Usually easier to agree
• Dont make reference to yourself.
• Combine this with the TAG information
• Dont say the quote, the statement, the
  lens
• Make reference to your interpretation
• Agreeable means nice, not that you agree.

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Sample Intro

• Jordan Baker once said, All literature is about
  the struggle between good and evil. This means
  that conflicts in literature are often between
  those who want to help other and those that are
  out only to help themselves. Two characters from
  The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, that show
  how conflicts arise between those out for
  themselves and those out to help others are John
  Proctor and Abigail Williams.

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Organization

• II and III Body Paragraphs
• A. Topic Sentence (1 sentence)
• Should sound like interpretation
• One character that shows how conflicts arise
  between those out to help others and those out to
  help themselves is John Proctor.

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Body Paragraphs

• B. Supporting Details (8-10 sentences)
• Provide specific details from the text that show
  how conflicts arise between those out for
  themselves and those out for others. Include
  quotations and literary techniques.

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Literary Techniques

• If you can think of nothing else,
  characterization and conflict will usually work.
• Discuss how the characterization of John Proctor
  supports your point. Discuss how the conflict
  between Abby and Elizabeth supports your point.

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Organization

• C. Explanation of Details (2-3 sentences)
• How do the details you have mentioned support the
  topic sentence of your paragraph?
• John Proctors ultimate decision to hang at the
  end of the play and save the reputation of his
  friends shows how conflicts in literature will
  arise between those out to help others and those
  only out to help themselves.

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Organization

• IV. Conclusion
• Restate thesis
• Summarize main points
• Literature is often about the struggle between
  those out to help themselves and those out to
  help others. In The Crucible, Abbys conflict
  with Goody Proctor and John Proctors ultimate
  decision to hang make it clear that the selfish
  and the selfless will constantly battle against
  one another.