Critical Lens Essay Assignment:

Due Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Quotation: “Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure” – \ William Saroyan

Introduction Paragraph

Sentence / Task / Hints / Example
Sentence #1 / State the quotation and the author. / Be careful to make this a complete sentence and not a sentence fragment. / “Carol Jenkins once said, “All men are born evil.”
Sentence #2 / Interpret the quotation. / You may want to spend 2 sentences on your interpretation. You may even want to include Sentence #3 into your interpretation. Be careful NOT to use the same words from the quote. That is not interpreting. That is repeating. / “This quote means that when people are born into this world, they are inherently bad. Those who believe that children are innocent are wrong.”
Sentence #3 / Agree/Disagree with the quotation without using “I”. / Do not use “I”, “me”, “my” or “you”. / “This quotation is true, as evidenced in two works of literature Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and The Crucible by Arthur Miller.”
Sentence #4 / Introduce 2 works of literature with author, genre / You may combine this step with sentence #3. / See above
Sentence #5 / Describe how the books relate to the ideas in the quotation. / You may combine this step with sentence #4. No more than two sentences here. You’ll get more specific when you write the body paragraphs. / “In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there are men who grow only after they make mistakes.”

Body Paragraphs

Sentence / Task / Hints / Example
Sentence #1 / Topic Sentence / Follow this format exactly. Don’t forget to explain specifically HOW the author uses the literary device to connect the ideas in the book to the ideas of the quote. / “In The Crucible Reverend Hale’s internal conflict about his mistakes helps him grow into a character who is wise and good.”
Sentence #2-4 / Details about the text that are relevant to the literary device chosen. / Introduce the context of the book/play and the introductory details about the literary device you chose. / “At the beginning of the play, Reverend Hale arrives with the best of intentions in Salem. He truly wants to help eradicate witchcraft from the town.”
Sentence #5 / Analysis about the detail. How do these details relate back to the quote? / Explain how the details and literary device relate back to the quote. Use words from the quotation to make your point clear. / “One of Reverend Hale’s major mistakes is not ill-intentioned. He comes to Salem, full of vigor and energy, and believes the girls. This is his mistake.”
Sentence #6 / Make a direct reference back to the quotation. / By making a direct reference back to the quotation here, you are improving the organization and development of your ideas. / “All people need to be confronted with their mistakes in order to learn important life lessons.”
Sentence #7 / Supporting detail from the text to transition into your summary sentence. / Introduce another supporting detail that further explains how the ideas in the book relate to the ideas in the text. / “Reverend Hale is not confronted with his mistake until the end of Act II, when he begins questioning the girls’ motivations. Suddenly, he realizes that his desire to help Salem has fueled the fire of fear that now drives dozens of innocent people to their deaths.”
Sentence #8 / Analysis about the last supporting detail / Explain how this detail relates back to the quotation. / “Reverend Hale, then, argues with the judges to listen to John Proctor, who, Hale rationalizes, is making a logical argument. It wasn’t until Hale was faced with his original mistake that he learned that he needs to temper his faith with logic.”
Sentence #9 / Summary Sentence / Summarize your points in 1-2 sentences. / “All people need to learn from their mistakes. Unfortunately, Reverend Hale’s mistakes cost people their lives; however, in the end, he fought for social justice in Salem.”

Conclusion Paragraph:

Sentence / Task / Hints / Example
Sentence #1 / Restate thesis / Use different words/syntax to reword your thesis / “All people need to learn from their mistakes in order to grow as human beings.”
Sentence #2-4 / Review evidence from both texts – one sentence for each text / Be brief, but specific. / “In the play The Crucible, Reverend Hale learns to remember common sense when he preaches about witchcraft. In Antigone, Ismene learns that family is the most important single unit in the world.”
Sentence #5 / Say Something Intelligent / Make a statement that is global. Answer the question “Why is this important for all human beings?” / The characters in these two plays evidence an important lesson for all people: we must use our mistakes to grow as human beings. If we choose not to learn from our mistakes, the depth of our goodness will never be illuminated.”