How to Write a Novel Essay

How to write a novel essay

Step one
Choose the right question. For example, a question on techniques or analysis of a specific passage would not suit our study of To Kill a Mockingbird. Make sure you can answer all parts of the question. If you choose a question that involves words like “think differently” or how your “opinion has changed” make sure you clearly state what you thought before, what you think now, and what made you change your mind. Remember “analyse how” means “what methods has the author used”.
Step two
Plan. Do not start writing before you have planned how you will approach the question. It is not a plot summary, it’s an analysis of anaspect of the novel. You will need supporting evidence; jot down a few quotes while you remember them.
Step three
Write your essay. The introduction should include the title of the book (in quotation marks, spelled correctly), the author’s name (that’s Harper Lee, not Lee Harper, and she’s a woman so don’t refer to her as ‘him’), the key words of the topic you have chosen, and the main points you are going to discuss in your essay.
Essay tips
* Use your resource booklet to help you, especially with supporting quotes (pages 26-30), essay planning (page 33) and possible essay topics (page 35).
* You may wish to include a background statement. Think about this in advance and memorise a brief summary of the story so that you don’t waste time thinking about it in the exam.
* Remember to fully explain your ideas. You can’t just say ‘Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are mockingbirds.” First you have to explain what the mockingbird symbolises and how that is presented in the novel.
* Use the SEXIST structure for your paragraphs – statement, explanation, example, author’s intention, links to society, themes.
Links to society means:
* How does Harper lee’s novel help us to understand American society in the 1930s? Why is this history important?
* How is the novel still relevant in the world today? Use specific examples, such as facts or statitstics from This story is a real-life example of a black man being wrongfully convicted of rape in the American south; he was only released last year after DNA evidence proved he didn’t do it. Don’t stop there; I’m sure you could find other examples of racism and prejudice in today’s society to support your answer.
* Another thing to think about is what this novel shows us about New Zealand society. Although this novel was set in America in the 1930s, it has parallels in New Zealand in 2009. If a muscular, lower-class Maori man from south Auckland was accused of raping a poor disadvantaged Pakeha teenager – he even admitted to fleeing the crime scene - how many New Zealanders would consider him ‘innocent until proven guilty’? and how many would mutter ‘well he looks dodgy’?