1. CRITICAL ESSAY-CHARACTER
THE TEST

2. Vocab warm -up

3. Match up the SYNONYMS representative show ambiguous highlight
comparatively
gives prominence
manifest
compose
show
highlight
write
example
quite
unclear

4. Match up the SYNONYMS show manifest highlight gives prominence write
example
quite
unclear
manifest
gives prominence
compose
representative
comparatively
ambiguous

5. What is a critical essay?

6. What is a critical essay?
It is an essay that answers a question about the story you have read.
In this you will discuss how the writer achieves this.
You are NOT re-telling the story, but examining it analytically.

7. THE QUESTION
Choose a short story where there is a character you feel sympathy for.
How does the writer create this sympathy?

8. What do you need to learn in order to write this essay?
LEARNING INTENTIONS
What do you need to learn in order to write this essay?

9. LEARNING INTENTIONS I am learning to:
Examine the character in the story
Analyse writer choices
Argue my points
Assemble these in a coherent essay

10. What is a critical essay?
An essay about the character in the short story and why you feel sympathy for her.
You will write, in a bit of detail, about how the writer uses characterization, the plot and the theme to evoke these feelings.
You will use quotations and analysis as evidence of what you are saying.

11. Lets look at an example…
What has this person done well?
Consider the opening paragraph – what do like about it?
Does each paragraph focus on one point?
How do you know what that point is?
What kind of evidence do they use to prove their point?
Have they answered the question? How have they done this?

12. Critical Essay
PLAN

13. What would your plan look like?
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 6

14. What would your plan look like?
Paragraph 1 – Introduction plus summary of the character/plot
Paragraph 2 – Main Body (Marian’s acceptance of the racial inequality)
Paragraph 3 – Main Body (Marian being subjected to continual verbal abuse whilst being trapped in a small space.)
Paragraph 4 – Main Body (The increasingly and deliberately tough driving test)
Paragraph 5 – Main Body (The final straw and the one mistake – not bad enough to fail normally, but…)
Paragraph 6 - Conclusion

15. Don’t forget your TARTS
Introduction
Don’t forget your TARTS

16. T - Title A- Author R- Refer to task T - Techniques S - Summary
Introduction
T - Title
A- Author
R- Refer to task
T - Techniques
S - Summary

17. Introduction In this essay I am going to be talking about...
A story we have been reading in English...
This essay is about...
“”The Test” by Angelica Gibb is a short story examining the theme of racism…

18. What about the main body?

19. How do you structure the main body paragraphs?
Use PEAR!!!!

20. P
point
Begin your paragraph by stating your point. This introduces the paragraph and tells the reader what you will be discussing.
A topic sentence has to do two jobs:
It must refer to the question
It must state what topic is being covered in the paragraph.

21. P
point
Begin your paragraph by stating your point. This introduces the paragraph and tells the reader what you will be discussing.
E.g. From the outset Marian shows a stoic acceptance of her situation and this immediately evokes feelings of sympathy.

22. E
example
This is when you give an example of the technique by using a quotation.

23. E
example
E.g. When discussing the upcoming test with Mrs.Ericson Marian demonstrates this awareness when she states, “They probably do like it better if a white person shows up with you.”

24. A
Analysis
Once you have quoted you must explain how the technique is working in the short story. What is the writer doing here?

25. A
Analysis
The fact that Marian knows of the inequality and has accepted it is clearly demonstrated in this matter-of-fact statement. She knows this is unfair but accepts it and is even ready to play along with it in an attempt to succeed in her goal. This situation is even more obvious when Mrs. Ericson suggests that she could offer a bribe, (Quote + Analysis..)

26. R Response Now you need to respond to the use of the technique.
This means talk about how your chosen examples help you to answer the question.

27. Response R
Marian knows that she faces many more barriers to her success than simply passing a test that she would normally find very straightforward. Despite provocation she retains her dignity and therefore gains our sympathy.

28. From the outset Marian shows a stoic acceptance of her situation and this immediately evokes feelings of sympathy. When discussing the upcoming test with Mrs.Ericson Marian demonstrates this awareness when she states, “They probably do like it better if a white person shows up with you.” The fact that Marian knows of the inequality and has accepted it is clearly demonstrated in this matter-of-fact statement. She knows this is unfair but accepts it and is even ready to play along with it in an attempt to succeed in her goal. This situation is even more obvious when Mrs. Ericson suggests that she could offer a bribe, (Quote + Analysis..) Marian knows that she faces many more barriers to her success than simply passing a test that she would normally find very straightforward. Despite provocation she retains her dignity and therefore gains our sympathy.

29. Your Plan In pairs decide:
Which 4 areas of Marian’s story evokes the greatest sympathy in you?

30. Your Plan In pairs decide:
Which quotes will you use as evidence for each point?

31. Your Plan
In pairs decide:
How will you analyse these?