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[|VIRTUAL STUDY BUDDY 2: HOW TO ANALYZE]
March 25, 2009 //Covered in AP Essay Boot Camp Session #1 [March 18, 2009]// One of the biggest issues students seem to share is tackling the initial analysis of the text. You get a poem, you get an essay excerpt, a historical document… and it’s written in language that’s tough to understand. Or, even if you understand the language, the meaning eludes you. What do you do? You have to find a way to access it. I call this finding a “handle”. Sometimes, the prompt will give you that handle. For instance, the prompt might suggest that you use specific language or literary devices to analyze the speaker’s attitude towards the subject, or the author’s purpose in writing the piece. Either way, you should come prepared to the exam with your go-to set of handles that you will look for in the piece, and then use those tools to guide your analysis. Here’s a standard tool-kit/approach that you can take to any AP Lit exam that I developed with some senior AP Lit students who were struggling to find a way to analyze texts that were difficult to understand.

Look at your analysis like a “zoom function” on a camera.


 * 1. STRUCTURE [the big picture - e.g. a garden]**
 * what is it? what are we looking at?**
 * 2. WORDS [zoom in on the finest detail - e.g. rose petal]**
 * which ones catch your eye? what do they mean? how are they being used?**
 * 3. IMAGERY [zoom out - immediate context - e.g. a rose]**
 * what do these words feel like? what “color” do they invoke? this is subjective; no right/wrong answer. what “texture” do they inspire? what do the words sound like, if they were musical? these are all ways you can use SENSORY DETAILS to determine imagery, which can help you envision what the author’s saying, what their purpose is, etc.**
 * 4. TONE [zoom out more; more context - e.g. a rose bush]**
 * how do these words/images make you feel? why is the author making you feel this way?**
 * Now, back to the big picture… we know we are in a ROSE garden.**

__**STRUCTURE**__

I think of the text like a building. If I want to figure out what this building in front of me is and why it exists, I’ll need to first figure out what the structure of the building is: IE skyscraper, house, parking garage, etc. Let’s say it’s a skyscraper. The **STRUCTURE** of a skyscraper is **tall** and **sturdy** — because it serves the **purpose of housing a lot of people** [high-rise apartments, or lots of offices, or both]. When you approach the text, take in the overall structure and title of the piece. The **STRUCTURE** of a Shakespearean sonnet is **three quatrains, concluded by a rhyming couplet**. The **rhyming couplet sums up the meaning** of the poem, or it **asserts some sort of authority on the subject matter**. You can get into a deeper analysis of the structural relevance of the first three quatrains, but in a time crunch, the most important thing to do is “skip to the end”. What do the last few lines say? What does the title say? What do the opening few lines assert? This should help guide your ability to figure out what you’re working with, so that you can derive some sort of meaning/purpose. Especially in a compare/contrast situation– noting the difference in structure will help you figure out the difference in meaning/purpose of the two pieces. I’ll give you an example — and then you’ll see how my analysis reveals how we can look at words, the context of those words, and the tone to ultimately derive meaning as well. From Shakespeare’s //Sonnet 116//: //Let me not to the marriage of true minds; admit impediments// //Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds–// //[skip to the end]// //If this be error and upon me proved,// //I never writ, nor no man ever loved// So basically, Shakespeare’s saying in the end that “if this be error” — If I’m wrong — “and upon me proved,” — and you can prove it — “I never writ” — then I never wrote anything before, “nor no man ever loved”, and no man has ever loved before. And since Shakespeare obviously wrote quite a bit, and men have always loved, he’s saying //booya, this is why I’m hot//. Okay, so why is he hot? What’s he so right on the money about? And why does he have to be so up in our grillz about it? Let’s look at the opening lines: //Let me not// – do not allow me, do not let me … //to the marriage —// be married to, paired with … //of true minds;// – those that would seem to have so much in common… [which is more like -- I don't want to be in one of those relationships, I don't want you to be in one of those relationships, I don't think anyone should be in those relationships... so, don't let me get suckered into one of those relationships where we both allegedly have so much in common] //admit impediments –// admit the things that stand in our way, the things we don’t have in common //Love is not love which alters –// because Love is not love if it has to change //when it alteration finds–// when it encounters a difference of opinion, personality, etc Love is not love if the lover changes and behaves and loves in a way that is not true to himself/herself. Because if both people are in love, and acting in a way that they think the other one wants them to act, they’re not being themselves, and that’s not really love. It’s controversial. It’s an opinion on love and not a fact, which is why Shakespeare takes 3 full quatrains to prove his theories of true love to you, and then sums it up with a “you know I’m right cuz I’m Shakespeare, and I wrote a lot of plays about love that people liked, and I’m also just a man, and I have loved, any man who has ever loved knows this to be true as well.” The last part’s him being a little humble, I think. Now. This is not the only interpretation and you can certainly go way more in depth than this. I was just skimming the surface here to help you get the point about structure, and how we can break things down to divine meaning from the structure.

__**WORDS**__

At this point, you may or may not know what the meaning or purpose is of the piece. However, if you’ve identified the structure, you can note that and keep looking for clues. Back to the skyscraper idea, if I am not sure what the height and sturdiness of the structure has to do with why this building exists [IE, that it has to be tall and sturdy so that it can house a lot of people], then I need to look for more clues. The clues I will pick out first are the most obvious: the # of people going in and out of the building, the # of people living in or working in the building at any given point in time, the # of floors, offices and/or apartments in the building, the # of windows on the outside. In the text, these clues are found in the words. **Look for words you know, and devices you know associated with those words.** Alliteration and diction are both easy handles. What words did the author choose? What kind of words are they?What sort of meaning to they convey separately, and then strung together? How do they sound when said aloud? For example, **ALLITERATION** like the **fish flew fast from France** has a different feel than the **fish** **from Florida floundered, flip-flopped**… because in the former version, with “France”, each word is one syllable, so it sounds more staccato. In the “Florida” version, the words have multiple syllables, you have to slow things down. Why floundered? Why flip-flopped? Why Florida? Why slow down the reader? What does the author want the reader to pick up from this slowing-down? Obviously, the above examples are nonsensical; the point is just to show you how physically examining the words can help you determine the author’s purpose in choosing those words. __**IMAGERY**__

Once you have a handle on the words, even if you still can’t divine the meaning from them, you can start to look at what sorts of **IMAGERY** the words conjure. If I still haven’t figured out what the purpose of a skyscraper is, and why it was built there… maybe I know that the purpose is to hold a lot of people, but then why this building? Why here? I need to start **piecing together the context, the bigger picture**. I’m going to look at where this building is, who these people are, what they’re doing. **Each of these details contributes to a larger portrait of a city**. I know that cities are places of high population density, necessitating that we stack people – to live and work – on top of one another. What philosophical meanings can I read into that image, of a city portrait? What other details and thoughts can I add of my own to interpret some sort of greater purpose behind a skyscraper? Similarly, in the text, you can take the specific words that you’ve found and piece them together to create your own imagery. You may be reading a non-fiction essay that does not put forth much concrete imagery. You may be reading a historical document to the same effect. You might even have a poem that doesn’t have any concrete imagery in it, or if it does– it’s perhaps inaccessible. So, instead of just throwing around adjectives to describe the images and calling that an “imagery” analysis, go ahead and re-interpret the words, the sentences and tell us what imagery YOU see in those words, beyond the single-word descriptions you can ascribe to them. __**TONE**__

Finally, **what’s the tone of the piece**? As with the skyscraper — once I start piecing together clues about city life… the **hustle and bustle** of traffic: cars, pedestrians, **the noises** they make, the **street lights**, the **smells** of food vendors… I can come up with some sort of mood, vibe, or tone. That may also help reveal some sort of deeper, philosophical meaning behind the purpose of skyscrapers. In the text, combining the word choices with the images you’ve created from those word choices [or concrete images you've found in the text] — you can determine a tone for the piece. If the words are silly, and the images they inspire are fun, maybe the tone of the piece is light-hearted, or even mocking. If the words are dramatic, the images graphic, maybe the tone is pedantic, sarcastic, critical, lecturing, pessimistic… etc. Now we have enough clues to figure out what the meaning or purpose of the text is– even if we don’t totally understand what the text is saying. We have enough of an understanding to provide a somewhat substantive analysis of the document.

Books We Will Read This Year: Bread and Wine Frankenstein Slaughter House Five Heart of Darkness Macbeth A Handmaids Tale Siddhartha (after test) =//Advanced Placement English Literature// = Welcome to Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition, a Marine Science Academy Class designed to challenge MSA English 12 students and prepare them for the rigor of college. The approach we will take, the study of literature by genre (short story, novella, novel, essay, drama, poetry, etc.), examines the interrelationships of each genre’s elements. We study a wide range of works by esteemed authors and evaluate: the author’s purpose; the inter-relationship of content and form; the historical, cultural, social, economic, political, religious, psychological and philosophical influences on the author and his or her work; our personal reactions to each piece’s elements and themes; the perspectives of various professional literary critics; and the literary and social impact of the work. This class will challenge your preconceived notions and asks you to be prepared to step outside your comfort zone. Be ready for a wild ride!

 A few tools on this page for you to use.

 1. Please use the navigation bar on the left to access AP literature units.  2. The class calender is at the bottom of this page. Please use as a guide to pace your reading and assignments.  3. Meebo is a chat tool on the bottom of the page. You can use this to ask questions whenever I am online! Just type in your question and wait for my response.  Questions are more important than answers. I'm looking for openings, not closings.  -Madeline L’Engle  //A Wrinkle In Time//

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__Criteria for Success__

Your Thesis statement ð goes beyond observation and makes a debatable point to be proven in the essay ð indicates the structure of the essay (gives a “roadmap” of the body paragraphs in the essay) ð identifies the literary work and its author ð is one sentence (ideally)

[|Example Thesis Statements for Literary Analysis Essay]

 * The Literary Essay--(Thesis statements from former students' essays…)**

In //The Kite Runner// Hosseini presents the minor character of Assef as a symbol of hegemonic oppression and asserts that its destruction can only be obtained not by the rebellion of the dejected class, but by dutiful aid from the upper class.
 * Focus on a minor character**

In //King Lear//, Shakespeare uses the Fool to criticize Lear's foolishness, and the Fool serves as a symbol of Lear's journey to wisdom and understanding through suffering and humility.

(//Catch 22//) Joseph Heller uses the soldier in white to symbolize how the army strips its men of their free will, their identity, and their voice in order to enforce how dispensable every soldier is to the military.

In //Plainsong//, Haruf explores human nature's innate desire for acceptance through Victoria, and addresses not only its destructive capabilities, but also how a community can redeem the broken person through encouragement and unconditional love.

Virginia Woolf seems to transfix her novel, //To the Lighthouse//, around the idea of the transcience of human life.By using seascape imagery to capture the essence of life for the Ramsay family, Woolf exposes the delicacy and impermanence of living. While Woolf acknowleges the cruelties of time, she suggests that the rapid and ephemeral realities of human life ultimately give meaning to our existence.
 * Focus on a recurring image, idea or word (motif)**

Throughout //The Kite Runner//, Hosseini questions and examines the familial ties forged between people and the traditional definition of family through a constant reference to the motif of blood.

In Anthony Burgess's //A Clockwork Orange//, classical music is a motif that symbolizes the sacrifice of free will, emotions and ultimately, one's humanity which results from losing the power of choice.

True to its namesake, Leif Enger's novel, //Peace Like a River//, uses a motif of miracles centered on a Christ figure to emphasize the power and necessity of faith in the face of hardship.


 * Open-ended Questions for Advanced PlacementEnglish Literature and Composition, 1970-2009

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

1970 Also. Choose a work of recognized literary merit in which a specific inanimate object (e.g., a seashell, a handkerchief, a painting) is important, and write an essay in which you show how two or three of the purposes the object serves are related to one another.

1971. The significance of a title such as //The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn// is so easy to discover. However, in other works (for example, //Measure for Measure//) the full significance of the title becomes apparent to the reader only gradually. Choose two works and show how the significance of their respective titles is developed through the authors' use of devices such as contrast, repetition, allusion, and point of view.

1972. In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel or the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the work. Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first chapter of a novel in which you explain how it functions in this way.

1973. An effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In an essay, discuss the ending of a novel or play of acknowledged literary merit. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

1974. Choose a work of literature written before 1900. Write an essay in which you present arguments for and against the work's relevance for a person in 1974. Your own position should emerge in the course of your essay. You may refer to works of literature written after 1900 for the purpose of contrast or comparison.

1975. Although literary critics have tended to praise the unique in literary characterizations, many authors have employed the stereotyped character successfully. Select one work of acknowledged literary merit and in a well-written essay, show how the conventional or stereotyped character or characters function to achieve the author's purpose.

1975 Also. Unlike the novelist, the writer of a play does not use his own voice and only rarely uses a narrator's voice to guide the audience's responses to character and action. Select a play you have read and write an essay in which you explain the techniques the playwright uses to guide his audience's responses to the central characters and the action. You might consider the effect on the audience of things like setting, the use of comparable and contrasting characters, and the characters' responses to each other. Support your argument with specific references to the play. Do not give a plot summary.

1976. The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority is the recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Select the work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society; or from a work of recognized literary merit, select a fictional character who is in opposition to his or her society. In a critical essay, analyze the conflict and discuss the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose.

1977. In some novels and plays certain parallel or recurring events prove to be significant. In an essay, describe the major similarities and differences in a sequence of parallel or recurring events in a novel or play and discuss the significance of such events. Do not merely summarize the plot.

1978. Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in a work of fiction or drama of recognized literary merit. Write an essay that explains how the incident or character is related to the more realistic of plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.

1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

1980. A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.

1981. The meaning of some literary works is often enhanced by sustained allusion to myths, the Bible, or other works of literature. Select a literary work that makes use of such a sustained reference. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain the allusion that predominates in the work and analyze how it enhances the work's meaning.

1982. In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.

1983. From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

1984. Select a line or so of poetry, or a moment or scene in a novel, epic poem, or play that you find especially memorable. Write an essay in which you identify the line or the passage, explain its relationship to the work in which it is found, and analyze the reasons for its effectiveness.

1985. A critic has said that one important measure of a superior work of literature is its ability to produce in the reader a healthy confusion of pleasure and disquietude. Select a literary work that produces this "healthy confusion." Write an essay in which you explain the sources of the "pleasure and disquietude" experienced by the readers of the work.

1986. Some works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. The chronological sequence of events may be altered, or time may be suspended or accelerated. Choose a novel, an epic, or a play of recognized literary merit and show how the author's manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

1987. Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social or political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence the reader's or audience's views. Avoid plot summary.

1988. Choose a distinguished novel or play in which some of the most significant events are mental or psychological; for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. In a well-organized essay, describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. Do not merely summarize the plot.

1989. In questioning the value of literary realism, Flannery O'Connor has written, "I am interested in making a good case for distortion because I am coming to believe that it is the only way to make people see." Write an essay in which you "make a good case for distortion," as distinct from literary realism. Analyze how important elements of the work you choose are "distorted" and explain how these distortions contribute to the effectiveness of the work. Avoid plot summary.

1990. Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary.

1991. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.

1992. In a novel or play, a confidant (male) or a confidante (female) is a character, often a friend or relative of the hero or heroine, whose role is to be present when the hero or heroine needs a sympathetic listener to confide in. Frequently the result is, as Henry James remarked, that the confidant or confidante can be as much "the reader's friend as the protagonist's." However, the author sometimes uses this character for other purposes as well. Choose a confidant or confidante from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you discuss the various ways this character functions in the work. You may write your essay on one of the following novels or plays or on another of comparable quality. Do not write on a poem or short story.

1993. "The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter." Choose a novel, play, or long poem in which a scene or character awakens "thoughtful laughter" in the reader. Write an essay in which you show why this laughter is "thoughtful" and how it contributes to the meaning of the work.

1994. In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary.

1995. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a novel or a play in which such a character plays a significant role and show how that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions or moral values.

1996. The British novelist Fay Weldon offers this observation about happy endings. "The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from their readers are the writers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean mere fortunate events -- a marriage or a last minute rescue from death -- but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at death." Choose a novel or play that has the kind of ending Weldon describes. In a well-written essay, identify the "spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation" evident in the ending and explain its significance in the work as a whole.

1997. Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which they live. Select a novel or play that includes such a scene and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of literary merit.

1998. In his essay "Walking," Henry David Thoreau offers the following assessment of literature:

In literature it is only the wild that attracts us. Dullness is but another name for tameness. It is the uncivilized free and wild thinking in //Hamlet// and //The Iliad//, in all scriptures and mythologies, not learned in schools, that delights us.

From the works that you have studied in school, choose a novel, play, or epic poem that you may initially have thought was conventional and tame but that you now value for its "uncivilized free and wild thinking." Write an essay in which you explain what constitutes its "uncivilized free and wild thinking" and how that thinking is central to the value of the work as a whole. Support your ideas with specific references to the work you choose.

1999. The eighteenth-century British novelist Laurence Sterne wrote, "No body, but he who has felt it, can conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a man's mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength, both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the same time." From a novel or play choose a character (not necessarily the protagonist) whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, or influences. Then, in a well-organized essay, identify each of the two conflicting forces and explain how this conflict with one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. You may use one of the novels or plays listed below or another novel or work of similar literary quality.

2000. Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. In these works, the solution to the mystery may be less important than the knowledge gained in the process of its investigation. Choose a novel or play in which one or more of the characters confront a mystery. Then write an essay in which you identify the mystery and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

2001. One definition of madness is "mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it." But Emily Dickinson wrote

Much madness is divinest Sense- To a discerning Eye-

Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a "discerning Eye." Select a novel or play in which a character's apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the "madness" to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

2002. Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good -- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

2002, Form B. Often in literature, a character's success in achieving goals depends on keeping a secret and divulging it only at the right moment, if at all. Choose a novel or play of literary merit that requires a character to keep a secret. In a well-organized essay, briefly explain the necessity for secrecy and how the character's choice to reveal or keep the secret affects the plot and contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may select a work from the list below, or you may choose another work of recognized literary merit suitable to the topic. Do NOT write about a short story, poem, or film.

2003. According to critic Northrop Frye, "Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divisive lightning." Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole.

2003, Form B. Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures -- national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a character's sense of identity into question. Select a novel or play in which a character responds to such a cultural collison. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the character's response and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.

2004. Critic Roland Barthes has said, "Literature is the question minus the answer." Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes' observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author's treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. 2004, Form B. The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write a well-organized essay in which you show how a specific death scene helps to illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. 2005. In Kate Chopin's //The Awakening// (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess "That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions." In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary.

2005, Form B. One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.

2006. Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.

2006, Form B. In many works of literature, a physical journey - the literal movement from one place to another - plays a central role. Choose a novel, play, or epic poem in which a physical journey is an important element and discuss how the journey adds to the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

2007. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

2007, Form B. Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may betray their own values. Select a novel or play that includes such acts of betrayal. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the nature of the betrayal and show how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

2008. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.

2008, Form B. In some works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as times of tribulation and terror. Focusing on a single novel or play, explain how its representation of childhood or adolescence shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.

2009. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

2009, Form B. Many works of literature deal with political or social issues. Choose a novel or play that focuses on a political oe social issue. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the author uses literary elements to explore this issue and explazin how the issue contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. ||

**Home****.** 1. Helping others gives him a sense of belonging (since he's needed)2. Reminds him that he is not the center of the universe || Good ideas. I cannot tell the topics of the body paragraphs from the thesis. Try incorporating the "2 major ideas" into the thesis. Could you structure paragraphs around those or do they overlap? Where will you fit in the "2 major ideas"? ||
 * Updated 5 June 2009.**
 * Thesis Statements || comments ||
 * **Although Raskolnikov is plagued with guilt for the majority of the novel, he is able to temporarily distract himself when aiding the Marmeladovs and protecting his sister. ** ^ I can then use the Marmeladovs as a paragraph and Duonia as a paragraph... each has multiple examples... * I have 6 solid examples
 * I have 2 major ideas so far
 * Due to the complexities of the human psyche examined in __Crime And Punishment__ it can be philosophized that suffering not only acts as a ubiquitous entity but a necessity, a balance, a citadel which without many would be rendered lost in the hysteria of the mind, portrayed by Rodya, Sonia and Marmeladov. || Please bring this back to earth. Such lofty diction has me dizzy. ||
 * (I didn't listen to directions above...)

**Although Raskolnikov is plagued with guilt for the majority of the novel, he is able to temporarily distract himself when aiding the Marmeladovs and protecting his sister. ** ^ I can then use the Marmeladovs as a paragraph and Duonia as a paragraph... each has multiple examples... || I then broke the rules too - see green above. || Grammar notes: who drive him... both refers to two not three || Now try eliminating the passive (just cut "it can be surmised"). Could also streamline phrasing of "acts as a necessary object of survival" -- keep idea, just cut wording. || - Second idea. || Why?
 * The moralities and moral transformations of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov are essentially the same; however, Raskolnikov's tremedous capacity for self reflection compared with Svidrigailov's inability to do so causes a difference in their sense of responsibility and their final actions. || intriguing ||
 * Svidrigailov's base and selfish nature directly contrasts Sonia's religious morals, yet Raskolnikov's interactions with each character hugely influence his decision to confess. || How do they influence him? ||
 * Raskolnikov does not alone come to the decision to confess the crime he has commited; both Sonya Marmeladova and Porfiry Petrovich are formidible forces whom drive him to this decision. || Clear argument and structure - good
 * Raskolinov's relationship with Sonia and his dislike for Svidrigailov foreshadow his confession. || I find myself wanting more but am not sure what to ask... How? Why? I will reread later too. ||
 * Katie and Olivia -- you may need to reenter yours if they are not above... ||  ||
 * Due to the complexities of the human psyche examined in __Crime And Punishment__ it can be surmised that suffering not only plays a major role in human life but acts as a necessary object of survival as seen with Rodya, Marmeladov and Sonia. -Yeah...I went a bit overboard up there. I may change the topic entirely because this topic has already been so largely covered, but first i must think of that something else. || Much clearer!
 * Due to Rodya's admittance of his fault, the acceptance of his guilt for his actions and the love and companionship of Sonia, he is able to reform and repent thus bringing hope to his hopless life.

Just make sure this does not become plot summary. || More specific is usually better. || What exactly will you prove in each paragraph? Do you want to structure the essay around specific confessions or around stages in his disilusionment? Can you streamline the thesis into one sentence? (Essays tend to be tighter overall with one sentence thesis statements.) Do his quasi-confessions to Zametov, etc. fit into your argument? || The second sentence seems more observation than analysis. Keep pushing ideas further. Ask WHY?, HOW? and make points more specific... (all aiming to get to a more analytical, debatable statement you need to (and can) prove). How is their suffering the same? How is it different? Why? What effect does suffering have on each? Why? How do their sins affect their suffering? Why? ||
 * Svidrigailov's base and selfish nature directly contrasts Sonia's religious morals, yet Raskolnikov's interactions with each character lead him to examine his own morality, influencing his decision to confess. || Better with addition
 * The thoughts, feelings and actions of Raskolnikov, Svidrigailov and Sonia demonstrate that the morality of man is soley determined by environmental factors. || Wow. Can you prove this? Intriguing. ||
 * In Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment," Raskolnikov's undeniable need to confess can be partially ascribed to his mounting need for human contact, which grows only more unbearable as he realizes that he is perhaps no better than his fellow human beings. This is demonstrated in his string of confessions, first to Sonia, then to Dounia and finally to the police, an escalation that occurs as his disillusionment with his theory progresses. || Good ideas.
 * Suffering is a character all of its own in Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment". Raskolnikov, Marmeladov and Sonia are three different people with very conflicting sins, yet all suffer in some way because of their actions. || Intriguing opening sentence.
 * While Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov both led sinful lives, Raskolnikov’s confession and penitent suffering in Siberia reveal that he does in fact have the super human tendencies he dreamed of, while Svidrigailov’s suicide demonstrates his lack of strength and his ordinary soul. || Nice contrast. Cool to pull in RRR's theory...but a few questions:

Does RRR have the exact super human forces he theorized?

How will you //prove// these points? ||
 * The novel is propelled by Raskolnikov's internal conflict between his delusions of superiority and his subconscious understanding of the moral depravity of murder which is in part resolved by his confession and ultimately cemented by the maturity acquired after his epihany with Sonia. || How will you prove "the novel is propelled by"... ?

What exactly is cemented by his new maturity? || "The greater each relationship decreases" - odd phrasing... The further he distances himself..., the less sincere and affectionate the relationship? || (my point is that as he realizes that he is part of the society he scorns he also realizes that he cannot escape from it, utimately submitting to society's punishment. || Can you avoid passive voice.
 * Throughout the novel, the further Raskólnikov distances himself from his mother, his sister, and Razumihin, the greater each relationship decreases in sincerity and affection. This illustrates one of the novel’s prominent themes; alienation from society. || What is the MESSAGE about "alienation from society"? (theme = message)
 * Raskolnikov's compulsive need to return to society, as seen in his early pseudo-confessions, in his confessions to Sonia and to Dounia, and ultimately in his confession to the police is caused by his mounting disillusionment as he realizes that he is inescapably no better than his fellow human beings.

Part in parentheses makes sense too. Helpful to have two different phrasings, so not exact repetition in conclusion, for example. || "throughout various points in the novel" does not add to the sentence. Can you combine the two sentences? Is "elements of" needed? Will you have a paragraph on foreshadowing, a paragraph on metaphors and one on motives, each with multiple examples? ||
 * Dostoyevsky makes effective use of dreams in __Crime and Punishment.__ The dreams of various characters throughout various points in the novel serve as elements of foreshadowing, metaphors, and motives that drive characters to make important decisions. || Good topic. Try to make phrasing more specific: What is "effective use"?
 * In Doestoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov feels a need for suffering only because of other’s emphasis on the necessity of punishment, and feels conscious guilt only from the undeserved faith that others place in him.

( I want to say that he is guilted into confession by the guidance of others’ morals, not his own) ||  ||