Writing Boot Camp II

Writing Boot Camp II – March 10th,  2008             

Click here to download the text of the story 

Click here for the study guide questions  

Click here for the Literary Analysis Essay Worksheet

The Plan

 Click here for a printable PDF version of these instructions.

The Goal

Everyone who tries today will leave with a proficient Literary Analysis  essay completed.  One step closer to graduation!

The Topic

How do symbols, most especially archetypal, illustrate Sanger Rainsford’s journey of self discovery?

The Process – Part One

Done as a group

Definitions

These will be dicussed and shown on the ACTIVboard

  • What is Archetype? 

Setting a purpose for reading

·        What archetypes (and their possible meanings) will we see?

·        There are two levels of the story (literal and symbolic)

Reading the story

·        One room where story will be read aloud.

·        One room where individuals may read

 

Discussing the story

·        General discussion/comments

 

On the ACTIVboard

·        What archetypes did you notice?

·        What do you think their meaning was?

·        Was there a symbolic meaning to the story? What might it be?

·        Draw a diagram of the story to show the three phases of story.

 

Hand out questions to guide students through analysis

·        Students answer questions in groups of no more than 3 people.

·        Report back to whole group; correct any incorrect answers

·        When finished, students go back to groups and break the story down into 3 distinct parts:

1.      Rainsford is attracted by evil

2.      Rainsford confronting evil (within his unconscious)

3.      Rainsford triumphing over evil

·        Come back to large group, compare answers, draw conclusions

 

Beginning to form the thesis

 

Refining Thesis

Create one sentence that does the following things:

  • Tells the 3 stages Rainsford goes through in the story
  • Tells how archetypal symbols are used to show the stages

As soon as you complete this sentence, show it to Riley.  Once it has been checked off, go back to the BEST site and open the document called literary analysis essay worksheet.  Save it to your folder and type your thesis statement in the appropriate place.

The Process – Part Two

 Time to arrange evidence

  • Look at the list of evidence (quotes, etc.) that fits into each of the three phases of the story mentioned in your thesis statement, and choose the two pieces of evidence for each phase of the story that will best illustrate your point. 

 

  • Decide what commentary you could use to explain why your evidence illustrates your point (what does the quote mean in relation to the rest of the story).

Show your worksheet to Riley before you go to the next step.

Finalizing the organization

Setting up the paper

Erase ALL of the red headings on your worksheet.

Writing commentary

BEFORE each quote, write a set up.  It should tell when (at what point of the story) and sometimes where (e.g.in the jungle) the incident/quote takes place. Some examples are:

  • When Rainsford is on the yacht at the beginning of the story…
  • As Rainsford is pursued through the jungle…
  • An incident that illustrates __________ is when…

Then, AFTER each quote, write your commentary.  Commentary should answer the following question:

  • How does this event/quote illustrate your thesis (or how does it show he is attracted to evil, etc.)?

Writing the Conclusion

DO NOT BEGIN YOUR CONCLUSION WITH “In conclusion”!!!!

Your conclusion should summarize your main points and answer one, or both of the following questions (or your own question):

 

  • What does this story say about the nature of good and evil?
  • How are archetypes used to give the story a deeper meaning?

Write your conclusion at the end of your worksheet.  Show this to Riley before you go on to the next step

Writing the Introduction

Now, go back to the introduction.  You have your thesis, but what information needs to come before your thesis?  You need to provide the following information:

·        A “hook” that catches the attention of your audience. This can be a question or statement (perhaps about archetypes or the nature of evil).

·        The name of the author and the title of the story (often in the thesis).

  • Background information that “sets-up” your thesis  

 

Write 2-4 sentences that provide the answers to those questions at the beginning of your worksheet.

Show this to Riley before you go to the next step.

Improving Style and Conventions.

Transitions

For paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 you will need transitions.  Take a look at the first sentence of each of those paragraphs.  That sentence contains your argument and it is your topic sentence.  At the beginning of each topic sentence, use one of the transition words you can find at this site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/02/

Add your transitions and show them to Riley before you go to the next step.

Fragments

Look at every place that Word has underlined in green.  Take a look at the suggestion that Word’s editing assistant offers.  If it says “Fragment, consider revising”, fix it or ask Riley for help.

Spelling

Look at every place that Word has underlined in red.  Fix it and ask for help if you think you do have it right but it is still underlined.

Voice

Formal papers cannot use the words “you” or “your”.  You can use the pronouns “I”, “me”, and “we”.  Scan your paper and fix every sentence that uses any of these no-no pronouns.  If you need help with suggestions, just ask.

Formatting

 

  • You can use the following site to format you bibliography information:

http://citationmachine.net/index.php?callstyle=1&all=

 

Final Review

Show your paper to Riley for a preliminary “edit”.  Make any revisions he suggests

 

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