Comprehensive Examination in English – Session Two, Part B

Plan of Action for Writing the Essay

Step 1. Read the critical lens.

Step 2. Consider the meaning of the critical lens. Specifically, look for individual ideas or topics which are suggested by the statement, and any relationships between those ideas which the statement implies. Then, consider which books you have read that might best illustrate the overall concept.

Step 3. Formulate your thesis. What does the critical lens suggest that literature is or does? Your thesis will state that two books fit that description or do that particular thing. Ignore the instruction to “agree or disagree” with the critical lens. Your thesis statement, that the two books actually do what the critical lens suggests they do, indicates your agreement. If you “disagree,” then your thesis should state that the books do the opposite thing, or some other thing which makes the critical lens’ suggestion impossible. Either way, the thesis cannot contain a negation.

Step 4. Write the Introduction (first ¶).

a. Restate the critical lens as a complete sentence: [Author] wrote, “[critical lens].”

b. Discuss the ideas and relationships suggested by the critical lens. Begin the discussion directly; do not begin with anything resembling “What this statement means is…” The discussion should take several sentences to explore these ideas and lead to the main, controlling idea. Do not merely rephrase or re-word the statement, or attempt to “translate English into English.”

c. The next-to-last sentence should contain the controlling idea itself.

d. End the paragraph with your thesis statement:

[TAG, first book] and [TAG, second book] both [do what the critical lens suggests].

Step 5. Write the first Discussion ¶ (second ¶ of essay).

a. Begin with the essential statement, i.e., a brief identification and summary of the book; explain what it is and what it’s essentially about in 1-2 sentences.

b. Make a general statement of how the text supports your thesis.

c. Analyze the book, identifying at least two specific literary elements that help prove your thesis. In other words, explain and illustrate how the text does what your thesis says it does. Assume the reader has not read the book; provide enough context, but do not write a lengthy plot summary. Always support general contentions with specific textual evidence.

d. The concluding sentence should make a direct, explicit connection between the text and your thesis.

Step 6. Write the second Discussion ¶ (third ¶ of essay).

Repeat Step 5, writing about the other book.

Step 7. Write the Conclusion (fourth ¶ of essay). Read everything you’ve written up to now, and ask yourself: “So?” Your answer becomes your conclusion. In other words, try to find some real-world significance to your discussion of the topic and passages, something the reader can learn from your essay.

Step 8. Read your essay carefully; revise and edit. Most of the time, students score at least a point lower than they might have by neglecting to read what they’ve written and improve upon it by adding ideas, eliminating irrelevancies and correcting language errors. Reading, revising and editing can add at least a full point to your score (one full letter grade).