GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR WRITING
A CRITICAL ESSAY

 

In the critical essay, I am looking primarily for your ability to synthesize scholarly criticism with your own analysis in a well-organized, well-supported four-to-five-page essay. You should generate a stimulating thesis sentence that controls and unifies your development of supporting evidence. You should generate sufficiently broad topic sentences under which you can arrange in an orderly and sensible way the sequence of your ideas along with the textual evidence to support your thesis. Use the writing suggestions in the write stuff and in the other sources listed on this web site as you revise (and revise). You should document your sources accurately and review the accepted techniques of writing about literature, using a recent edition of a college handbook. As in any research paper, of course, you should take care to organize your notes, however painstaking this chore is, differentiating always your paraphrases from your quotations. Assume that I know the work; offer analysis, not summary. Stay in literary (present) tense when "in the work."

Because you will be "living with" your subject for a while, select a topic that interests you. You should, in other words, WANT to learn more about it. Then, once you have gained a better idea of the nature of critical essays, and once you have settled on your subject, you will begin your search of criticisms (and perhaps even biographical material) related to your thesis. Check both the contents AND the indexes of the works that you locate for their relevance to YOUR interests. Then too, peruse the bibliographies for possible references to additional works that relate to your subject, references that may refute or support your hypothesis. Because you will more than likely find more material than you can use in a brief paper, select your quoted/paraphrased material judiciously. Do not "pad" your excerpts; rather, keep them interesting and relevant. In addition to your primary source, you are to include at least THREE excerpts (quotations or paraphrases) from at least THREE authors (no "length requirement" here).   In this manner, you are lending authority to your paper.  (Failure to include three secondary sources will result in a failing grade.)

See me for procedures to document reserve documents in your paper.

Yes, you will experience those moments of despair, but they too will cease once your essay takes shape--unless, of course, you wait until the eve of the essay's "due date" to begin. Look over the links suggested in your syllabus early in the process.

Please discuss your topic with me once you have completed your preliminary research--and certainly before you start your initial draft. You may even offer your thesis statement to me in advance, either in class or by electronic mail.

On reserve (request by course number and assigned title) the following resources that include both professional and student essays, various criticism, and copies of short stories. Ask for them by course number (Engl 2332, 2342, 2343, et cetera).

I look forward to reading your work!

BOOKS BY TITLE:

Writing Themes About Literature

A Short Guide to Writing About Literature

St. Martin's Guide to Writing

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

 

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