National 5 Critical Essay Revision

Review Understanding the question Planning your response Structuring paragraphs Conclusions Practice

Question Types You can answer a question in one of the following sections: Prose (short story/novel) Poetry Drama Media You need only answer ONE question which must be on a text studied in class.

Critical Essay Writing An effective Critical Essay must: -Be interesting, original and organised. -Have a strong introduction, followed by 4-6 relevant points that strengthen your argument, summed up by an effective conclusion. -Be relevant – pick and choose your key points -Clear line of thought -Analyse and evaluate literary techniques used -Work as a response to the task you have chosen. (Answer the question!)

Writing a Critical Essay: 1.Start by selecting the question which is most relevant to the text you have studied. Read all the question options to be sure you have made the right choice. If you would struggle to make your text fit the question, it is not the best one so choose another that will fit without difficulty.

Writing a Critical Essay -Understanding the Question The most important thing to do is make sure you understand the question. You can write the best essay in the world but if it does not answer the question then you fail. The box above the questions tell you what you should do to answer the question in general before the actual question gets specific. It lays out the different techniques that you should mention. You will never be able to reference them all but you should try and include as many of them as possible. The easiest to write about have been put into bold. By constantly referring to these techniques, you should avoid simply re-telling the story which results in FAILURE.

The Box Answers to questions on Poetry should refer to the text and to such relevant features as word choice, tone, imagery, structure, content, rhythm, rhyme, theme, sound, ideas... Answers to questions on prose fiction should address relevantly the central concern(s)/theme(s) of the text(s) and be supported by reference to appropriate techniques of prose fiction such as: characterisation, setting, key incident(s), narrative technique, symbolism, structure, climax, plot, atmosphere, dialogue, imagery... Answers to questions on Film and Television Drama should refer to the text and to such relevant features as use of camera, key sequence, characterisation, mise-en-scène, editing, setting, music/sound, special effects, plot, dialogue...

Writing a Critical Essay 2. Read the question very carefully and highlight or underline the key words and phrases in the question. This is to help you focus on the purpose of the question so that you construct an essay which answers the task relevantly. Relevance to the task is one of the key criteria on which your essay will be marked. 3. Jot down some brief notes relevant to the key words and phrases you have highlighted. Make sure these notes are appropriate references, examples and points to respond to the question.

The Question Choose a novel or short story which features a relationship between two characters which is confrontational or corrosive. Describe how the relationship is portrayed and discuss to what extent the nature of the relationship influences your understanding of the text as a whole. This is a prose critical essay question. To answer this question you must do the following: 1.Describe how the confrontational/corrosive relationship is portrayed. 2.Explain how the relationship increases your understanding of the text 3.Use the techniques from “The Box” in your analysis 4.DO NOT re-tell the story.

Example Below is a poetry question. How would you go about answering it? Think of at least 3 key points you would make in your essay. Choose a poem which describes an unhappy or negative experience. Briefly describe the experience and explain how the poet has used poetic techniques to suggest unhappy or negative feelings.

Key Points Box Room The “welcoming” by the mother Description of the room Realisation that perhaps the relationship isn’t going to last Revelation Innocence of the girl Description of the bull Reaction after seeing the bull

Introductions: Opening paragraph must include: Text Author Genre Link to Question Summary Have a go at writing an introduction for this essay question: Choose a poem which describes an unhappy or negative experience. Briefly describe the experience and explain how the poet has used poetic techniques to suggest unhappy or negative feelings.

Introduction ‘ Box Room’ by Liz Lochhead is a poem which describes the negative experience of the encounter between a girl (speaker) and her boyfriend’s mother when she visits to stay for the weekend. The girlfriend spends time in the ‘box room’ of the title (the boyfriend’s old bedroom). The poem describes her encounter with the boyfriend’s mother, as well as her observations when in the room. Through its first-person account of the girl’s stay, the poem suggests that her surroundings affect her deeply, undermining the confidence she had about her relationship and reducing her to doubt. The ending suggests that the girl realises her boyfriend is not who she thought he was, and that the relationship cannot continue. Lochhead successfully conveys the unsettling emotions of this experience through a number of techniques including: the use of parenthesis, word choice, metaphor, oxymoron and questions.

Structure Your Answer The main body of your essay should follow this structure: -Topic sentence (at the start of each paragraph Point Evidence Explain/Analysis (You might have several PEAs/PEEs within a paragraph) -Reference back to the question (at the end of the paragraph)

Example Question Choose a poem which describes an unhappy or negative experience. Briefly describe the experience and explain how the poet has used poetic techniques to suggest unhappy or negative feelings

Point This is where you make a point that is relevant to the question. Example By the end of the second verse, the strong defiant tone of the first verse slips into doubt as the girl begins to question her relationship.

Evidence This is where you provide evidence to back up your POINT. The easiest way to do this is with a quote (keep it short and simple!) Example She is left feeling like her relationship is hanging in the balance: “my position / is precarious”.

Analysis This is where you get your marks. Markers love good analysis which shows a real insight into the text. You should analyse your point in detail. Example This use of enjambment is effective emphasises her sense of uneasiness. Although she is literally talking about her position: being in the box room, the clever use of the line break conveys a different idea too. Placing the word “position” at the end of the line literally puts it in a ‘precarious’ place on the page – hanging off the end of the line. This reflects what it describes; it mirrors how the girl feels her place in the relationship is uncertain and could be about to end.

Reference back to the question This is a very simple part but it stops you from wandering off course and writing things that are not relevant to the question. After every section, refer back to the wording of the question. Example Here, Lochhead is successful in depicting a very negative experience – the realisation that perhaps this relationship is not as strong as she originally thought. Not only does her stay in the box room make her feel uncomfortable in the boyfriend’s house, it also makes her feel uncomfortable in the relationship.

Conclusions Final paragraph must: o bring your line of thought/argument to a conclusion o including referring back to the task to show you have kept the question in mind and constructed your essay as a relevant response to what it asks. o Not bring any new points into the essay

Sample conclusion In conclusion, while this poem appears to be a straightforward description of an insignificant experience, it is made clear that the events described have had a major impact on the speaker, turning the emotional task of meeting potential in-laws into an unsettling and wholly negative experience. Through her use of [list the techniques you have mentioned] Lochhead creates a dramatic and unsettling picture of a relationship breaking down. The message of the poem is clearly that someone’s background and past are an important part of their character, and that the past can affect the present in many ways. In the opening stanza the reader sides with the speaker, admiring her strength of character and wit when in conflict with the mother. By the end of the poem, our sympathy has been cemented as we fully appreciate the speaker’s vulnerabilities exposed as she is left feeling uncertain of the future.

Useful evaluative phrases Shows Suggests Hints Indicates Demonstrates Implies Gives the impression of/that... Illustrates Evokes Conjures up the idea of... Creates a feeling of... Brings to mind...

Practice makes perfect! Choose one of the essay questions below and practice using the PEAR structure. This should give you an idea of your timing and relevance to the question. 1. Choose a poem in which setting is an important feature. By referring to poetic techniques, show how setting contributes to your appreciation of the poem as a whole. 2. Choose a poem which makes you think more deeply about an aspect of life. By referring to poetic techniques, show how the poet explores this aspect of life. 3. Choose a scene or sequence from a film or television drama* which creates a particular feeling or emotion. By referring to appropriate techniques, explain how the director leads you to feel this way. 4. Choose a film or television drama* which has a character who is admirable and/or unpleasant. By referring to appropriate techniques, explain how the character is presented in the film/television drama* as a whole.