E11H: Miss Julie Essay Feedback 16

Prompt 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.

Paraphrasing the Prompt You need to choose one character who “appears briefly” or “does not appear at all” You then need to explain how this character “functions” in the work Action (plot) Theme Other characters (characterization)

Depth Plot and characterization are easy You should be striving to analyze the absent character’s affect on the theme and meaning of the play You should consider this question: How would this work (including its theme and meaning) be different without the influence of the absent character?

Observations Many students consider Miss Julie a novel or novella Some students cannot spell “Strindberg” Too many students are still failing to underline the title of the work Many students had difficulty moving from a discussion of plot and characterization to more insightful commentary involving theme, meaning, and the author’s purpose Some students are attempting to force previously chosen themes to fit this prompt with limited results

Observations (2) The Count is probably the strongest choice, but some students chose to analyze Kristine Kristine is present for about 40% of the play Some students had trouble analyzing the absent character as a symbol for something greater (like society’s expectations/barriers, authority, etc.) It should matter that the character is absent, and this absence should add meaning to the work

Performance Miss Julie Essay: 72.2/99 (73%) Metamorphosis Essay: 62.5/90 (69.4%)