By Rachel Carson English II Literature Textbook pp. 155-164 “The Marginal World” By Rachel Carson English II Literature Textbook pp. 155-164

Author’s Purpose An author’s purpose is his or her main reason for writing. An author may seek to inform, explain, persuade, describe, or entertain. He or she may also have more than one purpose. If an author’s primary purpose is to inform or persuade, the author presents a thesis – the main point or argument about the subject. To explain and prove the thesis, the author supplies support: evidence, facts, and other details confirming the thesis. Beyond argument and support, authors can achieve purpose through their tone – their use of language to convey an attitude toward their topic. Word choice, sentence length, and complexity contribute to an author’s tone.

Cause and Effect A cause is an event, an action, or a situation that makes something happen. An effect is the event that results. TO analyze cause and effect, determine which events cause which effects. Reread passages to determine whether some events in a sequence are the reason that other events happen. Look for cause-and-effect terms such as because, as a result, for that reason, and so on.

Critical thinking – Page 164 Answer all four questions in this section. Be certain to support your responses with evidence from the text. This will be taken as a daily grade.