ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE AND WRITING ABOUT THEM REVISION

REMEMBER THE REQUIREMENTS 1 Character 1 Plot event 1 Setting 2 Conflicts 2 Themes 2 Quotes that show character/personality 2 Symbols 1 Dream

CHARACTER Letter Example Category Citation “M” Mrs. Johnson Character Act II Scene II Page 99-102 Your mielcon-style paragraph must explain why Mrs. Johnson is a significant character. What does she do to contribute to the plot, theme, or conflict, etc?

PLOT EVENT Letter Example Category Citation “B” Beating the rat Plot Event Act I Scene II Page 59 Your mielcon-style paragraph must explain why Travis’s beating of the rat in the alley is a significant event in the story. How does it help us get a better understanding of the story or what does it do to move the plot forward?

SETTING Letter Example Category Citation “L” Lake Shore Drive Setting Act I Scene II Page 73 Your mielcon-style paragraph must explain why Lake Shore Drive or driving a nice car on the Drive is significant. How does it contribute to our understanding of character, theme, and/or conflict?

CONFLICT Remember, you need two of these. Letter Example Category Citation “I” Identifying Heritage Conflict Act I Scene II Page 62 Remember, you need two of these. Your mielcon-style paragraph must explain why Beneatha is conflicted about her identity as an African-American female Chicagoan. How does she identify herself? This is a man vs. self conflict. How does it contribute to our understanding of character, theme, and/or conflict?

THEMES Remember, you need two of these. Letter Example Category Citation “T” Taking a chance makes dreams come true Theme Act I Scene I Page 32 Remember, you need two of these. Remember, themes are statements. Your mielcon-style paragraph must explain why how this theme is evident in the story. How do we (readers) know this is what the author intended to prove with this story?

QUOTES THAT SHOW CHARACTER Letter Example Category Citation “G” “God hasn’t got anything to do with it!” Quote that shows character Act I Scene I Page 51 Remember, you need two of these. Your mielcon-style paragraph will show how your quote exemplifies the character who says it (or whom it is about). In this case, the paragraph would tell me how this statement reflects Beneatha’s value of self-reliance.

SYMBOL Remember, you need two of these. Letter Example Category Citation “C” Couch Symbol Act I Scene I Page 23-24 Remember, you need two of these. Remember, a symbol is something tangible that represents something intangible (a universal idea). Your mielcon-style paragraph will show what this symbol means and why it is significant to the story. For example, the worn couch symbolizes the weariness of the family as they trudge through a world that doesn’t seem to want them to get ahead.

DREAM Letter Example Category Citation “H” Harmony Dream Act I Scene II Page 74-75 Your mielcon-style paragraph will explain whose dream this is and explain why this dream is significant. For example, Ruth dreams of finding “harmony” among her family again and even considers having an abortion as another child will certainly disrupt the family even more now. Why is this significant? It shows what people will go through or consider to achieve their dreams.

MIELCon REMINDERS M= Main Idea sentence I= Introduction to Evidence E= Evidence (Quote) L= Link Con= Concluding sentence

Main idea 1 sentence Technically, someone should be able to disagree with it. The narrator from “My Mother’s Food” is negatively affected by her cultural identity. No first person (I think)

Introduction to Evidence Keep it to no more than 4 lines total Should be made up of two parts: Brief summary of story and “setting scene” or what is happening right before your evidence (quote) Remember SPEAKER TAG/SINGNAL PHRASE (Beneatha says, declares, questions, etc. Remember a COMMA after the “tag” word. Some common signal phrases: states, says, narrates, recalls, asks, wonders, exclaims Do not say, “In the text it says…” or “The evidence to support this is…” Instead, tell me who says or thinks the quoted line. Incorrect: In the text it says “Hamadi liked to use Spanish words.” Correct: The narrator states, “Hamadi liked to use Spanish words.”

Evidence Remember the quote NEEDS to support the main idea or it is not a good quote. Look at both your main idea and your quote. I don’t want them to “relate” I want the quote to be your evidence. Please punctuate this properly. This is a must. We have been through half a year now, and your grade will be significantly affected by your inability to pay attention to small proofing details such as these. The narrator feels that she has been punched in the stomach and states, “Though I liked the sharp taste of garlic and pepper biting my tongue, I stopped eating my mother’s food” (Keller 106).

Link Look at your quote. What does it say? (First sentence of LINK) Good. Now that you have stated what it says, tell me what that means? What does that imply? (Second sentence of LINK) Good. Now that you have told me what it means, now tell me why that matters? Who cares? (Third sentence of LINK) Susan says, “Remember, here in this book—wait and I’ll find it—where Gibran says that loving teaches us the secrets of our hearts and that’s the way we connect to all of Life’s heart? You’re not talking about liking or loving, you’re talking about owning” (Nye 139-140). This quote shows that Susan quotes a Lebanese author in hopes of making sense of the world around her for her sake and Tracy’s. This quote means that when struggling with something, she goes back to the roots of her culture to find meaning. This quote matters because going back to her roots shows that she values it, trusts it, and wants that culture to guide her—even as she lives her life in the middle of America.

Concluding sentence Look at your main idea sentence again. How can you state this idea again? You are simply emphasizing it…remember…the more we repeat something, emphasize something…the more it “sticks” in peoples’ minds.