TKAM Literature Essay Preparing for your essay and beginning it...

Step 1: A Character You first need to select a character. We have looked at: 1.Jem 2.Scout 3.Atticus 4.Boo 5.Mrs Dubose 6.Mayella Which character interests you? Why?

A Question Next, you need to create a question which you think is focused and provides you with an opportunity to explore the character within 1000 words. Characters are very often explored through themes, so consider which themes your character is particularly involved in. List or bullet point them Make it a ‘How’ question. It should be open enough to allow exploration. Variation might be ‘To what extent...’ or ‘What is the importance of...’ List 2 or 3 questions you think you might like to answer.

Suggestions if you are really stuck 1.How is Boo important to the novel ? 2.How are we shown the children learning through the character of Jem in the novel? 3.How do Chapters 9 and 10 characterise the parenting of Atticus? 4.Why are we shown the episode with Mrs Dubose in Chpt 10? 5.Is Mayella a character to be pitied or condemned? 6.How does the narrative of Scout create a sense of Childhood innocence in the novel?

So you have your question! What now?... PLAN! What will you focus on in your essay? You want 3 or 4 main paragraphs, which suggests 3 or 4 main foci for your essay, one for each paragraph... What will they be? Your introduction should answer the question and provide the reader (me) with a clear understanding of HOW you will answer it. Try to develop a clear thesis statement, followed by a summary of the foci you feel answer your essay.

Thesis Statement In this essay, I am going to answer the question how are children and adolescents significant to the meaning of two or more works you have studied by focusing on two texts. These two texts are Things fall Apart and Fahrenheit 451. Both of these texts contain children or adolescents who are very important to the meaning of these novels. They highlight certain themes and the character of the protagonist in the texts. Children and adolescents are particularly important in the novels Things Fall Apart and Fahrenheit 451. Through their interaction with the main characters we see key themes and characteristics highlighted. In F451 the character of Clarisse is central when considering the transformation of Montag, while at the same time, her references to other adolescents in the novel further highlight the dystopian nature of this society. In TFA children take on a different role. Through Okonkwo’s interaction with Ikemifuna, Nwoye and Ezinma we are made fully aware of his character, how it is shaped by the fear of being weak and how his inability to change leads to his downfall. Which of the above is better? Why?

Another example of an Introductory Paragraph Each of the two plays presents us with a patriarchal society and places female characters at its centre in order to criticize/explore some of the values inherent in the societies. In Medea, Medea subverts patriarchal society and this results in the male characters appearing weak and foolish while she is allowed to carry out her deadly plans. In Streetcar, Blanche is vulnerable from the start and it is clear that Stanley rules this manly environment. Contextually, both authors are questioning the society they are presenting, the patriarchal men appear stupid as Medea is free to act on ‘manly virtues’ which lead to nothing but suffering and loss, while in Streetcar Williams presents a lost and vulnerable Romantic, unable to deal with reality and eventually destroyed by this harsh, modern, industrial, patriarchal society…

And one more… Mayella is a figure both to be condemned for her accusation of Tom Robinson, yet at the same time one can feel some sympathy for her as we discover details of her life with her father. She broke no law in trying to seduce Tom Robinson, but as Atticus points out in his summation, she was guilty of breaking a ‘time honoured code’ which ‘came crashing down upon her’. The result of her actions is the false accusation of rape, the trial and eventual death of Tom Robinson. While she should be condemned for this we are shown a more vulnerable, pitiable side to Mayella through the testimony of both her and of Tom Robinson. She is a lonely, unloved girl who does not know what it is to have friends or kiss a man other than her father. She is more complex than we might initially believe and this is shown to us in several ways.

Your Essay Introduction... Explained in the previous slides. Main 1 Main 2 Main 3 Main 4 Conclusion.

Main Paragraphs 1 Begin a paragraph with a simple sentence or simple statement which clearly outlines the focus of the paragraph. Look at the following example from a play you are unfamiliar with: Medea constantly undermines male characters in the play.

Following the opening line... Despite appearing weak early in the play, crying and wailing, her words suggest that she is manipulative, someone to be feared. This is made very clear in her first meeting with a male figure, in this case Creon. She subjugates herself to his male authority during the conversation. She does this firstly through her language, when she pleads to him for ‘mercy’. Further on in the conversation, as Creon attempts to remain strong, she kneels in front of him. This places her beneath him physically. Furthermore, she refers to herself as ‘just a woman’, while attempting to persuade him to let her stay. All of this is rewarded by Creon letting her stay one more day. She has manipulated him. As she states after the meeting ‘one more day is all I need’. She has used her perceived position as a woman to gain the advantage and carry out her plans of murder. This manipulation is not just limited to Creon, Both Aegeus and Jason are both manipulated by this clever female character who possesses a sharp mind, is a gifted speaker and is driven by the manly virtues of Justice, honour and revenge.

Ending your paragraph... Add a final sentence or two which brings the paragraph full circle, summarizing what you have just developed. Creon’s, Aegeus’ and Jason’s position as powerful men is undermined through Media’s clever deception. The writer is asking questions of this patriarchal society. Note the simple sentence used to finish...

Main Paragraphs You should have 3 or 4 separate foci, one for each paragraph. Each one should enable you to develop your answer, refer closely to the text and relate directly to the question. Paragraphs should be linked in order to make sure that it is not just a succession of separate points. They should be working together... So use linking phrases... Later in the novel... Or, in addition to this... Or, As well as the description of...

Conclusion This should not simply restate your entire essay. It should summarise key points you have made and restate the main understanding you have arrived at during the essay. What do you feel you have shown? You might reflect upon the most helpful focus in when answering the question.