1. Critical Lens Essays
THE SCARLET LETTER

2. IN GENERAL--THE TASK You are given a statement about literature
You put that statement into your own words
You agree or disagree with the statement
You support your position with details from 2 works of literature you have read

3. YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Agree or disagree with ONE of the following statements using two works of literature including The Scarlet Letter to support your opinion.
1. “Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength” Henry Ward Beecher
2. “Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure.” William Saroyan

4. REQUIREMENTS Your paper should: 1. Be typed and at least 2 pages long.
2. Provide a clear interpretation of the lens you choose.
3. Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the lens.
4. Discuss 2 works of literature we have studied this year to support your point.
(one must be The Scarlet Letter)
5. Discuss at least 2 different literary techniques to support your argument.
6. Have well developed paragraphs including topic sentences, supporting details, and explanation of details.

5. DUE DATE
Your critical lens essay on The Scarlet Letter will be due:
MONDAY 29 APRIL 2013

6. ORGANIZATION You should have 4 paragraphs Intro
Body 1 (about first text)
Body 2 (about second text)
Conclusion

7. ORGANIZATION Intro A. Lens B. Interpretation C. Agree/Disagree
D. Title, Author, Genre Information

8. INTRO Interpret the lens -- Steps Figure out what the lens means
Think about how it will apply to literature
Put that meaning into your own words
Don’t go word by word and replace with synonyms.

9. INTERPRETING THE LENS “A person is a person through other persons.”
Don’t simply say:
A HUMAN is a HUMAN through other HUMANS.
Think about how it will apply to the literature.
Write an interpretation of this lens that applies to The Scarlet Letter.

10. INTERPRETING THE LENS
When applied to The Scarlet Letter this would work better:
We learn who characters truly are through their relationships with others.
In the novel which characters do we learn about through their relationships with others?

11. Planning your paper
List two characters we learn about through their relationships with others.
CHARACTER RELATIONSHIP LEARN
EVIL
-Pries into soul
-Pretends to help
-Heals physically
-Destroys mentally
CHILLINGWORTH
DIMMEASDALE

12. Agree / Disagree Usually easier to agree
Don’t make reference to yourself.
Combine this with the TAG information
Don’t say “the quote”, “the statement”, “the lens”
Make reference to your interpretation
Agreeable means nice, not that you agree.
Example:
Two works of literature that show how we learn about people from their relationships with others are The Scarlet Letter, a novel by Hawthorne, and The Great Gatsby, a novel by Fitzgerald.

13. Sample Intro
Jordan Baker once said, “A person is a person through other persons.” This means that we find out who characters truly are through their relationships with others. Two works of literature that show how we learn about characters most through their relationships with others are The Scarlet Letter, a novel by Hawthorne and The Great Gatsby, a novel by Fitzgerald.

14. Organization II and III Body Paragraphs A. Topic Sentence (1 sentence)
Should sound like interpretation
Example:
One character that shows how we learn most about characters through their relationships with others is Roger Chillingworth.

15. Body Paragraphs B. Supporting Details (8-10 sentences)
Provide specific details from the text that show what we learn about characters from their relationships with others. Include quotations and literary techniques.
Example:
Chillingworth pries into Dimmesdale’s soul. He destroys Dimmesdale mentally while healing him physically, keeping him alive just so he can torture him more.

16. Literary Techniques
If you can think of nothing else, characterization and conflict will usually work.
Discuss how the CONFLICT between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale supports your point.
Example:
Chillingworth is trying to destroy Dimmesdale to punish him for committing adultery with Hester. This CONFLICT shows Chillingworth to be a bitter and angry old man.

17. Organization C. Explanation of Details (2-3 sentences)
How do the details you have mentioned support the topic sentence of your paragraph?
Example:
The torturous relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale reveals exactly how evil a character Chillingworth has become. He takes advantage of Dimmesdale’s trust only to further torment him.

18. Organization IV. Conclusion Restate thesis Summarize main points
Example:
Characters often learn about themselves through their relationships with others. In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale’s conflict with Chillingworth and Hester’s decision to stay in Boston make it clear that we learn most about characters from their relationships with others.

19. FOR RIGHT NOW: Begin working on your essay: Choose a lens
Interpret the lens
Choose two characters from the novel.
Decide which details will support your point.
Decide which literary techniques you will use to support your point.
BEGIN WRITING.