summer reading review and Test 1, Fri, 9/5

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Bring books for summer reading review, Wed—Thur, 9/3—4
Preparation for test 1 on Fri, 9/5
1) Groups of 3—4 students equally divide the chapters of the novel;

2) Groups…
a) list all the characters in the chapter(s);

b) label each character’s role respective to the plot (for example,
rather than 20-yr. Old female, 100 lbs., brown hair, brown eyes, try
instead the king’s good, honest daughter who tries to help her
father);

c) create a one-sentence summary of the chapter’s most significant
aspects;

d) select 2—3 sentences reflective of both the chapter’s and the
entire novel’s themes;

3) Groups make a poster-size outline of steps 1 & 2 then present work
to class.
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As discussed for persuasive essays on non-fiction topics, thesis =
topic + opinion
When writing on literature, it is often helpful to distinguish theme ≈
vehicle + tenor

In this fashion, literature’s theme ≈ vehicle (the issue of focus, the
words on the page, the literary devices that carry the meaning) +
tenor (author’s intended meaning). It is important to remember that
vehicles can be presented symbolically and tenors can be conveyed
ironically.

Student’s thesis in essays on literature can still be expressed as
topic + opinion, but the topic is often a theme from the literature.
The students’ opinion on the literature is explained as the opinion
half of the students’ thesis. Typical approaches evaluate the
literature's literary aesthetics (the artistic beauty) and the theme’s
philosophical profundity (importance of meaning);

The thesis and argument of a 4—6 ¶ essay on literature can be outlined
thus:

Topic: important theme of entire work of literature
vehicle:
+
tenor:

Opinion: judgment of the literature’s…
literary aesthetics:
&
philosophical profundity:

ex. 1, brief quote 1:
explication of how quote helps convey theme:


ex. 2, brief quote 2:
explication of how quote helps convey theme:


ex. 3: brief quote 3:
explication of how quote helps convey theme:


ex. 4: brief quote 4:
explication of how quote helps convey theme:
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Test 1: Summer reading test
Friday, September 5

Explicate brief quotes from the summer reading that reflect an
important of the novel as a whole. Two—three quotes should have been
selected by the student previous to this test, and the other two—three
quotes should be taken from a set of quotes provided by the
instructor.

Construct a thesis in the fashion described in class, summarized as
follows: As the topic for the thesis, identify how the various
passages reflect the vehicle(s) and tenor of one of the novel’s major
themes. As the opinion for the thesis, evaluate the work’s aesthetic
value and philosophical profundity.

In the introduction, state the thesis and briefly list how the various
quotes selected reflect the theme of the novel. The body of the essay
(2—4 ¶s) should explain the selected quotes.

To explain quotes, these boxed ideas may be useful but are not all
required:
Identify the basic elements of who, when/where, what, and why in the
following senses:
Who—speaker (not necessarily the author), other characters;
Where/when—setting;
What—Vehicle(s) (analogous to topic of an essay’s thesis);
Why—Tenor, novel’s suggestions on truth, beauty, or other profound
beliefs or feelings
(comparable to the opinion of an essay’s thesis).
Context—Identify the importance of the passage to the story as a whole

It may also be helpful to consider as well how organizational patterns
such as the following help deliver the novel’s meaning:
Rhetorical techniques of persuasion, narration, or emotion;
Logical or emotional sequences or singularities;
Syntactic structures such as asyndeton, amphiboly, aposiopesis, or
chiasmus;
Diction choices of amelioration or pejoration, connotations,
allusions, or etymological suggestions;
Imagery (visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, savory, or other) as
aesthetic or informative;
Irony (verbal/situational; dramatic; Socratic/dialectical; facetious/
sarcastic; syntactically ambiguous;
meta-ironic/farcical/parodying; tragic; cosmic; absurd/paradoxical;
theatrical (audience=frame);
detached/objective; understated (litotes, meiotes<->hyperbole));
Metaphoric, symbolic, or other conceptual representations.

To conclude, briefly restate the major theme’s vehicle(s) and tenor
discussed in the essay and your judgment of the novel’s aesthetic and
philosophical value. End with your recommendations on who might most
appreciate such literature and why.
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Test 1 grading rubric Four categories, up to one point each; Top
score = 4
4 = Exceeds standards 2 = Partially meets standards
3 = Meets standards 1 = Does not meet standards

_____ Complete essay of at least 4—6 paragraphs, with clear
introduction, body, and conclusion, expressed in formal academic
register mainly free of grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors;

_____ Thesis topic identifies how 4—6 brief quotes of Shelley’s
Frankenstein (9th graders), Garcia-Marquez’ Love in the time of
Cholera (10th graders) or Dostoevsky’s Crime and punishment (12th
graders) reflect a major theme (theme ≈ vehicle(s) + tenor) of the
novel as a whole; thesis opinion evaluates the novel’s aesthetic value
and philosophical profundity;

_____ 1—2 body paragraphs support thesis by explaining in detail how 2
—3 brief quotes previously selected by the student help convey the
theme (vehicle(s) + tenor) of the novel;

_____ 1—2 body paragraphs support thesis by explaining in detail how 2
—3 brief quotes taken from a set of quotes provided by the instructor
help convey the theme (vehicle(s) + tenor) of the novel.

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Please follow this link (http://www.snorko.org/test1notes.pdf) to
notes on and two examples of test 1.