Writers Workshop Day 1 Using Evidence from the Text

Writers Workshop Day 1 Using Evidence from the Text

Today we'll see... Three ways use evidence from the text. Three ways to incorporate quotes.

Way One, Summarizing: Using the ideas from a key event or series of events without the exact words.

Summary: Holden walked to the Museum of Natural History and on the way thought of how all the exhibits in their glass cases never changed (122 Little). Wishing one could stick certain things in those cases is yet another way Holden wants to hang onto an idealized past rather than allowing things to grow and change.

Way Two, Specific Details: A word or two from the text used to give concrete support for your idea. Adds credibility. Gives a flavor of the language.

Specific Details: Sammy's descriptions of the A & P present a setting that is ugly, monotonous and rigid. The fluorescent light is as blandly cool as the “checkerboard green-and-cream rubber tile floor” (486). The dehumanizing routine is suggested by Sammy's offhand references to shoppers as “sheep.” The “usual traffic” moves in only one direction, and everything is categorized in tidy aisles (485).

Way Three, Direct Quotations: Ain't nothing like the real thing. Use only what's necessary.

Direct Quotations. Holden is very compassionate. He goes out of his way to point out to Stradlater: “Jane had a lousy childhood. I'm not kidding” (32), thus showing his concern for and fascination with children.

Direct quotations can get crazy... ...so there are three basic ways to format them.

1: Use a comma after a speaking word like “said” or “explains.” The climax of the novel comes during a fight between Marjane and her mother when Marjane says, “You are the Guardian of the Revolution of this house!”(113). Marjane directly compares her mother to the oppressive government and paints herself as a revolutionary and victim of cruelty.

2: Use a colon if you don't use a speaking word directly before the quote. Later in the story, Marjane becomes fed up with God: “Shut up, you! Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again! GET OUT!”(70). Marjane rejects her faith and the ultimate comforting presence of her childhood, a break that leaves her feeling lost and without a clear identity.

Use a colon for a quote longer than four lines. The first paragraph introduces the reader to a narrator who is very negative: If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born. and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. (1)

3: Use no punctuation if you are embedding the quote into your sentence. After Marjane learns of the water torture her grandfather endured, she wants to take a long bath to “know what it felt like to be in a cell filled with water.” She describes her hands as “wrinkled…like Grandpa’s” when she got out (25). This is an example of Marjane losing her innocence, a recurring theme throughout Persepolis.

Hold up. What's wrong with this use of evidence? Holden walked to the Museum of Natural History and on the way thought of how all the exhibits in their glass cases never changed. (122 Little) Wishing one could stick certain things in those cases is yet another way Holden wants to hang onto an idealized past rather than allowing things to grow and change.

How 'bout this one? Sammy's descriptions of the A & P present a setting that is ugly, monotonous and rigid. The fluorescent light is as blandly cool as the “checkerboard green-and-cream rubber tile floor (486).” The dehumanizing routine is suggested by Sammy's offhand references to shoppers as “sheep.” The “usual traffic” moves in only one direction, and everything is categorized in tidy aisles (485).

The climax of the novel comes during a fight between Marjane and her mother when Marjane says “You are the Guardian of the Revolution of this house!”(113). Marjane directly compares her mother to the oppressive government and paints herself as a revolutionary and victim of cruelty.

After Marjane learns of the water torture her grandfather endured, she wants to take a long bath to, “know what it felt like to be in a cell filled with water”. (25) She describes her hands as “wrinkled…like Grandpa’s” when she got out. This is an example of Marjane losing her innocence, a recurring theme throughout Persepolis.

Finally, as you get started, an easy formula for writing an analysis paragraph around your evidence: Context (what’s going on in the story prior) + Quotation (your awesome textual evidence) + Commentary (your brilliant, analytical thoughts about what it means)

Writers Workshop Day 2 Crafting a Formidable Thesis

First, the technicalities...

An effective thesis should... Succinctly offer the scope and direction of the paper. Contain the author's and text's names. Be at the end of your introduction.

A thesis has two parts: The aspects/devices/categories you're writing about. + Your original thoughts/conclusions about the author's intentions.

A Basic Thesis Formula: [Author and title] uses [literary element] to show/express/argue [your interpretation of meaning]

In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Daisy to articulate the captivating yet illusory quality of the American Dream.

In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Daisy to articulate the captivating yet illusory quality of the American Dream.

Second, the secret... (shhh)

A powerful (“A” quality) thesis must be: --Arguable. --Provable. The good thesis “Goldilocks” zone: Too Obvious Just Right Too Hard to Prove Provocative yet Defensible

How 'bout these thesis statements? In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses the Wicker Bar to show that the drinking age should be lowered. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses Pencey Prep to show that Holden has an propensity for failing out of schools. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses the broken record to examine the futility of holding onto shattered dreams.

Thesis Hall of Fame: Mishima uses Noboru Kuroda, who desires a return of the past, in The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea to protest the western pressure pushing Japan to modernize and change its values. The imagery in Dylan Thomas's poem “Fern Hill” reveals the ambiguity of our relationship with nature. Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American ideals, one must leave ‘civilized’ society and go back to nature.

So let's do this thing. On Monday, you will pull ONE out of the possible SIX essay questions from a hat to write on. By the end of class today, you should have written a thesis for all six questions. Ask for help/approval.

TIP: A thesis statement should never ever contain the following: in my opinion, I think, I believe, etc. However, it may be helpful to begin your thesis statement rough draft with in my opinion, I believe, or I think to make sure you are expressing your thoughts or opinion on a specific subject or issue. When writing the final draft, simply eliminate those phrases.

Writers Workshop Day 1 Using Evidence from the Text