The Novel Essay

1. The Novel Essay Steps to writing a critical response

2. Writing a critical response to a novel requires careful planning. Following these steps will help you to organise your essay effectively.

3. Using Quotes Short Quotes: …which is evident when Kylie says to Tom, “tell someone who cares, Tom” (Burke, 2005, p. 15). Long Quotes (approx. more than 30 words): -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------which is demonstrated by the quote: “We will leave these words with all of you, the words of a respected citizen of this town, words that seem to represent what so many of us feel – Daniel Brennan was an accident waiting to happen. What a shame his accident happened to others. Our family will be there in court next week, yet no sentence will be long enough” (Burke, 2005, p. 123). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Things to avoid!!!! Avoid personal pronouns – instead of ‘I think...’ state items as fact ‘It is clear that...’ Avoid using words that show gender bias Avoid colloquialisms or slang Use the author’s full name or surname, not their first name The title of the novel should be distinguished in some way (‘inverted commas’ or italics) Do not use headings, sub-headings or dot-points