Between Friday and the exam period, you will have plenty of time to outline and write your critical lens essay. However, you should be sure to read over the assignment sheet, choose a quotation, and jot down some ideas on a notecard to bring with you to class. You are also welcome to bring the literature you are using if you would like to; see me if you need a copy of a book.

Critical Lens Essay

Please write an analytical essay in which you discuss two works of literature that we read this year from the particular perspective of one of the statements (critical lenses) provided below (choose one). You may use any two pieces of literature, but at least one must be from 2nd semester.

Critical Lenses:

a. “All literature is protest. You can’t name a single [piece of literature] that isn’t protest.” –Richard Wright

b. “What lasts is what is written. We look to literature to find the essence of an age.” –Peter Brodie

c. “Great literature is chiefly the product of inquiring minds in revolt against the immovable certainties of the nation.” –H.L. Mencken

d. “The problems of the human heart in conflict with itself…alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about…” –William Faulkner

e. “It is the responsibility of the writer to expose our many grievous faults and failures and to hold up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams, for the purpose of improvement.” –John Steinbeck

In your essay, provide a valid interpretation of the chosen statement, agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it, and support your opinion using specific references to appropriate literary elements from the two pieces of literature.

Structure: The clearest way to organize your essay is as follows…
Paragraph 1: Discuss interpretation of quote and whether you agree/disagree (remember not to use “I”!). Introduce the two pieces of literature that you will discuss.
Paragraph 2: Discuss one piece of literature as it relates to the quote
Paragraph 3: Discuss a second piece of literature as it relates to the quote
Paragraph 4: Wrap it up

A strong essay will:
•    Make a strong argument in connecting the two pieces of literature to the statement (your thesis will argue either that the statement is valid as shown in (A) and (B) or that the statement is not valid as shown in (A) and (B) or, for a more complex essay, some combination of the two)).
•    Avoid plot summary and focus instead of the kinds of literary devices employed by the authors
•    Make very specific references that show a comprehensive understanding of each piece of literature (you do not need quotations, but you should be using very specific examples)
•    Illustrate a strong grasp of essay writing skills such as topic sentences, transitions, thesis, etc.
•    Show strong organizational skills such as clear topic sentences (remember, mini arguments!) and transitions
•    Employ clear language, effective punctuation, and attention to detail.

Literature We’ve Studied:
First Semester:
“A&P” by John Updike
“Daughter of Invention” by Julia Alvarez
“After You, My Dear Alphonse” by Shirley Jackson
“Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway
“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor
“Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Second Semester:
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley
Do the Right Thing directed by Spike Lee
Protest Literature (a series of essays, letters, etc.)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

PRE-ESSAY: In order to prepare to write your essay in class, you should give some serious thought to which critical lens you want to use and which two pieces of literature. You may write down an outline and/or some ideas for your essay on a 3 x 5 index card. The only resources you may use to write your essay are this handout and the notecard.

Once you are in class working on the essay, you may want to do a more detailed rough outline or draft. You will have looseleaf to do so, but make sure your final essay ends up in the blue book.

POST-ESSAY:

Before you turn in your essay, please check for the following. You have plenty of time; don’t rush to turn it in!

•    Did you denote the titles of the pieces of literature properly?
•    Is at least one piece of literature from the second semester list?
•    Did you give each paragraph a mini argument as a topic sentence (ie, not a plot element)?
•    Did you use VERY specific evidence from each piece of literature and go beyond plot?
•    Did you write legibly?

B block:

Students presenting Friday, 6/19

Lucy, Dixie, Leigh, Ben, Jon, Tim, Jacqui

Students presenting Wednesday, 6/24

Will, David B., Josh, Chris, Griffin, Morgan, Andie, Leslie, John, Stephen, Sofia, David R., Cook, Bryan

H Block:

Students presenting Friday, 6/19

Ellie, Addie, Sara, Sophie, Liz, Connor

Students presenting Monday, 6/22

Grant, Lindsey, Kyle, Bo, Melissa, Patrick, Brianna, Jamie, Tyara, Ben, Stephen

CULMINATING CREATIVE PROJECT

As part of your final PBA (performance-based assessment), you will be presenting a creative project that imaginatively connects The Great Gatsby to another work of literature that we have studied this year.

You have a lot of freedom to draw on your talents and interests to create something unique (although there are some suggestions below if you need them); however, your project must be based around an argument (thesis statement) that connects The Great Gatsby thematically to another work that we studied this year.

Texts to choose from:
•    The Catcher in the Rye
•    The Bean Trees
•    The Crucible
•    The Autobiography of Malcolm X
•    Do the Right Thing
We also studied a variety of short stories early in the year, and several different pieces of protest literature during the protest unit. You are free to use one of these as well.

Possible Topics:
•    The American Dream (or dreams in general)
•    Divisions in American Society (class, race, gender, etc.)
•    Illusions and Reality (the way things seem vs. how they really are)
•    Rebellion/Individuality and Conformity
•    Identity (as an individual, as an American, etc.)
•    The Role and Responsibility of the Individual in Society
•    Etc….

Project Ideas:
•    A painting, collage, mural, sculpture, or other visual piece of art
•    A diorama or mobile
•    A photo album
•    A scrapbook or “memory box”
•    A collection of letters or diary entries written in the voices of characters
•    A comic book
•    A collection of original poems or songs
•    A short piece of fiction

There are very few guidelines as to what form/medium your project should take, but I would be happy to help you brainstorm ideas with you.

Artist’s Statement:
Your project, whatever form it takes, must be accompanied by a carefully written, thoughtful, explanatory artist’s statement of at least one page that describes the choices you made in your piece and what significance these choices have. It must also state the argument you are making with your piece and how it is supported by The Great Gatsby and one other piece of literature. Try to go beyond plot! Your project, accompanied by the artist’s statement, should reveal your knowledge and understanding of the two pieces of literature, as well as your thoughts on the overarching themes of the year.

Remember, your creative project will be presented as part of your final performance-based assessment! You will receive a grade for the project, which will be averaged into your 4th quarter grade; it will also count as part of your grade for your final. (Rubrics to follow…)

It is due on the date of your presentation (either Friday, 6/19, Monday, 6/22 (H block), or Wednesday, 6/24 (B block).

An outline or summary of your idea is due on Monday, 6/15

As promised, here is some further information on your upcoming final PBA as well as a comprehensive schedule of the next few weeks. I’m providing this so that you can plan ahead, manage your time wisely, and produce your absolute best work to end sophomore year with a blast.

PBA Components:

1.    In-Class Critical Lens Essay (40%): This will be similar to the essay that you wrote for the midterm in January. You will be provided with a quotation and some guidelines ahead of time and you will be allowed to prepare one small notecard to use for your essay. You will need to analyze two pieces of literature from the year through the critical lens, one of which will be from 2nd semester.

2.    Portfolio Presentation (60%): You will present your portfolio (see components below) to me in a brief one-on-one conference. Your presentation and the materials of your portfolio will be assessed based on a rubric.

•    Revised creative or personal piece of writing
Options include:
How I Learned to Read
Short Story (in which you included two characters from the stories we read)
This I Believe
•    Revised analytical piece of writing
Options include:
Catcher in the Rye/Bean Trees essay
Do the Right Thing/MLK/Malcolm X essay
Protest Letter
•    Creative Project
This project will make a connection between The Great Gatsby and one other piece of literature that we studied this year. You will be able to choose any medium you like; see the assignment sheet for details.
•    Cover Letter
A key ingredient of your portfolio, this letter reflects on the items you chose to include in your portfolio as well as your learning over the course of the year. Further guidelines will be distributed.

If you were absent and need a copy of the outline sheet, please email me at jchrest@colonial.net and I’ll send you one.

Beyond this, you should be working on revising and/or putting together your creative project.

If you have a few ideas, you can write them all down, but you must have at least one idea in writing.

Also remember that the optional revision of your protest letter is due next class. Be sure you have highlighted or in some way indicated any changes that you made.

As always, see me if you need help and/or have questions about any of my comments on your letter.