How to Critique Literature
Read the literature carefully., Create a graphic organizer., Think about the literal meaning., Think about what the author might be suggesting about society or humanity., Form a thesis statement., Locate evidence in the literature to support your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Read the literature carefully.
You start a critique not when you sit down to write the essay, but when you sit down to read the work of literature.
Ask yourself why the characters do the things they do in all works of literature, whether novels, short stories, essays, or poems. -
Step 2: Create a graphic organizer.
To help you organize the plot and characters so that you can think about the text, it is useful to make a graphic organizer.
There are many ways to set up a chart so that you can organize your observations, including an idea web, Venn diagram, T-chart, and more.For example, for a T-chart, list the names of the characters in one column and their actions in another as you read.
After reading, you can add a column with why you think they did each action. , After you are done reading a piece of literature, think about what each character did and how each action contributed to the plot.
Look at your graphic organizer to help you understand what happened in the book.
Don’t try to decide what that author is saying at this point.
Just look at the actions and plot at face value.
This is similar to artwork.
Instead of looking at a painting to figure out what the artist was communicating, just look at what is literally present in the painting.
For example, what items are present in Van Gogh’s ‘’Starry Night’’? Don’t think about what he is trying to say in this painting; think about the stars, the swirling night sky, and the houses below. , After you have a good understanding of the events of the book, you can try to understand what the author was suggesting about human nature through the characters and their actions.
These things are called the themes.
For example, ask yourself, why does the witch turn the prince into a beast in Beauty and the Beast? What does this action suggest about human nature? Also think about what lesson the reader can learn from the characters.
What does the Beast teach us? , After you have selected one lesson the reader can learn from the work of literature, it is time to make a thesis statement out of it.
A thesis statement is a single sentence that makes a claim about the piece of literature that can be supported using textual evidence, such as quotes from the piece of literature.The format for a thesis may look something like this: _______ is true because __________, ____________, and ___________.The first blank is your opinion.
For example, The Beast teaches us that we should be hospitable to everyone.
The rest of the blanks tell why your opinion is true:
The Beast teaches us that we should be hospitable to everyone because he learns from his mistake, becomes a compassionate person through his time as a beast, and regrets that he was ever rude to the witch.
However, keep in mind that there are many different ways to form a thesis.
What is most important if to make sure that your thesis includes a claim and a summary of the reasons for your claim.
For example, you might phrase your thesis as “Because the Beast suffers for his actions, Beauty and the Beast argues that we should be hospitable to everyone and this theme carries through the story.” , Look again at your graphic organizer and look for events that demonstrate all of the reasons your thesis is true.
Highlight these events and make sure you have the page numbers.
You can summarize these events, or use direct quotes from the book, but both need to have a page number.
This prevents plagiarism.
For example, you might use a quote that shows how the Beast is inhospitable as one of your first examples.
Then, you might use other examples from the text to show the continuation of this theme.
You do not have to use direct quotes all of the time.
You can also paraphrase a passage by putting it into your own words, or summarize longer passages by describing the events in a less detailed way in your own words.
No matter if you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, make sure that you include a page number for your evidence. , Make an outline using your thesis statement in order to prepare an organized essay.
An outline should have roman numerals for each paragraph and regular numbers for the parts of each paragraph.
Look up an example of a good outline to guide you.Fill in the outline with topic sentences and events from the literature that support each topic sentence. , Writing the essay should not be difficult if you have a detailed outline prepared.
Write at least five paragraphs.
The thesis statement comes at the end of the first paragraph, and each body paragraph has one or two quotes or examples from the text.
Make sure to introduce each quote and then explain the quote or example after you put it in the body paragraphs.
Close the essay with a conclusion paragraph, where you summarize the essay in just a few sentences. , Be sure to proofread and edit your essay.
Look for typos, punctuation errors, and grammar errors.
You should correct these mistakes (called revising) before turning in the essay.
It is helpful to have someone else read the essay to help you find these errors. -
Step 3: Think about the literal meaning.
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Step 4: Think about what the author might be suggesting about society or humanity.
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Step 5: Form a thesis statement.
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Step 6: Locate evidence in the literature to support your thesis.
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Step 7: Make an outline.
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Step 8: Write the essay.
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Step 9: Revise the essay.
Detailed Guide
You start a critique not when you sit down to write the essay, but when you sit down to read the work of literature.
Ask yourself why the characters do the things they do in all works of literature, whether novels, short stories, essays, or poems.
To help you organize the plot and characters so that you can think about the text, it is useful to make a graphic organizer.
There are many ways to set up a chart so that you can organize your observations, including an idea web, Venn diagram, T-chart, and more.For example, for a T-chart, list the names of the characters in one column and their actions in another as you read.
After reading, you can add a column with why you think they did each action. , After you are done reading a piece of literature, think about what each character did and how each action contributed to the plot.
Look at your graphic organizer to help you understand what happened in the book.
Don’t try to decide what that author is saying at this point.
Just look at the actions and plot at face value.
This is similar to artwork.
Instead of looking at a painting to figure out what the artist was communicating, just look at what is literally present in the painting.
For example, what items are present in Van Gogh’s ‘’Starry Night’’? Don’t think about what he is trying to say in this painting; think about the stars, the swirling night sky, and the houses below. , After you have a good understanding of the events of the book, you can try to understand what the author was suggesting about human nature through the characters and their actions.
These things are called the themes.
For example, ask yourself, why does the witch turn the prince into a beast in Beauty and the Beast? What does this action suggest about human nature? Also think about what lesson the reader can learn from the characters.
What does the Beast teach us? , After you have selected one lesson the reader can learn from the work of literature, it is time to make a thesis statement out of it.
A thesis statement is a single sentence that makes a claim about the piece of literature that can be supported using textual evidence, such as quotes from the piece of literature.The format for a thesis may look something like this: _______ is true because __________, ____________, and ___________.The first blank is your opinion.
For example, The Beast teaches us that we should be hospitable to everyone.
The rest of the blanks tell why your opinion is true:
The Beast teaches us that we should be hospitable to everyone because he learns from his mistake, becomes a compassionate person through his time as a beast, and regrets that he was ever rude to the witch.
However, keep in mind that there are many different ways to form a thesis.
What is most important if to make sure that your thesis includes a claim and a summary of the reasons for your claim.
For example, you might phrase your thesis as “Because the Beast suffers for his actions, Beauty and the Beast argues that we should be hospitable to everyone and this theme carries through the story.” , Look again at your graphic organizer and look for events that demonstrate all of the reasons your thesis is true.
Highlight these events and make sure you have the page numbers.
You can summarize these events, or use direct quotes from the book, but both need to have a page number.
This prevents plagiarism.
For example, you might use a quote that shows how the Beast is inhospitable as one of your first examples.
Then, you might use other examples from the text to show the continuation of this theme.
You do not have to use direct quotes all of the time.
You can also paraphrase a passage by putting it into your own words, or summarize longer passages by describing the events in a less detailed way in your own words.
No matter if you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, make sure that you include a page number for your evidence. , Make an outline using your thesis statement in order to prepare an organized essay.
An outline should have roman numerals for each paragraph and regular numbers for the parts of each paragraph.
Look up an example of a good outline to guide you.Fill in the outline with topic sentences and events from the literature that support each topic sentence. , Writing the essay should not be difficult if you have a detailed outline prepared.
Write at least five paragraphs.
The thesis statement comes at the end of the first paragraph, and each body paragraph has one or two quotes or examples from the text.
Make sure to introduce each quote and then explain the quote or example after you put it in the body paragraphs.
Close the essay with a conclusion paragraph, where you summarize the essay in just a few sentences. , Be sure to proofread and edit your essay.
Look for typos, punctuation errors, and grammar errors.
You should correct these mistakes (called revising) before turning in the essay.
It is helpful to have someone else read the essay to help you find these errors.
About the Author
Ruth Perez
Brings years of experience writing about practical skills and related subjects.
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