CRITICAL ESSAY S5 English

S5 English
CRITICAL ESSAY
Good Morning S5!
 In today’s lesson we will...
 Recap the structure of a critical essay.
 Look at some exemplars.
 Practice essay writing techniques.
What is a critical essay?
 A personal response to a piece of literature.
 An essay in which you judge certain aspects
of the text – being critical does not mean
negative.
 An essay in which you must come to a
conclusion about how effective the writer has
been.
 Your comment on how worthwhile the text is
overall.
Assessment
Understanding
Do you understand the key aspects of text? Can you identify
significant details? Can you comment on theme?
2) Analysis
Show how style, structure and language contribute to meaning
and effect of text. Quote to support.
3) Evaluation
What do you think about what the writer is saying? How
effective are the quotations you have analysed?
4) Expression
Have you a clear line of thought? Have you used critical
terminology? Have you checked your sentence structure,
punctuation, paragraphing and word choice?
1)
Texts
 The texts you study are of a good quality.
 They tell us something about life, human
beings and the world we live in.
 They tell us something about the human
condition.
 Your task is to reveal to the marker your
understanding of the writer’s
message/thematic concern, and your reaction
to it.
Plan!
 It is NEVER enough to simply retell the story
of what happens in the book.
 You MUST respond to the question set and
refer to it throughout your essay.
 In your plan, create a working title based on
the detail of the task – take the words from
the question and refocus them.
 For example...
Plan!

Question: Choose a novel or short story in which you feel great
sympathy for, or intense dislike of one of the characters. Briefly outline
the situation in which the character finds himself and show by what
means you are made to feel sympathy or dislike.
How Orwell, in Animal Farm, successfully makes
me feel great dislike for Napoleon through his
use of characterisation, theme and plot.
PLOT
irony
CHARACTER
Napoleon
and Stalin
How Orwell, in Animal Farm,
successfully makes me feel
great dislike for Napoleon
through his use of
characterisation, theme and
plot.
Napoleon
and
Snowball
Napoleon
and
Squealer
THEME
allegory
Execution
of animals
who do not
obey
Power of
language
Russian
Revolution
How
power
corrupts
Betrays
Boxer
Breaks all
commandments
Walks
on hind
legs
satire
Introduction
 Name of text and author.
 Direct reference to the KEY WORDS in the
question.
 Focus on the question straight away.
 Outline arguments to be presented in the rest
of the essay.
 For example...
Introduction
Introduce text and
author
 ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell is an allegory based on events
that happened during and after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
A socialist with strong views, Orwell uses farmyard animals and
their actions to describe the cruelties and hypocrisy of the Soviet
party in Communist Russia in the 1940s.
 Certain animals are based directly on Communist leaders, most
notably Napoleon as Josef Stalin. Orwell effectively presents us
with a character for whom we feel intense dislike and as the
novel progresses and Napoleon’s behaviour deteriorates, the
reader is appalled and disgusted by his actions.
 By examining Orwell’s masterful use of character, theme and
plot, I aim to show how the situation in which Napoleon finds
himself in leads me to passionately dislike him.
Outline line of
thought in the
rest of essay
Direct reference
to key words of
questions
Main Body
 Each paragraph needs to relate back to the
KEY WORDS of question.
 Follow a structure such as
S - Statement
E - Evidence
E - Explanation
C - Comment
 Or choose your own.
Main Body - Evaluation
 It is not enough just to analyse – you must




also evaluate – indicate how well a
technique/aspect of text.
Give your opinion.
Use the kind of vocabulary that shows you
are assessing/weighing up/evaluating how
effective a technique is.
Avoid vague words such as ‘good’.
Do not repeat yourself.
Main Body - Evaluation
 Use EVALUATIVE words such as...









effective
competent
illuminating
moving
skilled
powerful
meaningful
talented
memorable
clever
thoughtful
judicious
striking
accurate
impressive
perceptive
significant
insightful
Main Body – write in the
present tense!
Paragraph 1
Napoleon’s rise to power
- rations
- self importance
- executions
Paragraph 2
Napoleon’s betrayal of Boxer
- loyalty
- manipulation
- lack of intelligence
Main Body – present tense!
Paragraph 3
Napoleon and the commandments
- beer/trade
- Squealer/propaganda
- power of language
Paragraph 4
Napoleon in the final chapter
- shocking finale
- betrayal of Animalism
- Future for farm/society
Conclusion
 Sum up
 Evaluate
 Refer back to question
 Give your opinion
 Comment on Orwell
Napoleon’s betrayal of Boxer
STATEMENT
As the novel progresses, Napoleon’s behaviour gets increasingly
more shocking, leading the reader’s dislike for him intensify. One
of his most appalling actions is to send Boxer to the glue factory
after a fall means the horse is no longer capable of physical work.
EVIDENCE
This incident is made all the more horrifying by the fact that Boxer,
the pigs most loyal servant, is led to believe he is going to
hospital in order to receive the best possible medical care for his
injured hoof. Only Benjamin is aware enough to realise what is
happening.
“You fools! Can’t you read what is says?”
Napoleon’s betrayal of Boxer
EXPLANATION and COMMENT
Representing those people throughout the Russian Revolution who
were aware of what was happening but chose not to speak out,
at this point in the novel, Benjamin finally alerts the other
animals to what Napoleon has planned. Orwell cleverly achieves
a number of points here. Firstly, our opinion of Napoleon as an
unlikeable character is confirmed as we note the ruthlessness of
his treatment of Boxer. Throughout the novel, Boxer is portrayed
as a kind and loyal figure. His cruel and undeserved demise
comes as a shock to the reader who has been both admiring his
compassionate nature whilst also becoming increasingly alarmed
at his naïve devotion to the pigs who mistreat him. Secondly,
Orwell effectively shows the danger that a lack of education can
result in and in doing so, portrays Napoleon as a character that
the reader must despise.