Written Response to Literature Final Exam
Essay Assignment
Choose two of the following literary terms and explain why you believe they are the most important
two terms in shaping a particular short story.
1. Choose one of the following short stories:
“The Most Dangerous Game”
“The Possibility of Evil”
“The Story of an Hour”
“The Necklace”
“The False Gems”
“A Sound of Thunder”
“The Scarlet Ibis”
“The Cask of Amontillado”
“The Open Window”
2. Choose two of the following literary terms. They must be the two that you believe are
most important in shaping the story. For example, you might choose “irony” to analyze
because an ironic situation greatly affects a particular character. You might also choose
“setting” because the changes in setting reveal much about a character’s personality or
foreshadow events integral to the outcome of the story.
a. Irony (situational, verbal, and/or dramatic)
b. Point of View (first, third limited or third omniscient)
c. Theme
d. Setting
e. Symbol/ symbolism
f. Conflict (internal, external or both)
g. Imagery
h. Mood
i. Foreshadowing (you can also intertwine suspense with foreshadowing)
j. Characterization (indirect and/or direct)
3. Create an introduction. Include an overview of the story and end it with your thesis
statement. Be sure to incorporate the following:
a. The title of the story in double quotation marks
b. The author of the story
c. Three to five sentences which summarize the story
d. Your thesis statement as the last sentence. Include in your thesis statement the
title of your story, the two literary terms you are analyzing, and a stress on the
significance of those terms to the story.
i. Example Thesis: Both symbolism and imagery impact the plot of the story
“The Scarlet Ibis.”
ii. Example Thesis: “The Scarlet Ibis” reveals the significance of the plot and
the importance of the characters through symbolism and imagery.
4. Construct Body Paragraph #1. (6-8 strong sentences)
a. Your topic sentence must include the first term you listed in your thesis statement.
i. Example: Hurst uses symbolism to portray Doodle’s personality and his
importance in the narrator’s life.
b. Find a concrete detail in the story to support your topic sentence. Your goal is to
prove that this literary device is essential to the story.
i. This concrete detail comes directly from the text you are reading. If you
take words or ideas directly from the text, you will need to cite the author
and page number. A concrete detail will not be an idea from you. Use
Ms. Christoph
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Written Response to Literature Final Exam
Essay Assignment
quotations, facts, specifics, examples, descriptions, support, proof, evidence,
paraphrasing, plot references.
c. Add commentary or elaboration about your concrete detail here. In your own
words, explain or expand upon the concrete detail you just wrote. Explain your
interpretation of the concrete detail. This is the elaboration portion of your ideas.
Use opinion, insight, analysis, interpretation, inference, evaluation, or reflection. Do
not use “I”/ first person.
d. Find a second concrete detail to support your topic sentence.
e. Add commentary or elaboration about your second concrete detail.
f. Write a concluding sentence which summarizes your paragraph and transitions to
the topic of the next one.
5. Construct Body Paragraph #2 (6-8 strong sentences)
a. Your topic sentence must include the second term you listed in your thesis
statement.
i. Example: Strong imagery reveals the depth of the narrator’s emotions and
Doodle’s character throughout the story.
b. Find a concrete detail in the story to support your topic sentence. Your goal is to
prove that this literary device is essential to the story.
c. Add commentary or elaboration about your concrete detail here.
d. Find a second concrete detail to support your topic sentence.
e. Add commentary or elaboration about your second concrete detail.
f. Write a concluding sentence which summarizes your paragraph
6. Write your conclusion (4-5 strong sentences)
a. Re-state/ re-word your thesis statement
b. Provide final thoughts on the connection between the literary terms and the story
c. Consider how the story might be different if the author did not focus on the terms
you chose to write about.
i. Example: Without a focus on imagery in the story, Hurst would not have
been able to uncover the beauty in the world as Doodle observed. Doodle’s
observations of life and the narrator’s realization of them demonstrates the
tremendous compassion the narrator had for his brother.
Important Information:
- Your paper MUST BE typed in MLA format: double-spaced; one-inch margins; ½ inch
paragraph indents; MLA header including your last name and page number; MLA heading
including your first and last name; my name (Ms. Christoph); the class (English 9-period);
and the date in European format (14 September 2011). See my examples on the board or
on my website. Click on the “Writing Assignments” link and then open “MLA & Essay
Formatting”
- Direct quotations from stories are excellent concrete details. If you use direct quotations,
you must use quotation marks, include the page number of the story from your booklet, and
lead into the quotation.
o Example: Hurst uses vivid imagery to show that Doodle is physically challenged: “He
seemed all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man’s”
(56).
- Only write in third person (no “you,” “I,” “we,” or “us” unless in a quotation)
Ms. Christoph
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Written Response to Literature Final Exam
Essay Assignment
-
Stay in one verb tense and try to avoid linking verbs; use strong, action verbs instead.
Check your writing for errors, such as fragments, run-ons and comma splices.
This is an in-class writing assessment. You are to plan your essay for homework—
not write it. If you come to class with a written essay, you will need to choose a new
story and write an essay.
Planning Portion:
Story to Analyze: ____________________________________________________________________
The two literary terms you will use: ______________________________ _______________________________
Thesis Statement:___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph #1:
Topic Sentence:
Concrete Detail:
Commentary or Elaboration: (can be more than one sentence)
Concrete Detail #2:
Commentary or Elaboration: (can be more than one sentence)
Concluding Sentence/ Transition:
Ms. Christoph
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Written Response to Literature Final Exam
Essay Assignment
Turn Over
Body Paragraph #2:
Topic Sentence:
Concrete Detail:
Commentary or Elaboration: (can be more than one sentence)
Concrete Detail #2:
Commentary or Elaboration: (can be more than one sentence)
Concluding Sentence/ Transition:
Ms. Christoph
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Written Response to Literature Final Exam
Essay Assignment
Remember: Do not write your essay outside of class. Have this plan sheet completed for your
next class; complete for homework.
Ms. Christoph
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