The effective teaching of critical writing begins with the gathering of quotes from a novel on specific topics. These quotes will be used as both a thinking and writing guide to complete a critical essay which will eventually lead students to write and answer their own essay questions.

Begin with this type of simple exercise:

Find examples from the novel to defend / illustrate one of the following three.

2. Miss Havisham's revenge (examples)

3. Pip and Joe as friends

Let’s use #1 "Pip's shame" and find as many examples as we can that illustrate “Pip’s shame.”

Note: pager numbers are from Adventures in Reading version of Great Expectations

"I had never thought of being ashamed of my hands before; but her contempt for me was so strong that it became infectious, and I caught it" (578).

"I took the opportunity of being alone to look at my coarse hands and my common boots. They had never troubled me before, but they troubled me now... I wished Joe had been rather more genteelly brought up, and then I should have been so too" (579).

"...how common Estella would consider Joe, a mere blacksmith, how thick his boots, and how coarse his hands" (582).

"I am afraid I was ashamed of the dear good fellow--I know I was ashamed of him--when I saw that Estella stood at the back of Miss Havisham's chair, and that her eyes laughed mischievously" (591-2).

"It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home" (593).

"I wanted to make Joe less ignorant and common, that he might be worthier of my society and less open to Estella's reproach" (595).

"When the gate was closed upon me, I felt more than ever dissatisfied with my home and with my trade and with everything" (597).

"When I got into my little room, I sat down and took a long look at it, as a mean little room that I should soon be parted from and raised above forever" (607).

This exercise leads to a collection of quoted material from the novel to be used in both answering and writing essay questions. A guided essay question can be used for beginning students.

Example: In Great Expectations, Pip has gone through many changes. Describe a major change in Pip's character.

The next stage is to get the students to focus the essay. To do this a focusing statement is added to the essay question.

Example: In Great Expectations, Pip has gone through many changes.

Describe a major change in Pip's character, and explain the effect this has on his relationship with Joe.

The simple addition of "explanation of effect" requires a more focused approach in answering the question. This gets the students thinking about limiting the selection to only those quotes which develop the thesis. That is the trick. Once the students begin to understand this concept of focusing, they are on their way to creating their own essay questions, and, in the process, understanding the literature in a whole new way.

After the students have the basics, you can begin using more complicated essay topics to challenge their abilities.

Example: Great Expectations is a subversive attack on our money-oriented society. Prove or disprove this statement using characters from the novel.

This essay challenges students to figure out what is being asked and then to answer it. The learning comes from the realization that the answer to the question may be found within the quotes they have collected. It is in this realization and subsequent synthesis of information that the students begin to develop the experience and confidence needed to write their own essay questions. Any student can see that Pip changes from a naive, caring country boy to an urban snob and finally to an enlightened young man. But if they don't see the social purpose behind this change (the author's intention), why read such literature? It is through this process of gradual enlightenment that enables the students to explore literature, and life itself, to greater depth and fulfillment.

When formulating an essay question, remember this: if you have a good idea what you want in an answer, develop an essay question that guides a student in that direction. If you don't do this, you, and the student, will end up frustrated that your ideas aren't being addressed. Save the vague essay questions, the truly open-ended ones, for topics that you have no real idea where the student should go. You will be less likely to try to guide students' thoughts if you don't know exactly where they should go be going.

Next question: How do you convert a series of quotes into an essay?

To answer that we need to explore the critical essay formula (Introduction, Body, and Conclusion).

The Introduction tells (1) what you are talking about, (2) how you will discuss it, and (3) [only advanced students] a universal relation of your topic.

Example: Great Expectations is an attack on our money-oriented society (1). This may be shown through Pip's changing relationship with Joe (2).

At the most basic level, this introduction sets up the critical essay.

Next comes the Body of the paper which uses the simple form (1) General Statement, (2) Quote, (3) Explanation/Transition.

Now the general statement sets up any number of quotes found on the students' lists. It is in the writing of the general statements and trying to connect them by means of explanation that the students will begin to see purpose in their writing. When they "get stuck," not knowing where to go with an essay, they will find on their own that the cause is usually an unfocused thesis. It is in this step-by-step writing technique that a student truly learns. In the following example a quote is added to the general statement followed by an explanation (in bold) and a transitional statement (in italics ).

At the beginning of the novel, Pip and Joe are the best of friends as Joe is part father, part older brother to Pip. Their friendship is based on loving admiration. (general statement) "Young as I was, I believe that I dated a new admiration of Joe from that night. We were equals afterward, as we had been before; but afterwards... I had a new sensation... that I was looking up to Joe in my heart" (573). This equality of nature and elevation of spirit for Joe by Pip is the kind of strong foundation a friendship needs to survive. Unfortunately, Pip's feelings for Joe are strained by the introduction of one of man's oldest enemies.

This leads to the next paragraph of the body which will then deal with the introduction of money into the story and how it affects their relationship. Tracing the changes in Pip and Joe's relationship will reveal Dickens' reproach of man's greed and the shameful behavior it spawns. It is in this revelation that the students will find writing a Conclusion is much easier when they have actually said something meaningful in their essays.

2. Handout with outline

An essay is a literary composition on a certain subject. The following form will aid you in organizing and composing your essay.

An essay may be broken down into three parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. An understanding of each part will make writing an essay of five or five hundred paragraphs equally possible.

1. The INTRODUCTION of an essay has three functions:

a) Tell the reader what you're talking about (known as the thesis)

b) Tell how you will address the topic in your essay

c) Capture the interest of the reader

2. The BODY is the largest section of an essay. It is where you address what you said you would address (or do what you said, or prove what you said). The BODY uses the following form:

a) General Statement (Topic Sentence) tells when or what -- setting up the quote

b) Quoted Material (or specific detail) expands/ proves the general statement

c) Explanation relates quote to thesis (the "what" from the introduction) --

answers the question "so what?" Remember to ask "so what does this have to do with my thesis?"

d) Transition ties paragraph to next paragraph

3. The CONCLUSION of an essay is a retelling of your thesis (what you were going to prove). If an essay is properly set up using a solid introduction, a conclusion flows naturally after the body.

a) Restate Thesis– this does not mean repeat it. You said you were going to show or prove something, now it's time to tell us that you did.

b) Summarize Salient points– this sounds difficult, but actually you are merely touching on your EXPLANATION points from your BODY paragraphs.

c) Concluding statement –finish memorably... remember, leave your reader understanding that you proved your point.

Avoid the following:

a) DO NOT begin a concluding paragraph with "in conclusion."

b) DO NOT repeat the introduction verbatim

Essay answering tips

1. Understand what the essay is asking you to do. Are you to discuss, compare, contrast, analyze, describe, prove, or give an opinion on something?

2. A good rule is to restate the essay question, but do it using terminology you understand. This restatement becomes your "Part a)" the "what" of the INTRODUCTION.

3. Often, an essay question provides possible directions in which to take your answer. Use these avenues -- they are "Part b)" the "how" of the INTRODUCTION.

The Writing Tree Home

Expository Example: Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens

Let’s use #1 "Pip's shame" and find as many examples as we can that illustrate “Pip’s shame.”

Essay Tip

Essay answering tips

Blank handout give to students for a graphic representation of their essay.

Introduction

Body paragraph 1

Body paragraph 2

Body paragraph 3

Conclusion