English 10: Independent Reading Essay



Ms. Miller/ American Lit II: Independent Reading Literary Analysis Essay (Fiction Option)

Purpose:

The purpose this assignment is for you to present an argument (thesis) in an extended piece of writing (a literary analysis essay) and use evidence from the text (their independent reading) to support that argument.

Outcome:

You will produce a literary analysis essay that argues a specific claim using details from their independent reading as support.

Writing Prompts:

Choose one of the following prompts to answer in a developed analytical essay.

Prompt 1: Setting. Every story has a setting, and every setting effects the characters, plot, and theme of a story.

Show how a character(s) of your book are affected or changed by their setting. How does he/she act differently in his/her new or different environment? What does he/she learn about himself/herself because of the setting?

Prompt 2: Character Analysis. Every story has a protagonist, the hero of the story.

Show how the protagonist of your story is characterized by the author. How does the author paint a picture of this character? What conflict(s) does this character face? How does he/she resolve them?

Prompt 3: Theme. A story can have one or many themes; the author of the work also has an opinion about this/these theme(s).

Identify a theme in your book and explain what the author’s position is on this theme. What does the author seem to be saying about this particular theme? What does he want the reader to consider about this theme?

Prompt 4: Symbol. Most stories have objects or acts/events that are symbolic in nature.

Identify one-three symbols in your story. Explain why they are symbolic. What special symbolic value do they have for a character? How does this symbol advance the plot or help a character change / learn something during the course of the book?

Audience:

The essay is to be written for an audience that may not have read your story.

Point Value:

The essay will be valued at 100 points.

American Lit II: Independent Reading Expository Essay (Non-Fiction Option)

Purpose:

The purpose this assignment is for you to present an argument (thesis) in an extended piece of writing (an expository essay) and use evidence from the text (their independent reading) to support that argument.

Outcome:

You will produce an expository essay that argues a specific claim using details from your independent reading as support.

Writing Prompts:

Choose one of the following prompts to answer in a developed expository essay.

Prompt 1: Identify a significant line or quote from the nonfiction text you have chosen. Explain how this particular line or quote from the text reveals the main idea or theme of the entire book itself.

Prompt 2: Identify and discuss three key points, lessons, or steps from the book that would support a recommendation of the book to another student. In other words, explain why someone else would benefit from reading or what they would learn from reading this book.

Prompt 3: Choose another nonfiction book that you have read (besides the one you have chosen fort his assignment). Compare and or contrast two significant aspects of the book. If they are two books on similar subjects, you may include how one book better informs or instructs better than the other.

Prompt 4: Choose a significant idea from the book you have read and determine whether or not you agree with this idea. In a well-organized essay, explain why you agree or disagree with the writer’s position on the subject.

Audience:

The essay is to be written for an audience that may not have read your book choice.

Point Value:

The essay will be valued at 100 points.

WRITING ASIGNMENT GUIDELINES:

MLA formal writing style (typed, 12-point, Times New Roman, double space, 1-inch margins.

Proper heading: Independent Reading Essay, clever and relevant title, formal language, as we have learned

At least two FULL pages with two appropriate quotations for each body paragraph

Include all of the following:

✓ author’s full name, title italicized, and genre in the thesis statement (TAG)

✓ an analysis that uses literary language and evidence to prove your thesis

✓ a recommendation as to why your peers should read this novel in the conclusion (must be positive)

Introductory Paragraph

• Provide a general lead in to your paper. Briefly introduce the primary topic addressed in the book. It could be love, the challenges of being a teenager, the camaraderie that is necessary to succeed when playing for a team, the importance of friendship, just to name several of the countless potential options.

• Briefly introduce the book without beginning to prove your thesis. Provide names of important characters, the setting, basic information, and perhaps the book’s initial complication.

• Write your thesis. What does the book illustrate to be true? Your thesis will most likely be theme- or conflict-oriented.

Body Paragraphs

• Break your body section into logical components. Most likely, you will break your information into paragraphs chronologically or based on separate conflicts or characters.

• Provide a clear topic sentence for each paragraph. What are you about to prove? Remember, the topic sentence must relate to the thesis.

• Provide details from the book that illustrate your topic sentence and your thesis. Do not provide information that does not assist in proving your thesis.

• Devise a clear concluding sentence for each body paragraph. What did you just prove? How does this paragraph help to prove your thesis? Remember, state how the information in each paragraph is relevant to the big picture.

Concluding Paragraph

• Restate your thesis. Be sure to vary your wording slightly from the one in the introductory paragraph.

• Restate information provided in each body paragraph.

• Pre-close with a general statement that sums up your book but also relates its content to some general or “universal truth” about man, society, etc.

• Close with a recommendation as to why your peers should or should not read this novel.

Writing Your Thesis

• Your thesis will most likely be either theme-based or conflict-based.

• A theme-based thesis will sound something like this:

* “The Bet” clearly demonstrates that pride can be extremely destructive when not balanced with reason.

* Book title demonstrates that people must learn to forgive their past mistakes before they can experience true happiness.

• A conflict based thesis will sound something like this:

* Character name must overcome ____ as he/she strives to ____.

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