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Higher English - critical essays

In the exam, we need to produce two critical essays. I have been tasked with writing 2 over the next few weeks off we have. I know what questions I have to answer, and have been given a 800 word guide, as in the exam we are being timed. Can anyone give any guidance as to how I should structure them? One is on the Color Purple novel and the other is on Shooting Stars.
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soup
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The question should be used to structure your essays. What are the questions?
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Original post by soup
The question should be used to structure your essays. What are the questions?


For Color Purple the question is:

"Choose a novel with a central character you consider to be heroic.

Show how the heroic qualities are revealed and discuss how this portrayal of the character enhances your understanding of the text as a whole."

I love the book, but I have no idea how I'd quote it? I know the story inside out, and my write-up is going to be used for most of what I say in this essay. I just don't want to end up re-telling the story.
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Original post by burial
For Color Purple the question is:

"Choose a novel with a central character you consider to be heroic.

Show how the heroic qualities are revealed and discuss how this portrayal of the character enhances your understanding of the text as a whole."

I love the book, but I have no idea how I'd quote it? I know the story inside out, and my write-up is going to be used for most of what I say in this essay. I just don't want to end up re-telling the story.


Well for that question I would ask myself what heroic qualities the character has. And do a paragraph on eash using PQE (Point, Quotation, Explanation i.e topic sentence (what the quality is), a quote showing the quality and an explanation of the quote and how it "enhances your understanding of the text as a whole."
Original post by soup
Well for that question I would ask myself what heroic qualities the character has. And do a paragraph on eash using PQE (Point, Quotation, Explanation i.e topic sentence (what the quality is), a quote showing the quality and an explanation of the quote and how it "enhances your understanding of the text as a whole."


This is practically the same structure we used last year in English (but we used PETER)

P = Point
E=Exlanation (and also analysis of point/quote was included here)
T=Technique (of your point/quote - i.e. symbolism, theme, key scene, etc..)
E=Evidence (Quote)
R = Personal Response (your opinion of the point and relate it back to essay question)

This structure worked very well for every essay we did.
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Original post by ScottishShortiex
This is practically the same structure we used last year in English (but we used PETER)

P = Point
E=Exlanation (and also analysis of point/quote was included here)
T=Technique (of your point/quote - i.e. symbolism, theme, key scene, etc..)
E=Evidence (Quote)
R = Personal Response (your opinion of the point and relate it back to essay question)

This structure worked very well for every essay we did.


Cheers, I think linking my points back to the question would be my downfall so I'll be extra sure to follow your technique :smile: Only thing is, I have no idea how I would go about quoting Color Purple. It's got no chapters/acts, it is just consecutive letters all written colloquially.
Original post by burial
Cheers, I think linking my points back to the question would be my downfall so I'll be extra sure to follow your technique :smile: Only thing is, I have no idea how I would go about quoting Color Purple. It's got no chapters/acts, it is just consecutive letters all written colloquially.


I found that at the start of the year, linking my points back to the essay question used to be my downfall too, but if you don't do it, you can sadly lose a good few marks :frown:

I've never done "Color Purple" but i'd say just quote some words/phrases from the letters in the book that link to your point(s). :smile:
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Kirsteneg
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Original post by burial
Cheers, I think linking my points back to the question would be my downfall so I'll be extra sure to follow your technique :smile: Only thing is, I have no idea how I would go about quoting Color Purple. It's got no chapters/acts, it is just consecutive letters all written colloquially.


Ahh there's loads of different ways and passages you could quote. I guess you'll be writing about Celie?? If so then you could quote, for example, one of the passages from when she transcends over the limitations imposed upon her e.g. the passage at Christmas around the dinner table when she eventually stands up for herself. In this example you would explain that this conveys her heroism as she elevates herself about the level Albert holds her at, and in turn instigates Squeak's transcendence above racial and gender limitations (pretty much paralleling her own transformation)

:colone:
Original post by ScottishShortiex
This is practically the same structure we used last year in English (but we used PETER)

P = Point
E=Exlanation (and also analysis of point/quote was included here)
T=Technique (of your point/quote - i.e. symbolism, theme, key scene, etc..)
E=Evidence (Quote)
R = Personal Response (your opinion of the point and relate it back to essay question)

This structure worked very well for every essay we did.


We used SQA:

S=Statement
Q=Quotation
A=Analysis

Which I also thought worked well. I suppose each teacher/department has their own system :smile:
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Original post by Kirsteneg
Ahh there's loads of different ways and passages you could quote. I guess you'll be writing about Celie?? If so then you could quote, for example, one of the passages from when she transcends over the limitations imposed upon her e.g. the passage at Christmas around the dinner table when she eventually stands up for herself. In this example you would explain that this conveys her heroism as she elevates herself about the level Albert holds her at, and in turn instigates Squeak's transcendence above racial and gender limitations (pretty much paralleling her own transformation)

:colone:


Yeah I was absolutely going to quote that, the section where Celie gives up on God briefly and perhaps the conversation she and Harpo have about Sofia.

So I can just put statements in quotation marks? I always feel I have to prove everything :/

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