English literature graduates PLEASE HELP

Hello,

I am studying this module for English lit and have to resit this essay as I was told my writing in too descriptive from the feedback I got. I was advised to do a critical analysis in my work, rather than state things. So the question I need to answer is : ‘Whether we fall by ambition, blood or lust, / Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust’ (Ferdinand in The Duchess of Malfi, 5.5.71-2). Examine the ways in which your two chosen texts present the ideas of free will, fate and destiny. To what extent are individuals responsible for their own destinies?.

I would be grateful if someone could guide me on how I should answer this, I have watched some youtube videos and they say I need a thesis first in my introduction. I am really not sure how to start it as the negative feedback has upset my abilities. What advice would you give to me on how to start my introduction and go about writing this essay?

I did a bit of research and have gathered that critical writing is about comparing other texts out their and voicing your own opinions. I am not sure how to do this as every website tells different information. Please could someone guide me?

Reply 1

Wilf G

7

Original post by rainbowcookie123

Hello,

I am studying this module for English lit and have to resit this essay as I was told my writing in too descriptive from the feedback I got. I was advised to do a critical analysis in my work, rather than state things. So the question I need to answer is : ‘Whether we fall by ambition, blood or lust, / Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust’ (Ferdinand in The Duchess of Malfi, 5.5.71-2). Examine the ways in which your two chosen texts present the ideas of free will, fate and destiny. To what extent are individuals responsible for their own destinies?.

I would be grateful if someone could guide me on how I should answer this, I have watched some youtube videos and they say I need a thesis first in my introduction. I am really not sure how to start it as the negative feedback has upset my abilities. What advice would you give to me on how to start my introduction and go about writing this essay?

I did a bit of research and have gathered that critical writing is about comparing other texts out their and voicing your own opinions. I am not sure how to do this as every website tells different information. Please could someone guide me?

Hi Rainbow Cookie! Don't be upset about your feelings of ability. It's happened to lots of us! You just need to figure out where you went wrong, and learn from that. An initial reaction from me is that you've just re-stated what the action/content of your texts is. The fact that you appear to know that is the essential starting-point for critical analysis, so have confidence that you can build on that. Start by unpicking exactly what the title is asking you to do. Obvious advice, but sometimes skated over too soon, and often leads to description. As I don't know what your texts are, I can't be more precise about how to suggest a thesis (which I know is mentioned on a number of YouTube channels). A thesis, for you, at this stage, is your simple response to Ferdinand's words from 'Malfi'. Imagine someone, in front of you (2m away!), asking that question, and needing an instant answer from you. Is it yes or no? If you're doing something like 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles', there's so much to say. Let me know!

Reply 2

whycantwerun

8

Hi there, it's a shame your course is not giving you more guidance on this as analytical writing is critical for English literature!

I'm not sure what your two texts are but I did the Duchess of Malfi at A-Level so am familiar with the characters and some quotations. To start with we can look at the difference between descriptive and analytical writing.

If we take the quotation 'Whether we fall by ambition, blood or lust, / Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust’ and descriptively analyse it, it might sound like this:
'Webster here tells the audience that no matter how people die, it is always of their own doing.' This is a description as we are stating what Webster is saying, but not going any deeper. We are just rewording the quotation.

An analysis might sound like this:
"Webster choice of simile and the word 'cut' implies a painful, harsh reality to our being, and reduces the extravagance of Ferdinand's position in the relation of 'diamonds' to 'dust'. 'Diamonds' may signify the wealth and luxury of Ferdinand's courtly position, and being reduced to mere earth calls into question the relevance of class and social standing in the play as an influence on fate."

This is quite a simple analysis and there are more things we could talk about in this quotation, but I hope that gives you a starting point. To analyse you need to look beyond the literal meaning and think about what things could signify.

To start with your introduction, consider the word in the question 'present'. Do the texts present fate as a fact of life? Do they present it as harsh, unyielding, or changeable to circumstance. Whose fates are decided from the beginning of the play (eg. in marrying Antonio does the Duchess face an inevitable death because of her position as a woman, or are there other forces at play). Think about a few characters for who fate might be really important, question how their live begins and ends up, and starting thinking about ideas. The introduction should unpack the question a bit (like the analysis above), talk about which characters or viewpoints you might discuss, and then give the reader an idea of what your conclusion might be (are individuals responsible or not).

If you want to post any of your writings and see how to improve it I'd be more than happy to help. English can be quite hard until you get the hand of it, so don't worry, just keep trying!

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 3

username5323730

OP

4

Original post by Wilf G

Hi Rainbow Cookie! Don't be upset about your feelings of ability. It's happened to lots of us! You just need to figure out where you went wrong, and learn from that. An initial reaction from me is that you've just re-stated what the action/content of your texts is. The fact that you appear to know that is the essential starting-point for critical analysis, so have confidence that you can build on that. Start by unpicking exactly what the title is asking you to do. Obvious advice, but sometimes skated over too soon, and often leads to description. As I don't know what your texts are, I can't be more precise about how to suggest a thesis (which I know is mentioned on a number of YouTube channels). A thesis, for you, at this stage, is your simple response to Ferdinand's words from 'Malfi'. Imagine someone, in front of you (2m away!), asking that question, and needing an instant answer from you. Is it yes or no? If you're doing something like 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles', there's so much to say. Let me know!

Thank you for your feedback. The texts I am doing are The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster and Hamlet by Shakespeare.

English literature graduates PLEASE HELP

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