Download essay_1_critique

Author: ____________________________________________________
Essay: ____________________________________________________
Reader: ___________________________________________________
1. Read for a First Impression. Begin by reading the draft quickly, to
enjoy the story and get a sense of its significance. Then, in just a few
sentences, describe the dominant impression you get from reading the
story. If you have any insights about the meaning or importance of the
event that are not reflected in the draft, share your thoughts.
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2. Analyze the Effectiveness of the Storytelling. Review the story,
looking at the way the suspense leads to the climax. Identify what you
think is the climax of the story, or indicate if you are not sure where the
climax is. Point to any places where the drama loses intensity --perhaps
where the suspense slackens, where specific narrative action is sparse or
action verbs are needed, where narrative transitions would help readers,
or where dialogue could be added to dramatize a scene.
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3. Consider How Vividly the Scenes and People Are Described. Point
to any descriptive details, similes, or metaphors that are especially
effective and that help create a dominant impression. Also indicate any
description that contradicts the story’s dominant impression. Note any
scenes or people that need more specific description. Identify any
dialogue that should have been summarized instead of quoted or
dialogue that does not seem relevant.
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4. Assess Whether the Autobiographical Significance Is Clear. Explain
briefly what you have learned about the writer from reading this story. If
you think an underlying conflict is dramatized by the story, identify what
the conflict is. Point to any passages that impress you with their clarity
or eloquence. Also mention any places where the feelings are so
overstated that they seem sentimental or so understated that they seem
insignificant. Assess whether the dominant impression given by the
descriptive language reinforces or contradicts the significance of the
story.
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5. Suggest How the Organization Could Be Improved. Consider the
overall plan, perhaps by making a scratch outline. Pay special attention
to the narrative transitions and verb tense markers so that you can
identify any places where the order of the action is unclear. Also
indicate any places where you think the description or background
information interrupts the action. If you can, suggest other locations for
this material.
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Look at the beginning. If it does not arouse curiosity, point to language
elsewhere in the essay that might serve as a better opening--for example,
a bit of dialogue, a striking image, or a remembered feeling.
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Look at the ending. Indicate whether the conflict of the story is too
neatly resolved at the end, whether the writer has tagged on a moral, or
whether the essay abruptly stops without really coming to a conclusion.
If there is a problem with the ending, try to suggest something different,
such as framing the story with a reference from the beginning or
projecting into the future.
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