CHEC Writing Handbook

Table of Contents 

1. CHEC High Writing Handbook 2

Plagiarism Policy 2

2. Triangle of Responsibility 3

3. Grammar and Mechanics 4

4. Writing Essays

What’s in an Essay 18

The Writing Process 20

Manuscript Requirements 24

Essay Examples 25

5. Common Language Glossaries

Prose 39

Poetry 42

Writing 44

6. Vocabulary and Spelling Words 46

7. Proofreading Marks 49

8. MLA Citation Guide 51

.1.          CHEC High Writing Handbook

Welcome to CHEC High School.  During your tenure here you will complete at least four years of English.  This handbook will serve as a foundation for the writing program.  Writing is an integral component of our curriculum.  Through literature and non-fiction pieces, you will be exposed to many models of writing.  While teachers will tailor their own classes, the basic elements of writing included in this handbook will be common throughout your high school education.

Toward the beginning of your Ninth Grade year, you will be given a terminology and concept pre-test.  In order to assess progress, the same test will be used as a post-test at the conclusion of the year.

The English Department curriculum follows the DC Public School Standards and expectations for AP Language and Literature.  You begin your focus on the inside (writing about yourself) and move towards expository writing.  Sequence of writing assignments:

·        Autobiographical Incident

·        Short Story

·        Persuasive Essay

·        Literary Analysis

Plagiarism Policy

The Oxford American Dictionary defines plagiarize as: To take and use another person’s ideas or writings as one’s own (i.e., copying from some else’s essay, a book, the Internet etc. without proper citation).  Plagiarizing essays, term papers, or other written graded assignments has the following consequences:

·        0 (F) on the assignment.  This grade will be permanent, in that no bonus assignment, extra credit, or drop grade can replace this grade.

·        Teacher will confer with student and call home; referral will be made to vice-principal.

·        First referral results in a one-day suspension.

·        Second referral results in a three-day suspension.

·        Third referral results in a five-day suspension.

.2.          Triangle of Responsibility

The Ninth Grade Writing Program can succeed only if students, parents, and teachers share the responsibility. After reading and agreeing to the following commitments, please return the signed form to your Ninth Grade English teacher. 

Students

I will:

·        Complete my homework each evening. 

·        Arrive on time, prepared with paper, a pen, and my book. 

·        Stay on task, listening carefully and contributing consistently to class discussions. 

·        Turn in my work on time. 

·        Consult the teacher whenever I don't understand the material or when I need to make up work. 

·        Try my best to master the content and skills in the Writing Handbook in a timely manner. 

Signature:  ________________________

Parents/Guardians

I will:

·        Discuss the homework with my teenager each evening. 

·        Provide a quiet place for the homework to get done each evening. 

·        Contact the teacher if my teenager doesn't seem to be doing well in the class. 

·        Attend Open House if at all possible. 

·        Help my teenager learn the content and skills in the Writing Handbook.

Signature:  __________________________

Signature:  ________________________

Teachers

I will:

·        Cover all of the material in the Writing Handbook by the end of the school year. 

·        Provide extra help to students who seek it. 

·        Attempt to contact a parent if a student is not doing well. 

·        Provide an academic, safe environment in the classroom. 

·        Return each major essay before the next one is due.

Signature:  ________________________

.3.          Grammar and Mechanics

During the course of the year, all freshmen will receive instruction and practice in the following skills:

·        Recognizing the parts of speech.

·        Knowing the difference between the subject and the predicate.

·        Knowing the difference between the subject and the object (direct and indirect) 

·        Recognizing and writing simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. 

·        Knowing the difference between complete sentences and fragments/comma splices/fused sentences. [See Exercise A]

·        Combining sentences using:

·        Appositive phrases

·        Participial phrases

·        Absolutes

[See Exercises B & C]

·        Employing parallel structure. [See Exercise D]

·        Recognizing and avoiding misplaced and dangling modifiers. [See Exercise E]

·        Making pronouns agree with their antecedents. [See Exercise F]

·        Making verbs agree with their subjects.

·        Identifying verbs tenses and keeping them consistent.

·        Using action verbs instead of linking verbs.

·        Recognizing the passive voice and converting it to the active voice.  [See Exercise G]

·        Avoiding wordiness, pompous diction, and slang.  [See Exercises H & I]

·        Knowing the difference between denotation and connotation.

·        Knowing when to use the following: period, comma, semi-colon, colon, dash, exclamation mark, ellipsis, quotation marks.

.A-Comma Splices and Run-On Sentences

Observation

Two sentences cannot be separated by a comma or run together. 

Solution

Use a period, a semi-colon, or a colon to separate sentences.

.B – Sentence Combining

Observation

One part of each sentence on the left does not correspond grammatically to the other parts of the sentence.

Solution

Equivalent elements in a sentence should follow the same grammatical pattern.

.E–Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

Observations

·        The modifiers in Column IA are out of place.

·        The modifiers in Column IB of the second table describe nothing in their respective sentences.

Solution

Place the modifier next to the noun that it describes.

.F–Pronoun Agreement

Observation

The sentences on the left contain unnecessary words.

Solution

Use as few words as possible, without sacrificing meaning.

.I–Diction

Observation

The sentences on the left contain a word or group of words that sounds either colloquial or pompous.

Solution

Make sure that no word sounds too informal or too learned.

.J–Empty “Its”

Observations

·        The “it” in each of the sentences on the left does not stand for a particular noun.

·        Rewriting a sentence by removing or replacing empty “it” often makes it clearer.

Solutions

·        Avoid starting sentences with “it.”

·        Make sure that each “it” in a sentence stands for a specific noun.

.K–Repetition

Observation

Each sentence on the left contains a repetition.

Solution

Make each point only once.

.L–Vagueness: Avoid “Thing”

Observation

Each sentence is vague because of the word “thing.”

Solution

Replace “thing” with a more specific noun to focus the sentence for your reader.

.M–Who vs. Whom

Observation

Either “who” or “whom” should be used for each sentence on the left.

Solution

Select “who” for a subject and “whom” for an object (of a verb or preposition).

Hint

Replace the pronoun with “he” or “him.” If “he” fits, use “who.” If “him” fits, use “whom.”

.4.          Writing Essays

What’s in an Essay?

To essay means to attempt or endeavor.  In a written essay, you endeavor to explain or prove a single idea. Essays can follow many different patterns, but have certain structural similarities. This is the pattern most commonly used for an analytical essay on literature, and it can be easily adapted to other topics.

Introduction

tells ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em

Grabber – gets attention, introduces topic

Summary – author, title, genre, brief description, other necessary background

Thesis – clearly states main idea in one sentence

Each body paragraph contains:

Body

tells ‘em, usually in 3 or more paragraphs

Topic sentence – one reason the thesis is true

One or more analyses of evidence:

Lead-in – sets up quotation: what’s going on in the story, and if dialogue, who’s talking

Quotation – a short passage quoted from the test

Citation – the page number, in parentheses, exactly like this: “quote” (p. 36).

Analysis – explains how and why the  evidence confirms the topic sentence

Closing Sentence – wraps up paragraph and/or provides transition to next paragraph

Conclusion

tells ‘em what you told ‘em

Restatement of thesis – clear statement of main idea in different words

So What – explains why what you have said matters beyond a discussion of your particular text

Concluding Device – strong finish that wraps up the essay and provides a sense of a lesson learned or business completed

Some ideas for grabbers and concluding devices: 

·        quote/literary allusion

·        definition

·        historical fact

·        statement of importance

·        relevant anecdote

·        figure of speech: metaphor, simile, idiom, proverb

·        paradoxical/intriguing statement

·        rhetorical question/response to question               

·        analogy/comparison

·        broader implications of topic

·        concrete description/image

·        warning

·        list

·        startling fact

.The Writing Process from Prewrite to Final Draft

Effective writing is not an innate ability—it comes from following a step-by-step process, outlined in this section, of identifying and revising ideas and of using strategies for clear communication.

Overview of the writing process

·        Prewriting and choosing a topic

·        Draft of essay that includes:

·        Introduction with opening sentence and thesis statement

·        Body paragraphs with topic sentences, analysis, evidence with interpretation of evidence and conclusion with transition sentence

·        Conclusion with summary and insight

·        Revision(s) of draft(s) to clarify thinking and strengthen writing

·        Final draft with self-editing and polishing

Prewriting and Choosing a Topic 

Make sure you understand the writing assignment and then begin gathering ideas and information that might be relevant. After you have gathered your ideas, look at the assignment and choose your topic. Next, focus on developing as many ideas as you can about your topic using one of the following prewrite strategies.

Quickwrites

Write nonstop for two-to-five minutes in response to the topic you’ve selected. Don’t let your pen leave the paper, and if you cannot think of anything to write, rewrite the last word or phrase in different ways until a new idea comes to mind.

Clusters

Sometimes called webbing or mind mapping, clustering helps you discover how ideas, facts, quotes—all the elements you’ll need in your writing—fit together.

Lists and Outlines

List ideas, examples, topics, characters, or events relevant to the assignment on a piece of paper as rapidly as you can for five minutes. On another piece of paper reorganize your list into several main groups; try to organize each group around a common theme or pattern. Look for the main idea or theme in each group.

Note cards

Write each idea, example, quote or event relevant to your assignment on a separate 4” x 6” index card. Organize your stack of cards into the sequence of ideas and points you want to make in response to your chosen topic.

Drafting

The purpose of most of your writing at CHEC High is to communicate and to persuade teachers, Writers’ Room coaches, and your fellow students that you are knowledgeable about a topic and that your interpretation is well reasoned and convincing.  To ensure that you are communicating your ideas clearly, use the following structure as you write your rough draft.

Introduction

Your purpose in the introduction is to engage the reader and let him or her know what you are setting out to do or prove.  Provide basic information that gives the reader a clear idea of what to expect. Introductions include these elements:

·        Opening sentence.  The first sentence of your introduction sets the tone, asks an important question or makes an observation that gives the reader a reason to keep reading.  Avoid cliches and generalizations that don’t shed light on your topic.  Opening sentences sometimes provide background information about the topic so the reader will understand the question you are going to answer or the character or event that you will be discussing.

·        Thesis statement.  The introduction includes a clearly worded position that you will explain, support or prove in your paper.  This is your chance to say what your essay is about—it defines the topic of your paper.  Writers often put their thesis statements near the end of their introduction.

Body Paragraphs 

The introduction is followed by several paragraphs, called body paragraphs, whose purpose is to answer the question or prove the assertion in your thesis statement.  The body paragraphs explore different ideas or points relevant to the thesis, and they support these points with relevant examples, concrete evidence or compelling quotes.  Body paragraphs include these elements:

·        A topic sentence.  The first sentence of the paragraph relates directly to the thesis and introduces the point the paragraph will discuss, prove or analyze.  The topic sentence is like a landmark that helps the reader follow the writer’s logic and thinking.  It often forecasts an idea to come.

·        Transitions.  Word bridges help the reader follow the writer’s points.  They include words or phrases such as for example, in addition, then, nevertheless, and as a result.

·        Analysis.  The analysis of the idea or concept set forth in the topic sentence includes:

·        A lead-in, which introduces the reader to the specific evidence or details that are the backbone of the body paragraph. This section of your analysis may also include a definition of a key term or a description of a setting or context that will make the main point of the paragraph clear.

·        A smooth integration of the evidence (usually a quotation). This integration can be as simple as making the quotation a part of your lead-in sentence(s): Jay expresses this fear when he says, “Please leave now. You are scaring me” (p.20).

·        Analysis of evidence, which is the heart of the body paragraph and your means to persuade the reader that your thesis is logical and well reasoned.  Evidence may consist of specific facts, examples, descriptions, quotations, plot or character details, references to works of art, music or writing, or references to culture or politics that are linked to the essay’s thesis and the topic sentence of the body paragraph.  It is your responsibility to interpret the evidence so the reader understands why it is significant to your thesis. This is the step that clinches your point.

·        Concluding sentence.  The last sentence in a body paragraph, anchors your evidence and interpretation, or commentary, to the main point of your paper.  The concluding sentence sums up the paragraph’s main idea, using key terms or points, and serves as a transition to the next paragraph.  The challenge is to summarize the main idea or information without being repetitious.

Conclusion

This, the last paragraph in your paper, summarizes your writing and gives the reader a deeper insight into your position.  Depending on the assignment, you may give a personal reaction to the topic or relate your topic to a broader context or event in the world.  Your conclusion is all commentary, or interpretation, and does not include concrete details from the body paragraphs.  It provides the finishing touch to your essay and pulls your ideas together without simply repeating your thesis.

Revising a Draft

Revising writing is what makes your ideas clear and powerful. It is a very important step in writing well at CHEC High School. Trained writing coaches from The Writers’ Room are often scheduled to come to your English class to help you revise your rough draft one or more times. Sometimes your teacher will ask you to “peer edit” your fellow student’s paper. Whether you are working by yourself, with another student or with a Writers’ Room coach, here are steps to follow for revising.

Read Out Loud

Reading your paper out loud will help you hear whether you’re making your point clearly. It also helps you begin to notice details such as complete sentences and consistent verb tenses and pronouns.

Ask Reflective Questions

·        Does my topic respond to the teacher’s assignment?

·        Do I have a clearly stated thesis statement in my introduction?

·        Is my paper organized with the minimum number of body paragraphs that relate to the paper’s thesis?

·        Do body paragraphs have topic sentences, relevant evidence and a logical interpretation or commentary?

·        What about the evidence I use to prove my point?  Can I sharpen it with a better quote or a more interesting example?

·        Do paragraphs have transitions to help the reader follow my thoughts?

·        Are my sentences complete, and are they ordered in a logical sequence?

·        What interesting words and phrases could I use to keep the reader engaged?

Final Draft with Self-Editing

Read over your final draft one last time to polish the details. If you read out loud, you’ll hear where sentences are incomplete or run together. Check for spelling and punctuation by using your home or school computer’s spelling and grammar check program (but remember that spell check/grammar check doesn’t catch all types of mistakes, so it is smart to get a reliable—and human—second opinion). Make sure you have the correct format, with double spaced lines, margins, title, name and date that meet CHEC High School’s written assignment requirements.

.CHEC English Department Manuscript Requirements

·        Use white, or off-white recycled, standard size (8 1/2” by 11”) typing paper or binder paper.  Do not use paper from a spiral notebook.  Do not enclose paper in a folder.  Staple your essay once in the upper left-hand corner.

·        Type in black ink only.  If you must use a pen (blue or black ink only), your handwriting must be immediately legible; if it tends to overlap characters on the line above, leave a blank line after each written line.

·        For word processing, use a 10- or 12-point normal font (no script, italic or decorative styles).  Do not use a justified right margin if it produces irregular spacing between words.

·        Leave 1” margins on all four sides of your text.

·        Double space typed papers.  Indent the first word of each paragraph about one inch.  Don’t leave extra lines between paragraphs.

·        Write on one side of the paper only.  Write the page number in the bottom right-hand corner of each page, except page 1.

·        The heading, placed in the upper right hand corner of page 1, consists of: your name, the class and period, your teacher’s name, and the date.  Do not attach a cover sheet.  Leave two blank lines after the heading.

·        If you have a title, center it and leave two blank lines after it.  (Of course, any titles should reflect the contents of your essay, not merely name the original work.)

·        Italicize all titles of works.

·        Do not separate quotations of three or fewer lies from the body of your essay.  Provide the page (or act, scene and line) referenced in parentheses immediately following the quotation.

·        Present quotations of four or more lines as follows:

·        For single-spaced, handwritten papers, leave blank lines both before and after the quotation.  (If you type, do not leave extra lines between the text and the quotation.)

·        Do not put quotation marks around the quotation.

·        Indent the quotation ten spaces from both the left and right margins.

·        Single-space the quotation.

·        Provide the page reference in parentheses immediately following the quotation.

Consult Writers Inc. for information not supplied here.  (Your English teacher should have copies in the classroom.) Your teacher reserves the right to refuse essays that do not conform to these guidelines.

.Essay Examples

The following essays are actual student work from CHEC High freshmen.  The intent of the essays is to give students, teachers, and guardians an idea of the different writing styles.  The examples are by no means perfect or exactly what an “A” paper would look like.  Teachers will use these essays for class discussions, models for particular standards, or for their own discretion. 

All essays follow BHS Manuscript requirements.  The sentence structure, wording, and mechanics were left in their original state.

Autobiographical

·        Write a first person account of a significant event in your life.  Focus on a single incident – a moment, a few hours, no more than a day; also give reader a sense of what this means to you personally.

·        Use essay format – beginning, middle, and end.  Recreate the experience by using vivid sensory details, dialogue, personal commentary, and explanation.

Short Story (example not included)

·        Incorporate the elements of fiction: plot (conflict, climax), character, setting, third person point of view, and theme, style.

·        Use vivid sensory details, names of people and places, action, dialogue, personal observation.

Persuasive/Controversial Issue

·        Take a side on an issue.  Argue either for or against.

·        Present a clear, arguable thesis.  Support argument with evidence.

·        Organize your argument into logical paragraphs with clear topic sentences.

Literary Analysis

·        Create a thesis based on theme in a literary work, or analyze a character’s motives, or the way a character’s interaction affects the plot.

·        Give reasons that the support your thesis, supported by analysis of quotations.

·        Organize into clear paragraphs with topic sentences.

·        Conclude with both summary and extension of your idea.

.

Autobiographical Incident

Ilove U. English

English 1B, Period 6

Mr. Conjunction

February 1, 1999

A Changing Perspective

Have you ever lost a family member, when in your mind people don’t die?  When I was in third grade my uncle was diagnosed with a brain tumor and less than a year later, he passed on.  During the period between his diagnosis and death, my uncle changed so completely, that he seemed to be a different person.  He went from playing with me and taking walks at the fish hatchery near his house to forgetting about what we’d done together.  At first I did not realize how greatly I was affected by his death.  Gradually, however, the impact on my life has become more apparent.  I am now able to see that his death changed my perspective on life for many reasons.

I remember my parents told me about my uncle being very sick and I could not fully grasp what had happened.  I did not associate being sick with dying, when you’re only fifty years old.  Except when my twenty-year-old cat died, I had never before experienced death.  This was the beginning of a change in my outlook on life.

A few weeks later, my uncle was in the hospital for exploratory brain surgery, as the doctors needed to discover if it was a benign tumor that could be easily removed.  I was sitting in the waiting room with my immediate and extended family, as well as my uncle’s family; I remember meeting all of my uncle’s relatives, as we’re not related by blood.  We stayed there, waiting for news, for what seemed like days.  Then a surgeon came out and told us that my uncle’s tumor could not be removed and would only worsen.  At first I did not understand what the surgeon meant, but then as my relatives began to cry and they explained, it all made sense.  My uncle would not recover; he would never be the uncle I knew again.  This knowledge of “losing” my uncle before he even died really made me discover that I shouldn’t take someone’s presence in my life for granted.

Slowly my uncle’s condition worsened.  He had previously been an athletic man, competing in triathlons, but after his diagnosis, he went through a complete change in his character.  He was unable to participate in sporting events and the organizations he normally took part in.  He was having trouble thinking the way he used to; he couldn’t remember things for long and he became almost child-like.  This was also something new to me, as I didn’t think his personality could completely change because he was sick.

About ten months later, when everyone thought my uncle was improving he went into a coma and passed away.  His death, despite the fact that he wasn’t expected to live very long still was extremely difficult for me to deal with.  I never really had a chance to say good-bye to him as he visited his parents where he had a brain aneurysm, which led to a coma.  I had not seen him for a month before his death.  His death greatly changed my ideas about morality.

Even harder for me than his death, was watching the relationship between my aunt and cousin deteriorate.  The only way they could get along before, was with my uncle there, almost as a mediator, but after his death, they were unable to agree on anything.  Even now almost five years later, while they lead separate lives, they can’t spend a peaceful evening together.  Their difficult relationship has made me so thankful for the relationship I have with my family.

As you can see, with the sickness and eventual death of my uncle, I had to cope with concepts I’d never dealt with before.  Learning that while people may not seem old enough to die, everyone will, made me more greatly appreciate my family and friends.  I had always known that I loved my family, but my uncle’s death made me realize how important my family is to me.  Seeing the relationship between my aunt and cousin also made me grateful for the relationship I have with my mom.  These realizations, besides changing my point of view, have made me become a better person.

.

Persuasive Essay

Gigi Smith

English 1B, Period 6

Ms. Fragment

March 12, 2007

To Become a Good Student 

Can a bad student become a good student?  A student has a choice of being bad or good.  He is not born to be bad, he is influenced my surroundings.  If there is somebody entering his life, then he will be influenced by that somebody.  So therefore, a bad student a become a good student, but only if somebody or something influences him.

I have a friend that was very lazy and uncooperative.  When we were in middle school, he used to hand out with me.  Before then, he told me that he came from another school.  His parents transferred him from another school because he was not being cooperative and distractive.  So when I met him, I felt a negative aura from him.  He always tricked me and made fun on me since I looked innocent and gullible.  He sometimes called me “goody-two shoes”, and I was.  I just ignored what he said and continued with our activity.  He ahs was doing that for a quite a long time.  For two years he was doing it.  One day, I asked him why he cuts classes and is annoying.  He answered that he doesn’t want to go to class because it was a waste of time and he said that it’s no fun being annoying.  I disapproved of what he said because that was wrong to do.  I explained the benefits he would get from being in class and that it is wrong to be annoying.  Now I don’t see him very often in high school, but I found out he is improving.  He’s being cooperative and decisive.  That is very good news.

Another example is I.  I was very destructive when I was a child.  I didn’t know what I was doing then, but my mother forced me not to be bad.  She told me so many times that I got irritated.  I wasn’t a bright student back then.  I did my homework late or not at all.  My mother made me who I am today.

It is true that a bad student can be a good student if he is influenced.  Examples of my friend and me are evidence.  If he doesn’t become a good student, he might not succeed in life.

.

Literary Analysis #1

Iama Student

English 1A, Period 2

Ms. Teacher

September 3, 2005

Are You My Father?

How would you feel if you didn’t have a caring father since you were four?  What would you do if you found your long-lost father after ten years of separation?  In the book Rule of the Bone, by Russell Banks, the main character, Bone, is abandoned by his father at the age of four.  After almost ten years, Bone comes across his father in a very interesting situation and finally reestablishes a connection with the man who cast a dark shadow over a part of Bone’s life.  As a result of finding his biological father, Bone’s overall view on childhood and parenting changes because Bone learns that to be a father, one must be a mentor.

Bone feels that finding his biological father will solve all of his problems.  When Bone finds out that his father is in Jamaica and sees him in the Range Rover, he feels this overwhelming sense of relief.  In the United Stated, Bone has an abusive stepfather who is an alcoholic and a mother who is also an alcoholic and doesn’t pay enough attention to her son.  “My real father!  Finally after all these years I’d come to Jamaica not knowing that I was looking for him and then one day completely by accident I’d found him … It was like this incredible relief” (p.18).  He now understands why he came to Jamaica in the first place and gets excited that after all this time he will finally get to be alone with his father.  After Bone’s dad drives off without seeing him, Bone insists that he go with I-Man to where the Range Rover is headed.  Bone hopes that with his father back, he will feel more whole as an individual because he has such an indecent family life.

When Bone found his biological father, he felt he found true happiness.  Bone’s stepfather is a drunk who molested him several times.  This has a dreadful effect on Bone and impacts his views of the world negatively.  But with Doc as his father, Bone doesn’t have to be afraid of this horror anymore.  Bone knows that things will be different after meeting his father.  He doesn’t quite know how things will change, but truly they will. “… he pulled me against his chest and hugged me and my own eyes filled up but I didn’t cry because even though I knew that from now on everything was going to be different…” (p. 95).  After convincing his dad, who was called “Doc,” that he was truly his son, Bone receives a warm hug from him.  Bone spends time with his father when he comes back to the Mothership after work, catching up on their past.  Bone now has a true father who seems to love him and is a respectable role model.  Doc is a well-known doctor in that area of Jamaica and makes a lot of money.  He and Evening Star live in a huge mansion with an abundant amount of property.  Bone’s newfound father is much preferred to Ken, his old stepfather.

Upon learning more about his biological father, Bone’s expectations are shattered.  Bone realizes that Doc isn’t the “perfect” father he hoped for.  First of all, Doc abandoned his kid!  If he had just been responsible and paid the alimony perhaps Bone’s mom wouldn’t have attempted to throw him in jail.  Then Bone might have had a regular family.  This defininatley would have helped Bone lead a more non-distracted life without marijuana, abuse, and crime.  Secondly, Doc is a crack addict.  He even lets Bone have a taste of it.  Encouraging your child to do drugs is not what a parental guide should be doing.  Instead, Doc should be trying to help Bone free himself of his addiction to marijuana and get his child to realize that drugs can really wreck a person’s life.  Finally, Doc expresses an excessive amount of anger when Bone tells him that Evening Start and I-Man had sex together.  To get mad at someone for cheating on him would be understandable, but Doc insists that I-Man violated his “property,” he must die. “… I’m going to have to kill him … Because what’s mine is mine … And when some little nigger comes into my house and takes what’s mine, he has to pay” (p.102).  Killing a person for any reason should not be tolerated.  It is too much of an extreme to take the life of another out of their hands.  Bone eventually perceives his father as evil.  He sees that growing up with guardians in general isn’t always a favorable thing.

Even though Bone finds his biological dad, it’s ironic that his friend, I-Man, is actually more a father figure all along.  When Bone runs off with I-Man to the Cockpit of Accompong, where they find refuge so Doc won’t kill the old Rasta, I-Man becomes not only Bone’s spiritual leader, but is more or less his new guide to life.  I-Man treats Bone as a son, letting him work on the ganja plants and teaching him the essentials of living as if Bone is one of his own.  And in a sense, he is.  Ever since they met at he school bus in America, I-Man has taken Bone in as one of his kin.

Is it natural for someone to seek out his or her missing father?  If they do, is it always the best thing for them?  In Bone’s case, he goes through two fathers, a stepfather, and biological father that failed to provide what a father should provide.  It is I-Man who Bone finally finds a home with and who teaches the teenager much wisdom.  I-Man is the one who turns out to be the real father figure, who is the real mentor.  He is the one that Bone finally looks up to.  I-Man is worth it to Bone, even though he dies, because he gives Bone what a kid deserves from a parent.  Bone gets discouraged when I-Man dies and doesn’t know if he ants a parent anymore.  The only one that is suitable for him dies, now he has no one.  So, is it really worth the trouble and emotional hardship to find a guardian, or can someone guide themselves just fine on the path of life? 

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Literary Analysis #2

Stu Dentriter

English 1A, Period 2

Ms. Sigh Tashun

August 14, 2002

Victim or Victor?

We still live in a male-dominated society in the United States.  Men hold most of the influential, prestigious jobs and often earn a dollar and a half for every dollar garnered by their female counterparts.  Accustomed to their time-honored authority over women, many men may feel compelled to escape or rebel when the power scale tips toward women.  James Thurber portrays this role reversal in two of his stories, The Catbird Seat and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.   Mr. Martin and Mr. Mitty both consider themselves victims of dominating women, but only Mr. Martin has the courage to solve his problem.

Mr. Martin temporarily surrenders power at his job whereas Mr. Mitty loses control in his marriage.  Because several people usually work in an office, we are not surprised to find out that the threat to Mr. Martin’s power involves a third party.  Mrs. Ulgine Barrows, who is less organized and experienced than Mr. Martin, cannot simply walk in and take over.  She must manipulate someone who already has power over Mr. Martin so she convinces Mr. Fitweiler, the boss, that she deserves authority:  “She had led him to a sofa and somehow worked upon him a monstrous magic” (p. 5).  Mrs. Barrow's “magic” enables her to disregard Mr. Martin’s authority and re?organize the office without his consent.  In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, however, Mrs. Mitty does not need help from a third party to dominate her husband.  She simply transforms her already strong bond with her husband into a stronger one:  from wife-husband to mother-child.  Since Walter is content to behave as a boy instead of as a man, Mrs. Mitty has no problem ordering him around.  He is willing to put on his overshoes and go shopping for puppy biscuits.  He does not mind waiting for her while she gets her hair done.

Although both men are victims, Mr. Martin faces his problem and consequently overcomes it whereas Mr. Mitty remains a victim because he cannot sustain any rebellion against his wife.  Mr. Martin does not for one instant accept Mrs. Barrow's ambition to run the office:  “The woman had appalled Mr. Martin instantly...” (p. 3).  He creates a courtroom scene in his mind that leads to a forceful conclusion, one that requires action:  “Gentlemen of the jury....I demand the death penalty for this horrible person” (p. 5).  The fact that Mr. Martin plans his “rubbing-out”so carefully shows that he is serious about eliminating this troublesome person.  Even when he can find no murder weapon, his determination forces him to use his rusty imagination to create a new plan that works brilliantly:  “The idea began to bloom, strange and wonderful” (p. 8).  We know that Mr. Martin’s “light” step at the end of the story means that he has re-established control in his life; his determination has paid off.  Mr. Mitty is another story.  Although in his dreams, he exercises an imagination as powerful as Mr. Martin’s, Mr. Mitty does not show the same determination in standing up to his oppressor.  For instance, when Mrs. Mitty asks him why he is driving so fast, his only reply is, “Hmmm” (p. 103).  Occasionally, he does disagree with her but he always gives into her requests. Rather than pursuing his point that he does not drive too fast, he ends up putting on his gloves when she changes the subject.  Even when he voices his strongest rebellion—“Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?” (p. 107)—he does not insist that she listen to him. Instead, after she changes the subject again, he waits for her while she shops.  Mr. Mitty does not develop and follow a plan to gain control as Mr. Martin does. He continues to depend on his dreams because his rebellion evaporates almost as quickly as he establishes it. 

Thurber does refer to Mr. Mitty as “Walter Mitty the Undefeated” at the end of the story but this is very different than calling him “Walter Mitty the Victor.”  He will never be victorious in gaining the equal rights he deserves in his marriage because he is afraid to wage a battle against his wife’s oppression.  Mr. Martin, on the other hand, becomes “Mr. Martin the Conquering Hero” because he does develop a plan and even executes a risky new plan when the first one fails.  Of the two characters, only Mr. Martin knows how to change “victim” into “victor.”

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Strengths of “Victim or Victor?”

Manuscript Requirements Fulfilled

·        Word processed in black 12-point Times font on 8 1/2 x 11" white typing paper

·        1 " margins on all four sides of text

·        Double-spaced

·        Page # on all pages except first page

·        The heading in the upper right-hand corner contains the student's name, date, course title, period, and the teacher's name.

·        The title is centered with two blank lines above and below it.

·        The quotations are properly introduced and cited.

Introduction

·        The essay opens with a general, relevant statement to get the reader's attention (the grabber).

·        The discussion proceeds from general to specific, starting with some general observations about power and ending with a specific thesis statement about two men's reactions to women controlling them.

·        The thesis statement, the controlling idea of the entire essay, is the last sentence of the introduction.  It is a controversial opinion that the writer will attempt to explain and support in the body paragraphs.

Body Paragraphs

·        The well-focused topic sentence, usually at the beginning of the paragraph, fits under the thesis statement and controls the content of the paragraph.

·        Each opinion about Mr. Martin and Mr. Mitty is developed fully and backed up with evidence:  quotations and examples.

·        The second body paragraph starts with a transition from the first one.  (Note: the transition can also go at the end of a body paragraph.)

Conclusion

·        This paragraph restates the main point of the essay without simple repeating the introduction.

·        The writer does not start a new topic, but rather leaves the reader with a unified idea of the thesis.

·        The writer analyzes a quotation not used in the body paragraphs to bring the discussion back to the thesis of the essay.

.5.          Glossaries

Common Language Glossary for Prose

Abstract (ab-STRAKT) – refers to a state of being that cannot be perceived by the five senses.

Analogy (an-AL-uh-gee) – is a comparison between two relationships. Example: An alley is to a street as a stream is to a river. (Also written like this: alley:street::stream:river)

Antagonist (an-TAG-uh-nist) – a person, thing, or force who opposes or competes with the main character (protagonist), hero; often the villain.

Characterization (kar-ik-ter-uh-ZAY-shin) – information an author provides to develop a character in a narrative or drama. Example: what characters say, do, think, how other characters react to them, direct description.

Climax (KLI-max) – most intense point in the plot where the reader is most intrigued and does not yet know the outcome (immediately before the denouement).

Comedy (KOM-uh-dee) – fictional writing that contains humor.

Concrete (kon-KREET) – opposite of abstract; refers to specific people and things that can be perceived with the five senses.

Conflict (KON-flikt) – the problem in a plot.

Denouement (day-new-MAHn) – outcome, resolution, solution of a plot.

Dialect – a distinctive form of a language (not just accent) that reflects social or regional difference.

Dialogue/dialog (DI-uh-log) – conversation between characters in stories, plays, and in person.

Double-entendre (dew-blahn-TAHN-druh) – double meaning of word, phrase, or sentence, often raucous or sexual in implication. Example: All eyes to the rear.

Fable (FAY-buhl) – story with a moral or lesson about life, often with animal characters that have human characteristics.

Flashback – a jumping backward in the chronology of a narrative, often through a dream or musing sequence.

Folklore/folktales – stories and legends transmitted by word of mouth, rather than in writing.

Foreshadowing (FORE-sha-doh-ing) – hint during a narrative about what will happen later; can be literal hints or symbolic hints.

Genre, literary (ZHAHN-ruh, LID-uh-rer-ee) – kind or type of literature, literary classification. Example: novel; science fiction.

Hero – character, usually the protagonist, who rises above problems in the story.

Irony (I-ruh-nee) – use of language to mean the opposite of its literal or usual meaning.

·        Dramatic irony - when the reader has more information about a character’s   situation than the character knows him or herself.

·        Situational irony – when an action has the opposite of its intended result.

·        Verbal irony (sarcasm) – when the writer or character says one thing and means the opposite.

Jargon (JAHR-guhn) – words peculiar to any particular occupation. Example: Flyboy = pilot.

Mythology (mith-OL-uh-gee) – traditional tales from all cultures about goddesses, gods, heroes, and other characters, often about the creation of the universe, death, or other philosophical problems.

Narration (nar-RAY-shin) – telling a story.

Narrator (NAR-ray-ter) – person telling the story or narrative.

Paradox (PAR-uh-doks) – contradictory statement that makes sense. Example: She loved and hated him at the same time.

Parody, literary (PAR-uh-dee, LID-uh-rer-ee) – satire imitating, but mocking an author or work.

Plot – structure of the literature; the way it is put together; the unfolding or sequence of events.

Point-of-view (POV) – perspective from which the story is written.

·        First person – told from the narrator’s point of view, using “I”.

·        Second person – told from the reader’s point of view using “you” (rare).

·        Third person omniscient (ahm-NISH-ent)– told using 3rd person language (he/she) and author knows what all characters are thinking and feeling.

·        Third person limited – told using 3rd person language, but author may know only what the main character is thinking and feeling.

Prose – literature written in sentences and paragraphs, as opposed to poetry or verse.

Protagonist (pro-TAG-uh-nist) – main character or hero in a written work.

Realism, literary – literature reflecting real life, rather than imaginary or idealistic life.

Rhetorical question (ruh-TOR-uh-kuhl) - question asked without expecting an answer; used for effect. Example: Oh, what does it matter, anyway?

Satire (SA-tire) – literature that uses irony to make fun of social conditions or conventions, often for the purpose of creating change.

Setting – time and place of a story. Example: The A Building stairwell, after lunch, in the ‘80s.

Style – the way authors characteristically express themselves (short sentences, flowery language, point-of-view, etc.).

Symbol (SIM-buhl) a word or object that stands for something else. Ex: dove: peace.

Theme (THEEM) – a message or main idea in piece of literature; answer to the question, “What is the author saying through this work?”

Tone – an expressive mood brought forth by story or poem. Example: sadness.

Tragedy (TRA-juh-dee) – literature, often drama, ending in catastrophe for the protagonists after they deal with a series of problems.

Understatement – form of irony in which the author intentionally understates the facts (says it is less than it is). Example: We have a little problem here (referring to the AIDS epidemic).

.Common Language Glossary for Poetry

Alliteration – repetition of beginning consonant sounds in words or stressed syllables (wiggly worm, big boy, snakes in the circus, varicose veins).

Allusion (uh-LOO-zhun) – reference, without explanation, to previous, well-known literature, character, or common knowledge, assuming reader is familiar with its implications. Example: That man is such a Scrooge.

Assonance (ASS-uh-nuhns) – repetition of vowel sounds without the repetition of consonants. Example:  Rising tide of lies, blue moon, tough luck.

Ballad (BAL-luhd) – songlike, narrative poetry; usually simple, rhyming verse using a b c b rhyme scheme.

Blank Verse – unrhymed iambic pentameter. Example: Shakespeare’s tragedies.

Consonance (CON-suh-nuhns) – repetition of consonant sounds at the end of stressed syllables or words without repetition of vowel sounds. Example: same room, pick the lock, I’m taller with my umbrella, laugh it off.

Couplet – two consecutive, rhymed lines of poetry; rhyme scheme a a.

Epic – long narrative poem, usually telling of heroic deeds, historical events, or religious or mythological subjects.

Figures of speech – use or arrangement of words for specific effects.

·        Simile – comparison between things that are not alike, using the word like or as. Example: lips like cherries.

·        Metaphor – comparison between things basically not alike, but not using the words like or as. Example: She is a raging bull.

·        Personification – giving human characteristics to nonhuman things (the branches danced in the breeze).

·        Symbolism – using situation, action, person, setting, or object to stand for something different or more than it is.

Foot – one to three-syllable groupings within a line of poetry; the smallest unit of poetic meter.

Free Verse – poetry without standard meter or rhyme, but rhythmical arrangement of lines for effect.

Iambic Pentameter (i-AM-bik pen-TAM-uh-ter) – a poetic meter with ten-syllable lines, stressed on every second beat (five consecutive iambs). Example: The University of Michigan, My mistress with a monster is in love, the Afro-Haitian dancers seem to fly.

Imagery – creation of mental pictures by pertinent word choice and heightened description. Example: The damp smell of flood silt came fresh and sharp to their nostrils. Only one-half of the upper window was clear, and through it fell a rectangle of dingy light. The floors swam in ooze (Richard Wright, “The Man Who Saw the Flood”).

Meter – rhythm of poetry; pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the lines.

Onomatopoeia (on-uh-mah-tah-PEE-uh) – words that sound like what they represent. Example: sizzle, buzz, crackle, boom.

Oxymoron (ahks-uh-MORE-on) – use of paradoxical or opposite words for effect. Example: graceful as an ox, pleasurable pain, jumbo shrimp.

Poem – an imaginative response to experience reflecting a keen awareness of language.

·        Parallel Poem – poem with each line starting or ending with the same word or phrase.

·        Narrative Poem – poetry that tells a story. Included in this category are ballads, epic poetry, and metrical romances.

·        Occasional Poem – poetry written for a particular occasion.

Prosody (PRAH-suh-dee) – the study of versification: meter, rhyme, and stanza form.

Pun – a play on words; words put together in such a way as to be funny. Example: The blue-haired lady was dyeing to be beautiful (A. Peacock).

Refrain – repetition of words or phrases at the end of each stanza in poetry or song.

Repetition – repetition of sounds, rhyme, word, or phrase Example: …came riding, riding, riding, up to the old inn door (Alfred Noyes).

Rhyme – assonance plus consonance in the last stressed syllable and all following syllables; often used in poetry. Example: make/bake, latitude/attitude.

Rhyme scheme – the pattern of rhyme at the ends of lines; lines that end with rhyming words are assigned the same letter. Example:

Full fathom five thy father lies; a

Of his bones are coral made; b

Those are pearls that were his eyes: a

Nothing of him that doth fade b

But doth suffer a sea-change c

Into something rich and strange. c

—Shakespeare, The Tempest

Shakespearean Sonnet – sonnet with three quatrains (stanzas of four lines each) and ending with a couplet; rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg.

Sonnet – lyric poem expressing one idea, containing fourteen lines of iambic pentameter and set rhyme scheme.

Stanza – a group of lines of poetry, usually with a common form and spaced apart from each other; commonly called a verse.

Common Language Glossary for Writing

Analysis (uh-NAL-uh-sis) – breaking a subject down into parts and explaining the various parts; also, explaining how and why the evidence confirms the topic sentence of a body paragraph (this part of an essay is sometimes called “significance” or “commentary”).

Citation (si-TA-shun) - a page reference for a quotation.  (Sometimes the title or author is included.)

Cliché (klee-SHAY) – trite, overused idea or statement. Example: Have a nice day.

Coherence (koh-HEER-uhns) – clear connection of ideas between sentences and paragraphs.

Conciseness (kuhn-SISE-nis) – “tight” writing; use of only the necessary words to express thoughts.

Connotation (kon-uh-TAY-shun) – surrounding feelings and associations added to word meaning (opposed to "denotation").  Example: pity – to look down on someone.

Denotation (dee-noh-TAY-shun) – literal meaning of word. Example: pity – to feel sorry for someone.

e.g. (EE-GEE) – for example (needs a comma: “e.g.,”).

Ellipsis (ee-LIP-sus) – three dots (…) to show words have been left out of a quotation or to indicate the passage of time.

Essay (ES-say) – short prose work expressing author’s view on a subject.

Euphemism (YEW-fuh-miz-uhm) – more palatable word for less pleasant subject. Example: lady of the evening is a euphemism for prostitute.

Evidence (EV-uh-dents) - examples or quotations that back up the reasoning in a body paragraph.  Quotations must have quotation marks and citations (page numbers).

Grabber (GRAB-ur) - the opening sentence(s) of an essay that catches the reader's attention.

Homonyms (HOM-uh-nimz) – words that sound alike, are spelled alike, but have different meanings. Ex: trunk (of a tree and a car).

Homophones (HOM-uh-fohnz) – words that sound alike (includes homonyms and also words that have different spellings). Example: two, to, and too.

Hyperbole (hi-PER-buh-lee) – use of extreme exaggeration for effect. Example: Hungry enough to eat an elephant.

i.e., (I-EE) – “that is” translated from Latin “id est” (usually followed by explanatory matter; needs a comma: “i.e.,”).

Lead-in – sentences that come immediately before the quotation and explain the context surrounding the quotation: what is happening in the story, and if dialogue, who is talking.

Literary present – the convention of using the present tense to discuss events that happen in literature. Example: When Stevie goes (not went) to the party, she is (not was) disappointed.

Paraphrase (PEAR-uh-frayz) – restatement of writing, keeping the basic meaning, but telling it in one’s own words.

Plagiarism (PLAY-jer-iz-uhm) – using other people’s work as one’s own without crediting the true author.

Redundancy (ree-DUHN-din-see) – repetition that is unnecessary and awkward, in contrast to a repetition to achieve a particular effect.

Synonym (SIN-uh-nim) – words that have almost the same meaning. Example: eat, consume.

Synopsis (sin-OP-sis) – summary or a condensed statement of a literary work.

Thesis Statement - the sentence containing the controlling idea or argument of an essay, usually at the end of the introductory paragraph; all topic sentences directly support the argument in the thesis statement.

Topic Sentence - the sentence containing the controlling idea of a body paragraph, usually at the beginning of the paragraph; all topic sentences directly support the argument in the thesis statement. The topic sentence must be a statement of opinion, not an event from the story.

Transition (tran-ZISH-un) - A word, phrase or sentence that relates a preceding topic to a succeeding one.  Example:  Furthermore, on the other hand.

.6.           Vocabulary and Spelling Words

Autumn Semester Vocabulary

.7.           Proofreading Marks

Common Proofreading Abbreviations

(The abbreviation would appear in the margin, probably with a line or arrow pointing to the offending element.)

Common Proofreading Symbols

.8.          MLA Citation Guide

When you are writing a short essay about one piece of literature, it is usually sufficient to introduce the genre, title, and author in your introduction and then cite quotes like this: “quote” (p. 26). However, throughout your career as a student, you will also write research papers using multiple sources.  In this type of paper, you need to document the sources of your information in two ways: 

·        Within the text of your paper you must cite your sources either directly or by using parenthetical references at the end of sentences quoting or paraphrasing other people's ideas.

·        At the end of the paper you must include a list of all sources you cited in your paper (often called “Works Cited” since bibliography means book writing and now we use more than books to do research).

This guide includes a few samples of parenthetical references and bibliographic entries using the Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you have further questions, go to that book or the website: http://www.mla.org/ MLA style is usually used for papers in the humanities, and another style, called APA (American Psychological Association), is usually used for papers in the sciences.

In-Text Citations

If you are citing an entire work (book, article, film, performance, website or electronic publication), use the name of the person (e.g., author, editor, director, performer), if available, or the title or name of the work that begins the corresponding entry in the Works Cited page, in the text:

McRae's The Literature of Science includes many examples of this trend.

If you are citing from the work of a single author, use the author's last name and the page reference in parentheses:

Loneliness is inversely related to communication competence (Reinking 55).

If you are including a quotation from the text, put the page number(s) after the quote or the author and page number(s) if the author was not mentioned in the sentence:

“A lack of career success may lower men's value in the marketplace of relationships” (Reinking 368).

If you have just stated the author's name, put the page number(s) in parentheses:

Reinking suggests, "A lack of career success may lower men's value in the marketplace of relationships" (368).

If there are more than 3 authors, follow the form for the bibliographic entry (either way):

The misbehaviors of teachers have been investigated (Kearney, Plax, Hays, and Ivey 580).

The misbehaviors of teachers have been investigated (Kearney et al. 580).

If you are citing from a website or electronic source without paging, use paragraph numbers, if available, or omit the numbering.

Toni Morrison taught at Texas Southern University in Houston, where Stokely Carmichael was one of her students. (Bois)

Some handy citation expressions: