Preparing for an In Class Essay
While you may not know the essay prompt, you have a plethora of strategies at your disposal that you can use to prepare for the essay. Here are my suggestions:
Review the Plot Progression or Poem’s literal meaning.
For a play, pick 2 - 3 major monologues. Be able to describe the context and the literal meaning (specifically for Shakespeare).
Review two - three main conflicts
Review the Protagonist, Antagonist (there may be more than one), and 1 - 2 important minor characters who impacted the Protagonist on his/her journey. Try to describe each character using 1 - 2 adjectives. Even better - find a quote that proves that adjective.
Identify the literary elements we discussed in class - try to identify quotes that are associated with those literary elements
Finally, and most importantly… THEME. Try to find one - two major lessons or take aways. Look for patterns of those lessons throughout the literary work. Find quotes that back up those ideas. HINT: Consider what the title has to do with the novel as a whole.
For Honors - Some essays may ask you to compare a quote or a poem’s message to the text you are studying. Think about what sort of similarities/contrasts of themes, conflicts, and characters arise in your texts.
PRO TIP: Find 3 - 4 TOTAL QUOTES that work on multiple levels (such as a quote that can argue both characterization AND theme). This way you have a focused group of quotes to work with.
For Essay Writing, Review
How to Create a Graphic Organizer
How to Format Titles and MLA Citations
How to write an Introduction and incorporate a Thesis
Important components of a Body Paragraph (TEXAS).
How to write a Conclusion
Two Final Words about Preparing for an In Class Essay
Go in with a game plan, specifically surrounding time. How long will you spend on each component of your essay?
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Know that all the preparation you did leading up to the essay has prepared you adequately. Breathe deeply and know that YOU CAN DO THIS.