The Literary Essay An analysis of the literary devices used in Night. Course: EAE1D1-02 Date Due: December 18 th, Teacher: Danica Lalich Project Duration: 3 Weeks Description In this unit, we read the novel Night by Elie Wiesel and learned about the elements of stories and how they work together to create a big picture of a novel. We also learned about the literary devices used by authors to give a text meaning. In Night, Wiesel uses many literary devices to communicate the meaning of his text. For example, he uses symbols such as fire to represent Nazi power and destruction; soup to represent life and survival; and the Star of David to represent Jewish identity. Furthermore, he uses motifs such as religion/prayer to show the struggle to keep your faith when facing immense evil; night to show the darkness/evil in all of us; and silence to show the silence of the Jews in the face of their oppressors as well as the silence of God in response to the cries and suffering of his people. Finally, in his novel, he weaves together literary devices and elements of story to point to the major themes he wishes to explore through his writing. For this task, you will write a 700-800 word literary essay, using the 5-block essay format, in response to one of the topics below. You will follow the writing process by completing the Grade 9 Essay Kit in order to organize your thoughts and ideas, and in order to communicate and support your arguments effectively. Topics 1. Discuss the author s use of ONE of the following literary devices in Night: a. Symbols b. Motifs c. Foreshadowing d. Juxtaposition 2. Discuss how the author explores ONE of the following themes in Night: a. The evil within all of us. b. The struggle to maintain faith in a benevolent God. c. The importance of father-son bonds. d. Silence is complicity. 3. A topic of your choice, to be approved by the teacher.
Success Criteria Checklist 1. I use the writing process to produce a well-written, polished final draft (AP) Brainstorming After I have chosen my topic, I brainstorm ideas for claims and evidence. Outlining I create a detailed and organized outline that includes the main components of the essay. First Draft Using my outline, I compose a first draft of my essay. Revising & Editing I revise my first draft for grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. I edit my essay for organization, reasoning, and structure. I apply my revisions and edits to produce a final draft for submission. 2. I follow the 5-block essay structure. Introduction (1 paragraph) I begin with a broad statement that hooks the reader. (KU) I provide information that the reader needs to know in order to understand my arguments. (KU) I finish with a thesis statement that summarizes my topic and arguments (in order). (KU) Development (3 paragraphs) Each paragraph has a topic sentence that states my claim. (KU) Each paragraph has detail sentences that provide evidence and explanations to support my claim. (KU) Each paragraph ends with a closing statement that refers back to my claim and forms a conclusion. (KU + TH) Conclusion (1 paragraph) I restate my thesis in different words and in a bit more detail. (KU) I end my conclusion with a few sentences that serve as a comment or call to action (making connections between the topic and society in general or to a larger idea). (KU + TH + AP) 3. I use evidence appropriately to support my claims. Choice of evidence I choose quotes from the novel that are relevant to my claim. (TH) I don t always choose the most obvious quotes to support my claim, instead looking for the best quote possible to show that I have a deeper understanding of the novel. (TH) YES NO
I use explicit and implicit information from the novel as evidence. (TH) I only use outside sources for evidence dealing with historical context (WWII, Nazis, Holocaust, etc) all other evidence comes directly from the novel. Use of evidence I introduce all of my evidence using an appropriate transition word or transition sentence. (COM) I analyze my evidence by explaining how it supports my claim. (TH) 4. I communicate clearly, coherently and to suit the context and intention of my essay. (COM) Formal writing I write in the present tense at all times, even when retelling events that have happened in the novel. I avoid contractions (i.e. don t, won t, can t, couldn t, isn t, it s, etc.). I use an active voice (i.e. Cookie Monster always eats all of the cookies.) as opposed to a passive voice (i.e. The cookies are always eaten by Cookie Monster.) I do not use first person references (i.e. I, we, me, myself, our, my, us, mine, etc ). I do not address the reader directly (i.e. by using the pronoun you or by asking a hypothetical question). I avoid colloquialisms and too commonly used phrases (i.e. You know when ; SWAG!; It s like ; etc.) Clarity and coherence My ideas are clear and the reader is not left guessing what I meant to say or asking themselves so what? 5. I apply language conventions (COM) Grammar I make sure all of the first words in my sentences, the proper nouns, and the pronoun I, are capitalized. I make sure that I use the right homophone for the right context (i.e. there, their, and they re; it s and its; here and hear; two, to and too; are and our; etc.) I use punctuation correctly (i.e. I have periods at the end of my sentences, etc.). Spelling I double-check the spelling of unfamiliar words in the dictionary. I use a spell-check program to review my essay before handing it in. Sentence Structure My sentences are complete and have the mandatory subject and verb, and a non-mandatory but highly recommended object (i.e. sujet de la phrase, prédicat de la phrase et complément de la phrase).
My sentences make sense and flow together nicely. 6. I apply MLA formatting to my essay (AP) Header On the top right of each page, I have my last name and the corresponding page number. At the beginning of my essay, I have my name, the teacher s name, the course code, and the due date of the essay (see essay kit for example) Title My title is centered and is uniform to the rest of the essay (i.e. NOT underlined, bolded, italicized, or in a different font or size). Font, spacing and margins My ENTIRE essay in written in Times New Roman, font size 12. My ENTIRE essay is double-spaced (2.0), and there are NO EXTRA LINE BREAKS anywhere. My margins are 1 Paragraphs The beginning of each paragraph is indented. ALL of my evidence, even if it is not directly quoted, is cited using parenthetical citations (i.e. (Lalich 25)) There are NO FOOTNOTES Quotations that are longer than four lines are put in block quotations. Works Cited page I have a work cited page at the end of my essay. The works cited are in alphabetical order by author name. I format my citations using MLA format (see essay kit) Components and Due Dates 1. Choose a topic and brainstorm your ideas. 2. Create an outline for your essay. 3. Prepare a rough draft of your essay for peer revision and editing. 4. Complete the checklist above and use it to revise and edit your essay yourself. 5. Produce a final drat for your essay. Friday, December 6 th, Tuesday, December 10 th, Monday, December 16 th, Wednesday, December 18 th, Due: Topic chosen and brainstorm done. Due: Detailed outline of essay Due: Revised and typed rough draft of essay Due: Final draft of essay *PLEASE NOTE: All of the components listed above are to be handed in with the final draft on Wednesday, December 18 th,.*
TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR ESSAY ARMS a simple way to improve an essay A (add) Missing task items, excerpts to further argument, figurative language for style, details/descriptions R (remove) Unnecessary repetitions, unimportant excerpts, off task/topic information M (move) Sentence structure for variety/style, paragraphs for emphasis, idea order for a logical flow S (substitute) Overused words, weak verbs with strong verbs, better adjectives, generic words for style