A critique is a formal evaluation of a text, and one of the most common forms of critique in literature is the review. In a review, you – as the reviewer – get to evaluate the text. For your first essay, choose one of the short stories you’ve read in Module 1. Your 3-5 page review should include quotations from the text wherein you will cite your sources according to MLA guidelines. Here are some guidelines for writing your review:
Introduce What You Are Evaluating
· Include the title and author.
· Be clear about what you are evaluating
Set up Your Review with a Summary
· Your summary is to be used as a reference point for your discussion.
· Be sure that your summary is balanced with adequate analysis. This is not a book report.
Put the Piece into Context
· What type of work is it?
· When was it written?
Analyze the Text
· Note how the work is structured.
· Look at the individual elements: plot, character, dialogue.
· Determine the purpose of the work.
Include Your Reasoned Opinion: This Is Your Evaluation
· Did the work achieve its purpose?
· What is your response to the selection and why?
· Agree or disagree with the presentation of information (whether or not it achieved its purpose).
· Base your agreement or disagreement on evidence.
End with a Balanced Conclusion
· Recap the pros and cons of the piece.
· Give your overall reaction.
You may take this essay or the next essay to the Writing Lab (or make an online appointment) to meet your requirement for a paper-reading appointment, but make sure you take it before the due date.