Name: ___________________________________________Grade & Section: _________________ 

Subject:   English 10    Teacher: __________________________________ Score: ______________ 

Lesson : Quarter 3 Week 7 LAS 2 
Activity Title  : Different Language Type 
Learning Target : The learner writes a critique of a selection with a focus on the power struggle
between characters ( MARXIST)
Reference(s)           : SLM English 10
LAS Writer : Eden D.Palalio

Critiquing a short story usually takes the form of an essay. It is an in –depth evaluation of the story
for the purpose of giving the reading public insight into the story. Writing critique requires you to
reassemble the elements in such a way that your intended audience has a better understanding of
the story’s strengths, weaknesses, and highlights.

ACTIVITY: Write a critique of the attached story “The Son’s Veto” recognizing exclusive rights.
Use the following guide in writing your critique.
 Note: This attachment is for READING only. Please DO NOT COPY.

SAMPLE CRITIQUE
Lee, published by Crime Factory
Posted in Short Story reviews, tagged Cameron Ashley, Crime Factory, eric Beetner, fiction, Lee
Marvin, publishing, reading, short story The Dirty Dozen, Writing on May 28 ,2013. I recently finished a
fiction anthology called, Lee. The book features seventeen short stories, all written by crime writers
and inspired by Lee Marvin- his life, his movies. The stories flow in chronological order with the first
taking place in 1944 and the last in 1987, just after Lee died. Frankly, I thought it only because its
publisher, Crime Factory, had published two of my short stories. I liked what they’d done in their
journal, and figured Id check out what else they’ve brought to the world. I’m happy to admit that I was
wrong. Not only is every story in the collection really good, but it turns out that the concept really
worked. Ina word, the book rocks! It was fun to see how the different authors tackled the task of writing
a Lee Marvin- inspired story. I particularly liked the stories: “1966: Just Swell”, Cameron Ashly; “1967:
The Gun Hunter, “Eric Beetner. Beetner’s novel The Devil Doesn’t Want me has now moved up to
number three on my reading list, which hopefully means I’ll get to it in June. I feel good that in my own
little way, I’m associated with these writers, at least tangentially.

Finishing Lee has also made me more interested in Lee Marvin’s movies. I
watched The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence during a film class in college
and was blown away by his performance, but I don’t think I’d seen another
one of his movies. And I consider myself something of an old film buff. I took
a step toward correcting this oversight last night by watching The Dirty
Dozen-awesome.
-CC Roy Jacob
Posted by Abdulat8/10/2008 12:46:00 PM

The Son's Veto - Thomas Hardy

Of the stories we have read thus far, I found Thomas Hardy’s The Son’s Veto to be the most
interesting because it offers readers a very insightful critique of the social class system in-place in
England during the nineteenth century. As the story begins, we are introduced to the protagonist......

Sophy is working as a servant to rural vicar Reverend Twycott when she receives a proposal of
marriage from gardener Sam Hobson, but she doesn’t accept him.

When she injures her foot in a fall down stairs, she thinks she will have to leave the vicarage, but
Reverend Twycott (recently widowed) suddenly realizes her worth and proposes to her, an offer which
she accepts.

Feeling that he has committed “social suicide‟ by marrying a servant, Twycott moves to a new
„living‟ in south London. They have a son, Randolph, who is sent to public school in preparation for
Oxford or Cambridge, prior to taking up the ministry.
 When Twycott dies, Sophy lives in a small house he had the foresight to provide for her. She is
bored by the eventlessness of her existence, and estranged from her son, who has adopted a superior
and critical attitude to his uneducated mother.

Eventually she meets Sam again when he is transporting vegetables to Covent Garden market.
She tells him she is unhappy and wishes she were living back in the countryside. Their relationship
comes to life again, and Sam proposes marriage to her for a second time.

She accepts in principle, even though by doing so she would lose the home and the living Twycott
has provided for her. But she needs time to break the news to her son. When she does so, he forbids
her to marry Sam because the shame of it would downgrade him in the eyes of his friends.

Sophy asks Sam to wait, and he does so for five years, after which he repeats his offer. Sophy
renews her appeal to Randolph, who is now an undergraduate at Oxford. He forces her kneel down and
swear that she will never marry Sam, claiming that he does this to honor the memory of his father.

Five years later Sam has become a prosperous greengrocer. He stands in his shop doorway as
Sophy’s funeral procession passes by on its way to her home village. Randolph who has now become a
priest scowl at Sam from the mourner’s coach.