General Guidelines for the context question

You should approach this question, taking the following into consideration:

a- Specify the argument (thesis statement) clearly as given in your question‫من السؤال‬

Ex: absurdity of war ‫ ❌ مش هتكلم عن الحرب بشكل عام‬as a serious seen ❌

Ex:swift anti war

tone:comic,mood:absurdist humor" ‫الي بتقديمها في القصة‬techniques ‫هتكلم عنها من خالل‬

How do you answer a context question?

o Write in an academic essay form: an introduction, body (3 paragraphs) and

conclusion

o Your introduction should include these two basic elements: background and thesis

statement

 Background should discuss a number of points in a very brief way

o the historical/political/social/philosophical/cultural context that clearly

reflect these specific excerpts (s); no generalizations

Ex:absurdity of war  specific political context background as swift is

addressing in this war between England and France

o Swift’s ideology or highly specific critical perspective in the given

excerpts (consistent or inconsistent):may be different from excerpt to

another

Ex:absurdity of war his political ideology

 excerpts ideology ‫>ممكن أقارن بين كل‬--

o You should keep both the narrowing down technique and logical

sequence of ideas on writing your introduction.-->from general to

specific until thesis statement

 You should end your introduction with a clear thesis statement(reflects the

theme of argument) that sums up your argument that will be developed

elaborately in the body paragraphs.

Paragraph 1: Introduction (6-8 lines)

 (1)General Statement (either about the novel/writer with respect to the given argument or

about the argument in a general sense… a hook could be used)

e.g. Swift was known for his sharp antagonism towards war.

OR, War is the most absurdist token of violence that could befall a nation.--> about the

argument itself without related it to novel or writer but then I will apply it to the age then

swift then novel then thesis statement.

Ex: Swift is the prominent writer/ Gulliver is famous novel❌ this isn't related to the

argument

 Background information (be brief and precise)

 The author and title of the work ‫الزم اذكر اسم الكاتب واسم النوفل‬

 (1-2)Introduce the given argument in the two volumes in brief mention the

main idea of each volum of the excerpts in brief

 Ex: Volume 1 its form of political satire. Volume 4 its satire directed to philosophical

ideas in 18th century

 Relevant historical/political/social/cultural/ background in comparison

 Relevant Swift’s ideology or conviction

P.S. Order the background information in a logical, narrowed-down sequence, in which

each idea should give way to the next idea using effective transition signals.

 Thesis Statement: (Argument)

In both excerpts, then should highlight your argument with respect to the two given texts and

point out whether they are similar or different or both

e.g. Both excerpts voice Swift’s antagonistic views of war; however, the first one is a comic

manifestation of such views while the second one entails a much harsher criticism.

Important: you may include in your thesis statement your selected narrative elements to be

discussed in the body paragraphs, but this is not obligatory.

e.g. Through his skillful use of diction and setting in both excerpts, Swift manages to

successfully voice his sharp criticism of war which sounds comic in the first excerpt while

scornful in the second one. (you can divide your thesis statement in two sentences to avoid

clumsy structure)
o The body paragraphs

 Each body paragraph should reflect an aspect of your thesis statement.

 Start each paragraph with a working topic sentence that directly relates to your

thesis statement on one hand + and clearly introduces the main idea (discussed

element/technique) of this paragraph on the other.

For example, Swift employs diction in both volumes to ridicule the excessive

pride of the Englishman.  ‫ده معناه ان كل البراجراف هيقارن بين‬

Diction‫ بتاعت كل‬excerpts

 After you highlight your main topic in the paragraph ( e.g. diction). Then

narrow down your explanation by applying this element only to the given

extracts/excerpts.

 Support your ideas with textual evidence only from the given excerpts in

both quoted and paraphrased words.

 Relate techniques with theme, swift’s ideology/satirical intention and age

Revise how to incorporate quoted words or sentences in a text.

  Keep the coherence of your text by using appropriate transition signals. Pay

much attention to the compare and contrast linking words.

 2 only techniques +with their devices+ one or 2 evidence+ with

exploitation(mention its significance with respect to the given argument) from

the excerpts

Compare and Contrast Essay

Point OrganizationI am going to compare point by point  I am going to sapply the

same point of comparison to both excerpts in the same paragragh:

ex:diction of both excerpts in one paragraph

Paragraph 2: First Body Paragraph (5-7 lines)

 Introduce both situations in a compare-contrast way answering the questions: what, how,

who, why. ‫بنحكي الحدوتة باختصار‬

2)Highlight the major theme(s) in both excerpts and show if they tackle the same themes

or different/contrasting ones. Relate the themes to the argument.

Ex:the theme involved is mainly ridiculing the fights …

3)You can also here detail the relevant background you already shed light on briefly in

the introduction ‫نربط ال‬

Theme ‫ب ال‬background ‫اللي ذاكرتها فوق‬

Paragraph 3: Second Body Paragraph (10-12 lines)

 A. Topic sentence introduces the first point of comparison (e.g. diction) and relate to the

argument (thesis statement)

Ex:Style is an important technique employed by Swift to reflect absurdity of war

B. Body of the paragraph

a. Major 1: Manifestations of diction in the first excerpt

Ex:diction/ descriptive language 

b. Minor detail 1: examples with analysis

c. Minor detail 2: examples with analysis

1. Major 2: Manifestations of diction in the second excerpt in comparison to the first one
Ex:diction/descriptive language  ‫ وهو مختلف أو متشابه مع اللي فوق في أي‬،‫يقول لي اخترته‬

a. Minor detail 1: examples with analysis

b. Minor detail 2: examples with analysis

Important Note: highlight how the two excerpts are similar or different regarding the discussed

aspect. Does the writer employ the selected technique or element in the same/different way in

the two given excerpts? What does this indicate?

2. Major3: Relate the technique with the ideology and contextual background of the text

Third Body Paragraph (10 lines)

Same as paragraph 2

Concluding Paragraph (3-5 lines)

A. Restate your thesis

B. Highlight the points of comparison (elements or techniques used)

 B. Summarize similarities and differences.-->sum up

Gulliver’s Travels

On war, Jonathan Swift writes, “Most sorts of diversion in men, children and other animals, are

in imitation of fighting.” In light of Swift’s words, compare and contrast the following extracts

from Gulliver’s Travels, utilizing two narrative elements to demonstrate how Swift sarcastically

voices his views of war.

Book One

I communicated to His Majesty a project I had formed of seizing the enemy's whole fleet, which,

as our scouts assured us, lay at anchor in the harbour ready to sail with the first fair wind […] I

walked towards the north-east coast over against Blefuscu, and, lying down behind a hillock,

took out my small pocket perspective-glass, and viewed the enemy's fleet at anchor, consisting of

about fifty men-of-war and a great number of transports; I then came back to my house and gave

order (for which I had a warrant) for a great quantity of the strongest cable and bars of iron. The

cable was about as thick as pack-thread, and the bars of the length and size of a knitting-needle. I

trebled the cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason I twisted three of the iron bars
together, binding the extremities into a hook. Having thus fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I

went back to the north-east coast, and, putting off my coat, shoes, and stockings, walked into the

sea in my leathern jerkin, about half an hour before high water… I then took my tackling, and,

fastening a hook to the hole at the prow of each, I tied all the cords together at the end. While I

was thus employed the enemy discharged several thousand arrows, many of which stuck in my

hands and face, and, besides the excessive smart, gave me much disturbance in my work. My

greatest apprehension was for mine eyes, which I should have infallibly lost if I had not suddenly

thought of an expedient. I kept, among other little necessaries, a pair of spectacles in a private

pocket, which, as I observed before, had escaped the Emperor's searchers. These I took out and

fastened as strongly as I could upon my nose, and thus armed went on boldly with my work, in

spite of the enemy's arrows, many of which struck against the glasses of my spectacles, but

without any other effect farther than a little to discompose them. I had now fastened all the

hooks, and, taking the knot in my hand, began to pull, but not a ship would stir, for they were all

too fast held by their anchors, so that the bold part of my enterprise remained. I therefore let go

the cord, and, leaving the hooks fixed to the ships, I resolutely cut with my knife the cables that

fastened the anchors, receiving above two hundred shots in my face and hands; then I took up the

knotted end of the cables to which my hooks were tied, and with great ease drew fifty of the

enemy's largest men-of-war after me.

*****

Book Four

I could not forbear shaking my head and smiling a little at his ignorance. And being no stranger

to the art of war, I gave him a description of cannons, culverins, muskets, carbines, pistols,

bullets, powder, swords, bayonets, sieges, retreats, attacks, undermines, countermines,

bombardments, sea-fights, ships sunk with a thousand men, twenty thousand killed on each side;

dying groans, limbs flying in the air, smoke, noise, confusion, trampling to death under horses'

feet; flight, pursuit, victory; fields strewed with carcasses left for food to dogs, and wolves, and

birds of prey; plundering, stripping, ravishing, burning, and destroying. And to set forth the

valour of my own dear countrymen I assured him that I had seen them blow up a hundred

enemies at once in a siege, and as many in a ship, and beheld the dead bodies come down in

pieces from the clouds, to the great diversion of the spectators.