THE CRUCIBLE

CRITICAL / ANALYTICAL RESPONSE TO LITERARY TEXTS

You are asked to prepare a minimum five-paragraph persuasive essay that

addresses one of the following topics of discussion. Remember, below you
will find topics as opposed to thesis statements. It is up to you to create a
plausible thesis statement that is both directive and concise.

POSSIBLE TOPICS - PICK ONE:

❑ Discuss the idea(s) developed by Arthur Miller in The Crucible about

integrity (doing what is right) vs. expediency (doing what is easiest)

or

❑ Discuss the ideas(s) developed by Arthur Miller in The Crucible about

fear and deception.

or

❑ Discuss the ideas(s) developed by Arthur Miller in The Crucible about

guilt and redemption.

 OUTLINE FOR “CRITICAL RESPONSE TO LITERATURE” ESSAY

I. The Introduction

Broad Statement Broad Statement:

Your introduction
A) Must introduce the main concepts, words and ideas of the topic. Think should start on a
about this as a general level with
philosophical discussion of the essay topic – you are telling your reader a broad statement
what big ideas your essay is about. DO NOT DISCUSS THE
and gradually
LITERATURE OR CHARACTERS YET
focus in on the
B) You need to define your usage of any big ideas in the essay topic. For specific topic of
example, if you are talking about impressions, do you mean the essay. You
first-impressions or stereotypes? CLARIFY YOUR VOCABULARY. must take a stance
right from the
_____________________________________________________ beginning. You
_____________________________________________________ must be clear and
_____________________________________________________ specific. No
_____________________________________________________ waffling. These
_____________________________________________________ broad statements
_____________________________________________________ should reflect
_____________________________________________________ HOW you will
_____________________________________________________ discuss the
_____________________________________________________ literature.
_____________________________________________________

PRÉCIS Precis: A precis is a

Sentence 1: PRESENT TENSE sentence that summarizes the SET-UP short and brief
portion of your argument and introduces the text. overview of your
arguments and text.
In [AUTHOR’s] [TYPE OF TEXT], [TITLE OF TEXT], the protagonist, It is the idea in your
[NAME], initially... thesis as
_____________________________________________________ demonstrated by the
_____________________________________________________ protagonist. Must
_____________________________________________________ reflect discussion in
_____________________________________________________ the BROAD
_____________________________________________________ STATEMENTS.
Sentence 2: PRESENT TENSE sentence that summarizes the CRISIS Must directly relate
portion of your argument to the topic. Each
Then [character]: statement can be
_____________________________________________________ used as a topic
_____________________________________________________ sentence in the
_____________________________________________________ body of your essay.
_____________________________________________________ REMEMBER THE
ARC!!
Sentence 3: PRESENT TENSE sentence that summarizes the
OUTCOME portion of your argument
Consequently / Ultimately:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

THESIS Thesis: A thesis is your

[character] demonstrates the idea that [theme] because [how/why] main observation of or
answer to the question
resulting in [outcome] implied in the topic. It
_____________________________________________________ must be character
_____________________________________________________ specific.
_____________________________________________________ Theme: The topic
_____________________________________________________ without ambiguity, the
_____________________________________________________ stance you have taken.
_____________________________________________________
How/Why: normally
_____________________________________________________ starts with because.
_____________________________________________________ Describes why or how
_____________________________________________________ the protagonist does
what they do.
_____________________________________________________
Outcome: The result of
the above.
 II. Body Paragraphs
You will have three parts to your argument: SET-UP, CRISIS, OUTCOME. You must
explore your character’s traits (thoughts, actions, values and attitudes) as they relate to
and for what they reveal about the topic. REPEAT the process below for each of the
body paragraphs (minimum of 3)

Topic Sentence A topic sentence is

_____________________________________________________ character specific. It
_____________________________________________________ is not a fact about
_____________________________________________________ plot or character. It
_____________________________________________________ states the what you
_____________________________________________________ are going to
prove/discuss about
_____________________________________________________
the character.
_____________________________________________________ Remember, this can
_____________________________________________________ be a reiteration of
_____________________________________________________ your statement in
_____________________________________________________ the PRÉCIS.

Point 1: P: Point about your

_____________________________________________________ topic sentence that
_____________________________________________________ begins the discussion
of the ideas
_____________________________________________________ presented.

Evidence: E: Specific example

_____________________________________________________ (quote, paragraph or
_____________________________________________________ explanation) from the
_____________________________________________________ text that exemplifies
the above point.
_____________________________________________________ MUST BE
PROPERLY
Analysis: INTEGRATED and
_____________________________________________________ CITED.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ A: Discuss what your
support means AND
_____________________________________________________ how it demonstrates
_____________________________________________________ the point. Do not
_____________________________________________________ restate the example.
Analyze!
 Continue PEAs until you have discussed all parts of the topic sentence. You should have a minimum of 2
points per paragraph.
You must TRANSITION between your points.

Synthesis SYNTHESIS: You

_____________________________________________________ must now sum up
_____________________________________________________ what you have said
and connect to your
_____________________________________________________ essay’s thesis by
_____________________________________________________ reusing words from
_____________________________________________________ the thesis. This is
_____________________________________________________ NOT the place to
transition to your next
paragraph.

—--------------------------------- END OF PARAGRAPH—------------------------------------

Transition/Paragraph 2 Topic Sentence: TRANSITION: In

_____________________________________________________ approximately six
_____________________________________________________ words (a phrase) sum
up your previous
_____________________________________________________ argument and write
_____________________________________________________ your next topic
_____________________________________________________ sentence. (This
_____________________________________________________ should all be one
sentence.)

III. Conclusion

Restate Thesis: Ultimately, Restate Thesis: Use

_____________________________________________________ different words to
_____________________________________________________ restate the idea in
your thesis. Start with
_____________________________________________________ the word ultimately.
_____________________________________________________

Synthesis: In a couple of
sentences, connect your
_____________________________________________________ last body paragraph to
_____________________________________________________ your first and
_____________________________________________________ demonstrate how your
_____________________________________________________ restated thesis was
demonstrated in your
essay
Thematic discussion: Discuss what your
[character] demonstrates that when an individual exploration of the
character’s experiences
_____________________________________________________ demonstrate about the
_____________________________________________________ human condition – what
_____________________________________________________ insights are learned?
Use words like individual
_____________________________________________________ and people.

Theme statement: State a theme statement

that directly connects to
_____________________________________________________ the essay topic and your
_____________________________________________________ answer. It should always
_____________________________________________________ demonstrate both cause
_____________________________________________________ and effect
_____________________________________________________ When an individual
_____________________________________________________ ______, it results
in_____. This is the
major insight of your
essay and SHOULD
NOT BE CHARACTER
SPECIFIC!

Final Checklist

o Present tense
o No personal pronouns
o SPECIFIC and CAREFULLY selected examples
o Examples are fully interpreted, explained and linked to the topic sentence o
There are no points that do not support the thesis
o EVERY EXAMPLE IS EXPLAINED (otherwise, it is a summary)
o Each paragraph is linked to all or a part of the thesis
Consider how the protagonist’s journey demonstrates this theme. Note what the
character/reader learns at each part of the journey. This sets up your body paragraphs.

Set Up Crisis Outcome

Now, in one or two sentences, sum-up the significance of each of the three parts. These
become your topic sentences and basis for your introductory précis.

Set-up: Initially Crisis: However Outcome: Consequently

i. Who is the character before the
moment of change?
ii. Situate the character in their
world. Give context and
background information!
iii. What evidence is there that the
character is like this?
iv. Why is this important to
understand/set-up the topic?
v. What was discussed in the set-up that
changes?
vi. What mechanism, experience or force
initiates the change?
vii. Why is this significant/important?
viii. What is the moment of change?
ix. What does the change reveal about
the character? Humanity?
x. What does it reveal about the topic?
xi. What is the result of the change
on the character? On related
characters?
xii. How is the character different
than before? What evidence is
there?
xiii. Are there new insights gained?
xiv. What does it show about the
topic?