If you're stumped, or looking for something new…one more

The Scarlet Letter draws heavily on religious images, symbols, and allusions. One common character type in Western literature is the Christ-type.  Using evidence from How to Read Like a Professor and The Scarlet Letter, make an argument for how one of the characters in The Scarlet Letter functions as a Christ-type and how Hawthorne uses the Christ-type elements of that character to develop and convey a particular theme or message.

Last night's homework: Do the following journal entry…

September 29, 2014 Scarlet Letter pre-essay reflection journal

Write a 9 to 13 sentence journal on what you perceived to be one or two of the most interesting points Hawthorne may have wished to convey to his readers. Explain your answer.  And although this is a nearly two-hundred year old story – looking back at a time and culture from nearly 400 years ago, which message or idea feels most relevant to you personally? Finally, write a working thesis (one or two sentences) that could eventually be refined into a final thesis appropriate for The Scarlet Letter essay assignment you just received.

Thesis Focus Question

Focus Question:

What lesson(s) can Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter teach about

__________________________________, and how does Hawthorne convey that lesson?

Think of lessons not necessarily as more lessons, but as a lesson on anything that Hawthorne may wish to point out or explore by means of this novel.

Generic/one-word themes can be a good starting point if you plug them in to the question above. Also, create other questions that include that “generic theme” (word or phrase) in order to develop a precise and nuanced answer to the focus question.  You might even combine two generic themes in your question. Then, craft a concise and precise (1-2 sentence) thesis statement by weaving your best answers together.   Use at least one analytical verb in your thesis statement.

Another look at the resources and lessons in the Writer’s Sourcebook

- thesis crafting mini-lesson on Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (16-17)

- mini-essay on David Berman’s poem, “Snow” (11-12)

Ten Tips to Improve Writing

Emdedding quotes

Work on essay in class

HW: Type and bring an intro paragraph and your first body paragraph 

By the end of class, write your working thesis in your notebook and on a notecard with your name on it and the period.  Please hand that into me.  

Kehinde Wiley Goes To Haiti

Kehinde Wiley, Venus at Paphos (The World Stage: Haiti), 2014. Oil on linen 

Kehinde Wiley, The Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte (The World Stage: Haiti), 2014. Archival inkjet print on Epson Hot Press Bright 300 grain paper.