Steps
for getting an “A” on the Exam Essay
1.
Brainstorm what “lessons” you could possibly use from your book.
2.
As you watch your film, take notes on any examples, characters,
scenes that might help you prove your “lesson” about your book.
3.
Create a point-by-point outline for your essay (or use the graphic
organizer). Include page numbers so
that you can pull quotes.
My outline would look like*:
Texts to be compared: the novel IT by
Stephen King and the movie Nightmare on Elm Street
Thesis: The genre of horror helps people realize that only by facing
their fear will they be able to overcome it.
I. Everyone is afraid of something
A) Examples from IT -- Pennywise stalks
1. Bev with blood in the
bathroom sink (see p. 378)
2. Bill with the ghost of
his dead brother
B) Examples from Nightmare --
Freddy stalks
1. Tina in the
alley
2.
II. How people try to run away from their fear
A) Examples from IT
1. The kids physically run from the
monster (see p. ____ )
2. When they grow up, they move away
B) Examples from Nightmare
1. In the dreams they physically run
2. In the real world, they try to stay awake to “run” from their dreams
III. How people need to stand up to their fear
A) Examples from IT
1. As kids, they complete the ritual of chud
(see p. ____ )
2. As adults, they return to
B) Examples from
Nightmare
1.
2.
4.
Write the body paragraphs/sections using the pattern we practiced
during the myth unit
Sentence
1 - Explain topic/point to be compared
Sentence 2+ - Describe (vividly) examples/quotes from story A
~~~ Transition into next story...
Sentence 3+ - Describe (vividly) examples/quotes from story B
Sentence 4+ - Make a thoughtful comparison (connection) between the examples
Sentence 5+ - Make an insightful (subtle, useful) contrast between the examples
Sentence 6+ - Explain how the comparison/contrast ties in to the overall
thesis.
This pattern is obviously not set in stone -- the pieces may be rearranged in
order, but any good c/c body paragraph/section will have all the pieces.
The + sign refers to the fact that it might take more than one sentence to do
that part, and so the paragraph as a whole will likely have more than 6
sentences.
And a sample body section would be:
Everyone is afraid of something. For the
kids in Stephen King's IT, their fears seem to be very different. Bev has
a voice from the bathroom sink tell her that "You'll float down here with
your friends" and then "suddenly a bright red bubble backed up the
drain and popped, spraying beads of blood on the distained porcelain" (King
378). Bill sees his dead brother and the other kids are pursued by famous
monsters like the wolfman or vampire. But all
their fears are all really coming from the same source -- the evil clown
Pennywise, also known as IT. Similarly, the teens in Nightmare on
In
both stories, though, the characters have similar nightmarish experiences and
are so afraid that they don't even tell their friends what is happening.
They are too afraid of being called crazy or cowardly to deal with their
fear directly. Of course, for the kids in IT, they think no one will
believe them because they're just kids. On the other hand, the teens of
Nightmare on
Then
I'd need a body paragraph on running away and another on standing up to a
fear. Notice that one body “section”
might be more than one paragraph long.
5. Add an introduction where you
a)
make me interested in your topic,
b)
explain the titles and authors of what will be compared, and
c)
clearly state your thesis (lesson) to be
learned.
6. Add a conclusion where you
a.
Sum up what was covered
b.
Restate the thesis (in slightly different words)
c.
Challenge us to apply it to our own lives
7. Add a “Works Cited” section where you give
both your book and the movie.
8. (if time) Add a snazzy title.
Viola!
You have a compare/contrast essay that will score well!