Earning an “A” on a secondary school essay has a lot to do with good structure, appropriate syntax and diction, and effective overall style. The essay must be carefully proofread and, of course, it must address the prompt. :What really separates the good essays from the great essays, however, is how relevant the writer makes the essay.
How to Write a Memorable Essay on a Novel like The Scarlet Letter
The secondary school United States literature teacher has, for example, probably read hundreds of essays on The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne. The great majority of the essays have probably addressed the same content, using the same arguments and the same quotations. Given that successful writing often means the piece in question must stand out and get noticed, the high school student assigned an essay on The Scarlet Letter instantly realizes that he or she is up against some very poor odds.
Place the Novel in Context by Connecting it to Current Events
While the student can try to write a memorable essay by breaking new ground in terms of analysis and criticism, chances are there is not a lot of new ground for that student to cover. The student is not, after all, a Hawthorne scholar. What the student does know, however, is the circumstances of his or her own life. Current events, global issues and even local or personal experiences can be used as a context in which to place an essay and make it new, interesting and relevant to the reader.
Addressing the “So What?” Question in the Concluding Paragraph of an Essay
Making the essay relevant is best accomplished in the concluding paragraph after the writer has argued effectively for a controversial point and backed up that argument with plenty of textual evidence. In the conclusion, the writer will probably want to restate the thesis and briefly summarize the strongest points in defense of that thesis, but then the writer has the opportunity to take the essay to the next level. How? Give the instructor a reason to not say, “Fine. Good essay, but so what? Who cares? I’ve read hundreds of essay that have made the same point, but why do I care that this point has been made?”
Use an Authoritative, Third-person Style to Place the Novel in a New Light
The savvy writer need not digress into first-person or obscure references to answer the “So What?” question. Instead, using an authoritative, third-person style, the writer can point out (in only a sentence or two) how reading the text in question places the war in Iraq, the immigration debate or any other controversial, current event into a new light. Giving the reader a reason to really reconsider the text and a traditional analysis of the text based on something relevant elevates the essay to the level of memorable and perhaps even profound.
Can Hawthorne Make the Reader Reconsider the Contemporary Debate over Gay Marriage?
So what does this look like exactly? Consider again The Scarlet Letter. Many essays have been written about what political statement Hawthorne is making about women and women’s station in society. While that is interesting to consider, the political climate of 1850 (when the novel was written) was very different than the political climate today, especially in regard to feminism. Chances are an essay that strives to asses nothing more than what Hawthorne might have been saying about mid-nineteenth century women in society will not be particularly memorable. On the other hand, an essay that asks the reader to reconsider the contemporary debate in the United States over gay marriage within the context of Hester’s actions in the novel is immediately relevant and interesting.
Don’t Let the Reader Stop Thinking about the Essay He or She Just Read
In short, the essay that addresses the “So What?” question stands out, even if the writer doesn’t fully answer the question—it’s kind of like that movie with an ambiguous ending that you just can’t stop thinking about even if the “truth” is never actually revealed.
Other Tips and Tricks for Writing Great Essays
Writing an Effective Thesis Statement
 |
