PEER CRITIQUE, Project #3, Draft #1
Literary Analysis
English 120, Nichols, Spring 15
Paper writer's name (provide FULL NAME) _____________________________
Critiquer's name (provide FULL NAME) ________________________________
To Critiquers
Please complete this critique drawing on class discussions and in conjunction with your Writing Today
reading assignments throughout the semester.
TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THIS CRITIQUE, YOU MUST OFFER ACTIVE, THOUGHTFUL,
DEVELOPED FEEDBACK—NO PERFUNCTORY COMMENTS OR MERE YES-NO RESPONSES. Put
some time and thought into each item; both you and the paper writer will benefit.
To Writers
Remember to save all critiques. You will include them with the final version of the essay in your Portfolio.
1) Read through the draft before you and offer some initial reactions (questions, observations,
immediate impressions). What do you really like, right off the bat?
2) Assess the introduction: how well does it engage your interest and make you want to read
further? How well does it prepare you for what is to come? Does it make clear the paper’s topic and
purpose? What would make it better?
It is customary, in a literary analysis, to indicate the title of the novel and its author's full name very
early on. Thereafter, you can refer to the author by his/her last name. Has this essay writer done so?
3) Assess the thesis. (The thesis for this paper should be an original, debatable claim about the
novel’s chief theme or how we might best understand and appreciate the novel or any of its parts. If
the writer is dealing with research on something like dysfunctional families, the thesis should still be
a statement, ultimately, about the novel—not dysfunctional families per se.)
a. Is the thesis clear? See if you can state it here:
This writer is mainly claiming that________________________________. (The thesis must be
A COMPLETE SENTENCE.)
(If you having trouble finding a thesis, or are unsure about how you’ve identified it, or if the
thesis quality is lacking, let the writer know.)
b. Is that central point evident early on and consistent throughout? Is it nicely re-affirmed at the
end? Or does the main idea sort of get lost or even change as the paper proceeds?
c. How original is the thesis? (Your thesis represents all the hard thinking you’ve done about
your topic; it shouldn’t be an idea which you’ve simply lifted from someone else. Try to put
your own mark on your interpretation.)
4) Is the thesis well-supported in the body of the essay?
a. All claims—from the thesis to the topic sentences of paragraphs—should be
illustrated and supported with lots of specific details, examples, reasons,
quotations, and references from the book. How well supported are the
claims in this essay? Where does it need more examples etc.?
b. Has the writer kept plot summary to a minimum? (I.e., plot summary should
only be provided when necessary, to refresh the reader’s memory, and to be
sure the reader is following the argument. The writer should avoid merely
re-telling the story or telling you what is already obvious.) Discuss the
writer’s use of plot summary:
5) Are the paragraphs focused, each with an explicit (or strongly implied) claim which
clearly links back to the paper's CENTRAL claim, or thesis? Do any of the paragraphs
actually make MORE than one claim? (If multiple claims are crammed into a paragraph,
there’s a good chance that NONE of them are really being elaborated and supported!
Each paragraph should take on and support just a single point, with tons of specific
detail to back up each one.)
Do the paragraphs include helpful transitions and navigational cues to help you get from
one to the next without getting lost?
6) Recall any and all Power Point presentations on using sources and also any and all material in
Writing Today which deals with using sources. Remember that you need to cite a source when: 1)
you quote the source; 2) you summarize or paraphrase the source's words and ideas; 3) you are
stating little-known or debatable facts; 4) any time you think your reader may want or need more
info. Remember too that you need a Works Cited page! And all essays should of course include at
least one source—the novel!).
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Example of paraphrased reference to Rule of the Bone, with an in-text citation:
Chappie's desire to tell his mother the truth is apparent by how he
seeks her out at work, and by how he hints—as well as he is able —
that Ken is guilty of serious transgressions. He never comes right
out and tells her, but he does ask her several leading questions, and
it is clear that he is struggling to make her understand (Banks 157).
Example of quoted reference to Rule of the Bone, with an in-text citation:
We can see Chappie's dramatically changing identity as he's preparing
to leave the Ridgeway's house: "It was strange to stand there in front of
the mirror and see myself like I was my own best friend, a kid I wanted
to hang with forever (Banks 130-131). He's clearly becoming someone
he actually likes, someone he has chosen to be and not someone he's
forced to be by the lousy circumstances of his life.
How well is the writer appropriately integrating and documenting any
references from or to the novel?
How well is the writer appropriately integrating and documenting any outside
sources they may be using?
8) How well, ultimately, is this essay’s interpretive argument working? If you are not convinced by
the end or have nagging doubts, tell the writer where you think the argument is weak, or point out
evidence in the story which contradicts their thesis. Help the writer close any holes in their case.
Any final questions you would like to ask the writer? Any further tips or suggestions?
Hey, thanks for your feedback!
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