DirectionsUse the following guidelines to help you write your critical response essay.Please read all of these instructions very carefully before you begin writing your essay.Make sure you understand what is required for each part of this essay (Introduction,Body, and Conclusion) before you begin writing. It is a good idea to make notes for eachsection or to create a short outline to help organize your thoughts.Please follow these steps when completing the Critical Response Essay in Unit 4.1. ReadingRead the stories “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury and “Nethergrave” byGloria Skurzynski very carefully, making sure you have a thorough understandingof each. This may mean reading both stories more than once.2. ReflectThink of the literary elements in each story such as plot, setting, characterization,dialogue, point of view, tone, and especially theme. Also, consider how bothstories fit into the genre (category) of science fiction.3. Thesis StatementYour essay will begin with an introduction. This will include a thesis statementthat says which of the stories you think is the best and WHY you feel this way. Anexample of a thesis statement would be as follows:“Ray Bradbury’s story “A Sound of Thunder” is a stronger work of sciencefiction than Gloria Skurzynski’s “Nethergrave” because it involves timetravel, has better characterization, and its theme reveals how even thesmallest act can have an impact on the future of mankind.”(This is an example of a thesis statement. Please do NOT use this in youressay.) Remember, your thesis statement should be clear and valid. This means yourthesis is easy to understand and that you will be able to prove it through theexplanations you provide in the body of your paper. Your introduction will alsobriefly state the main points you will cover throughout your essay.4. BodyThe body of your paper should be divided into three paragraphs. Eachparagraph will fit in with the claims you made in your thesis statement. You willuse examples from both stories to provide support.Paragraph 1 – Discuss how each of these stories fit into the genre ofscience fiction. What elements or events in EACH story make it sciencefiction? This can include the story’s setting, types of technology used,events from the plot of the story, etc. Make sure you mention elementsfrom BOTH stories as you will be comparing and contrasting.Paragraph 2 – Next, choose ONE literary element (characterization,point of view, tone, etc.) and explain how the authors use this literary element in each story. Do not choose theme for this section as you willuse this in your third body paragraph. Which story do you think uses thiselement more effectively and WHY do you think this? Only use ONEliterary element and apply this to both stories. For example, you wouldtalk about Tone in “A Sound of Thunder” and Tone in “Nethergrave.” Youare comparing and contrasting the two stories and will apply the sameliterary element to each.Paragraph 3 – In your last body paragraph, you will discuss the themesfound in each story. Remember, the theme is the message the authorwishes to convey. It is what he or she wants you to learn or to take awayfrom the story. What are the themes of “A Sound of Thunder” and“Nethergrave?” Which theme do you think is more effective and WHY?You will compare/contrast ONE theme from EACH story.5. ConclusionIn the conclusion of your paper, you will restate your thesis from theintroduction. Restating the thesis means that you will say it in a different way. Donot simply copy and paste the thesis statement from your introduction. You willelaborate on your opinion as to which story you think is better and why you feelthis way. Also in your conclusion, you will briefly sum up the major points of yourpaper, highlighting what you feel is most important.Note: When writing Critical Response Essays, always use present tense, even ifthe story is written in past tense. For example, in your essay you would say, “Ecklessteps off the path on his way back to the time capsule” rather than “Eckles steppedoff the path on his way back to the time capsule.” Use the present tense of verbswhen referring to the events in the stories.Explanation:Explanation:...
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