English 310

2. Write a Summary-Critical Response that presents a focused summary (Part One, 250-300 words) of key aspects of one of the essays in the Bedford case studies edition of The House of Mirth, followed by a reflective, question -and problem-posing critical response to that essay/perspective/interpretation/argument (Part 2, 450-500 words).

In Part 1 you should present a straightforward, selective account of what you consider to be the essay's primary, most important or engaging ideas and points of argument and interpretation. After reading the essay closely—perhaps making marginal notes or separate notes as you go to identify questions or reflect on why you consider a particular passage or concept important (for example, is it a major or new point in the argument, a significant piece of support, a summary of the opposition, an important theoretical premise/move/point of reference and departure)—you might then explore your initial approach to the summary and to the response by determining to what extent and how the reading has influenced your views and understanding, by determining points of agreement or doubt, by determining significant questions raised by your experience with this essay, by determining the most important ideas you "take away" from the reading, and by reflecting on what you might "say back" to the author in sharing your perspective on the essay and on the novel, perhaps in the contexts of what we have studied thus far this semester.

As you write the summary, work from your sense of the essay's structure and content, and it may be helpful to have in mind (written?) the gist of each paragraph—its function or purpose and a brief summary of its content (what it "does" and what it "says," usually a response to an implicit question)--to produce material to consider for the summary.

Your summary should strive to represent the essay--or an important aspect of it—accurately and fairly. Be direct and concise, take as much as possible a fair, nonpartisan stance and tone, except for brief quotes use your own words to express the author's ideas, use attributive tags (such as according to Norris or Norris argues that) to keep the reader informed that you are expressing another's ideas, and focus the summary to produce a cohesive and coherent account. You might begin the summary by identifying the question or the problem that the reading addresses, then state the essay's purpose or thesis and summarize its argument or primary analysis point by point.

Part 2 should express your understanding of the original essay's rhetorical strategies and theoretical premises, and the effectiveness and significance of its argument. You may also choose to extend the essay's critical perspectives by explaining its potential relevance to other aspects of the novel, or also you may read "against-the-grain" of the original argument to present a different or opposing perspective and argument based on your reading of the novel, on other critical perspectives, and on your own understanding and reasoning. Your response can be both reflective and persuasive in its emphases and aims, and our discussions and reading may inform your views. You may find it effective to compose a thesis for your response that maps out for readers the challenging, engaging, important points that you want to develop and discuss. Finally, include a complete bibliographic citation to note the author, essay title, place of publication, publisher, date, and page numbers for the article.