Write a Readers Response Essay On Malcolm X
A critical essay that tells the reader what the specific reading means to you. It reflects a close reading of the work, contains specific examples drawn from the work (documented parenthetically with page numbers), and provides your well-considered opinion of the work’s strengths and/or shortcomings. The essay demonstrates that you have read the text, internalized and contextualized its arguments, and can articulate and substantiate your reactions to it.
Ask yourself the following questions as you prepare to write a reader response paper. You don’t need to include the answers to these questions in your paper, but they can help organize your thoughts and decide what you’d like to write about in your response.
What were the main arguments of the text? Did the author, in your opinion, do a decent job of following through on those arguments? Why or why not?
How is the text “talking” to other parts of the historical literature? Is the author styling him or herself as a particular type of writer? (women’s historical, social historical, political historian etc.) Who are their subjects? What is their purpose in writing this text?
What parts of the text do you like the most, and why?
How does this book relate to what interests you about British History? What did you learn from it? If you didn’t learn much, why was that?
What questions did this text leave with you? What would you like to learn more about?
What about the author’s style and methodology do you like or dislike? How are they using sources and how does this reflect on the integrity and validity of their arguments?
The requirements of this essay are as follows:
The essay must be at least (3 to 3.5) full pages. Those who do not meet this requirement will one lose a letter grade automatically. The essay must be in MLA format (12pt font, Times Roman).
For this essay, you will write about one or more of the supplemental articles we have read for module 3 or a book of your choice. The topic is up to you, but must be more detailed than “This is a good article” or “This article sucked.”
As always, choose a topic that is interesting to you. Also always try to write about something you know. This essay should require little to no research. While you may use outside sources, the text should be your main source of evidence.
This is a formal academic essay. The use of “you” and NOT allowed. There should also be no contractions in this essay. As a reader response is an opinion, it is okay to use “I,” but you may want to attempt to write without it, as the readers should automatically assume this is your opinion. Overuse of personal pronouns is reflective of poor writing skills.
Transitions are still important in this essay. Some transitions that could be used in this essay are: also, another, not only…but, while.
This is still the important part, folds. You must use evidence to back up any statements. That means specific examples and explanations. Don’t use “I think”; this is your essay, it’s a given that this is what you think.
Structuring a Reader Response Essay
This essay can be written as a compare/contrast essay, an argumentative essay, a cause and effect essay, an exemplification, or definition essay.
Some genres one can use for this paper:
Argumentative Argument
Compare and Contrast
Cause/Effect
Exemplification/Definition-
Attributes of a good Reader Response Essay
Details and examples from the text, BUT the whole paper should not be a summary analysis/application is needed.
Explanation of any points or examples.
A thesis statement which explains what you are saying in your paper. W/C is appropriate.
Sample format for a reader response paper of 3- 3.5 pages min.
Introduction/theme: 1-2 paragraphs that “set the stage” for what will follow. Possible entry
points include: a broader trend that interests you in British history and how this text’s
contents explain it; another text (or school of thought) that this text either supports or
refutes; assumptions or opinions you hold that this book might challenge.
Background: 2-3 paragraphs that introduce the book, its main arguments and context in which
it was written, and place the text in its historiographic context (i.e., how it relates to other
literature on the subject).
Analysis: 2-3 paragraphs use the remainder of the paper to hone in on a certain element of the text and
provide your opinion of it. This, as much as anything, is the “thesis” of this essay. You may
choose to focus on the main argument of the text, or just one element of the text (for
example, the author’s treatment of gender, or the author’s conclusions about the durability of
third parties, or the author’s style and research methodology). The analysis should contain
direct quotes or paraphrased examples from the book (all cited with page numbers) to support
your argument.
Conclusion:1 to 2 paragraph that brings us back to your entering statement and states the wider
significance of this work to you, and to the literature.
CITATION: MLA style. (Works Cited is not included in the page number min.)
Essay value: 100 points
try to answer ALL of the questions below:
a. What does the text have to do with you, personally.
b. How much does the text agree or clash with your view of the world, and what you consider right and wrong?
c. How did you learn, and how much were your views and opinions challenged or changed by this text, if at all?
d. How well does it address things that you, personally, care about and consider important to the world?
e. Reading and writing “critically” does not mean the same thing as “criticizing,” in everyday language (complaining or griping, fault-finding, nit-picking). Your “critique” can and should be positive and praise the text if possible, as well as pointing out problems, disagreements and shortcomings.
f. How well did you enjoy the text (or not) as entertainment or as a work of art?
g. To sum up, what is your overall reaction to the text?g. To sum up, what is your overall reaction to the text?
