Notes on essay writing

1. Notes on essay writing Brought to you by Mrs. Emery & Mr. Miller

2. context • In Stave One of A Christmas Carolwe meet Ebeneezer Scrooge, a cold, miserly money grubber who snarls, “If they’d rather die, then they’d better do it! And decrease the surplus population!” Dickens takes Scrooge, along with the readers, on a journey, with the introduction of three spirits who haunt Scrooge on Christmas Eve. • The quote needs more context, (who is talking to whom, where, and when). • The quote needs to be analyzed (why have you drawn our attention to it? What details of the quote are important?)

3. Context (improved) • In Stave One of A Christmas Carolwe meet Ebeneezer Scrooge, a cold, miserly money grubber who snarls, “If they’d rather die, then they’d better do it! And decrease the surplus population!”(12). • Ebeneezer Scrooge, a cold, miserly money-grubber, presents his ill-informed, Malthusian view as a petty excuse for not caring personally about the poor and needy. When his views are questioned by two portly gentlemen who are collecting charity donations, Scrooge snarls, “If they [the poor] had rather die, then they’d better do it! And decrease the surplus population!”(12). • But there’s something else missing…

4. Analysis (new & improved) • “If they’d rather die, then they’d better do it! And decrease the surplus population!” Dickens takes Scrooge, along with the readers, on a journey, with the introduction of three spirits who haunt Scrooge on Christmas Eve. • When his views are questioned by two portly gentlemen who are collecting charity donations, Scrooge snarls, “If they [the poor] had rather die, then they’d better do it! And decrease the surplus population!”(12). • Scrooge’s sneering remark unveils an argument that Dickens, and any caring human would find repulsive: that ‘the poor’ are responsible for their own suffering, and that they should contribute to society by dying off, or decreasing ‘the surplus population.’ • Dickens uses Scrooge’s remark to illustrate the full extent of our hero’s uncaring, heartlessness. Little does Scrooge know that his views will be challenged by the Three Spirits of Christmas later that evening.

5. Some don’ts (for lit analysis only) • When writing lit analysis, DO NOT… • Begin or end a paragraph with a textual quotation • DROP conclusions without details or evidence • DROP in evidence or details without analysis • DROP in evidence or details without context • * Veer off on your own interpretation of an established, canonical text, (i.e. The Great Gatsby, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol) • * Forget to analyze the author’s techniques, lit devices, word choice (otherwise you end up arguing about your opinions/interpretation, which is a different type of essay.) STICK to LIT ANALYSIS

6. Don’t do this • Dickens builds our sympathy for Scrooge in the scene in which Belle wishes him farewell. Seeing that Scrooge will be very successful, she tells him “May you be happy in the life you have chosen!”(45). • Belle wants Scrooge to be happy with his success, which demonstrates that being successful and rich are not necessarily bad things. • Hence Dickens builds our sympathy for Scrooge – people are jealous of his success, and he is a poor, misunderstood soul.