2. There is dramatic irony in lines 8-10 because (12.7B) A. Beowulf plans to fight Grendel with the help of the other soldiers
B. Grendel will eat only one soldier, but Beowulf does not know this
C. Grendel will die, but Grendel does not know this
D. Beowulf is unaware of a new battle

Directions

Use 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 each

section 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. Reading

Read the stories “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury and “Nethergrave” by

Gloria Skurzynski very carefully, making sure you have a thorough understanding

of each. This may mean reading both stories more than once.

2. Reflect

Think of the literary elements in each story such as plot, setting, characterization,

dialogue, point of view, tone, and especially theme. Also, consider how both

stories fit into the genre (category) of science fiction.

3. Thesis Statement

Your essay will begin with an introduction. This will include a thesis statement

that says which of the stories you think is the best and WHY you feel this way. An

example of a thesis statement would be as follows:

“Ray Bradbury’s story “A Sound of Thunder” is a stronger work of science

fiction than Gloria Skurzynski’s “Nethergrave” because it involves time

travel, has better characterization, and its theme reveals how even the

smallest act can have an impact on the future of mankind.”

(This is an example of a thesis statement. Please do NOT use this in your

essay.)

Remember, your thesis statement should be clear and valid. This means your

thesis is easy to understand and that you will be able to prove it through the

explanations you provide in the body of your paper. Your introduction will also

briefly state the main points you will cover throughout your essay.

4. Body

The body of your paper should be divided into three paragraphs. Each

paragraph will fit in with the claims you made in your thesis statement. You will

use examples from both stories to provide support.

Paragraph 1 – Discuss how each of these stories fit into the genre of

science fiction. What elements or events in EACH story make it science

fiction? This can include the story’s setting, types of technology used,

events from the plot of the story, etc. Make sure you mention elements

from 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 will

use this in your third body paragraph. Which story do you think uses this

element more effectively and WHY do you think this? Only use ONE

literary element and apply this to both stories. For example, you would

talk about Tone in “A Sound of Thunder” and Tone in “Nethergrave.” You

are comparing and contrasting the two stories and will apply the same

literary element to each.

Paragraph 3 – In your last body paragraph, you will discuss the themes

found in each story. Remember, the theme is the message the author

wishes to convey. It is what he or she wants you to learn or to take away

from 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. Conclusion

In the conclusion of your paper, you will restate your thesis from the

introduction. Restating the thesis means that you will say it in a different way. Do

not simply copy and paste the thesis statement from your introduction. You will

elaborate on your opinion as to which story you think is better and why you feel

this way. Also in your conclusion, you will briefly sum up the major points of your

paper, highlighting what you feel is most important.

Note: When writing Critical Response Essays, always use present tense, even if

the story is written in past tense. For example, in your essay you would say, “Eckles

steps off the path on his way back to the time capsule” rather than “Eckles stepped

off the path on his way back to the time capsule.” Use the present tense of verbs

when referring to the events in the stories.

Explanation: