essay terms

Question 1

hook

Answer 1

initial attention getter

Question 2

central idea

Answer 2

core of writer’s assertion

Question 3

thesis

Answer 3

outline of writer’s proofs

Question 4

topic sentence

Answer 4

focus of paragraph, part of thesis

Question 5

structure

Answer 5

introduction, body, conclusion

Question 6

expository essay

Answer 6

presentation of information, facts, ideas

Question 7

persuasive essay

Answer 7

presentation to convince reader

Question 8

descriptive essay

Answer 8

single clear picture of a person, place, thing, or idea

Question 9

Narrative Essay

Answer 9

tells a story

Question 10

Literary criticism

Answer 10

analyzes and comments on literature

Question 11

formalist criticism (new criticism)

Answer 11

Emphasizes the work as an independent creation utilizing personal response and close examination of the work. Dominant from 30’s to 70’s; most often used with student criticism

Question 12

Deconstructive criticism

Answer 12

opposite of formalist criticism; seeks to reveal author’s social, cultural, or philosophical assumptions by close examination of text

Question 13

Historical criticism

Answer 13

works are studied within historical context. The study of Macbeth would involve Elizabethan attitudes toward ghosts

Question 14

psychological criticism

Answer 14

utilizes Freudian theories and psychoanalytic interpretations

Question 15

gender criticism

Answer 15

feminist and gay criticism reflecting cultural framework