Looking for AlibrandiEssay Help

Text Response Essays

Your task is to write a text response essay!

So what exactly do text response essays do and why do we write

them?

Purpose Of Text Response Essays.

• To respond to a theme/idea/event in a particular text

• To present your opinions or arguments about a text

• To critique a text

• Use formal language• Use quotes and evidence to back up your

argument about the text• Must be specific – refer to actual events

in the novel

Text Response Essays

Let’s do it ourselves!

Imagine that you have been given the topic:

In the study of literature a Bildungsroman is a type of novel concerned with the development and maturing of a young protagonist. Explain how Looking For Alibrandi can be regarded as a Bildungsroman novel.

Approach:Underline the words or phrases in the topic that are

important.

A Bildungsroman is a type of novel concerned with the development and maturing of a young protagonist. Explain how Looking For Alibrandi can be regarded as a Bildungsroman novel.

Now try and put those words and phrases into your own words.

Now put the topic in your own words.

In other words, I have to show how the novel Looking For Alibrandi is a coming of age story (or Bildungsroman)

because it has a young protagonist who grows and changes for the better over the course of the novel.

1. In what ways does Josie mature and change during the novel?

2. Make a list of at least three key events/quotes/examples that will formulate a response relevant to the question.

Brainstorm The Topic

You might like to do this by putting your ideas on paper, like this:

Point Evidence/Quotes

Josie used to be embarrassed about being Italian but through the text she becomes proud of her Italian heritage.

Finds Tomato Day suffocating and embarrassing. “This might be where I come from, but do I really belong here?” Changes through hearing Katia’s story and realising the importance of her heritage.

Josie initially resents her father but comes to love and respect Michael and accept him in her life.

“Stop being polite, you’re making me puke. Be angry or rude – but don’t you pretend I’m not here”. Rejects Michael at first, but then starts to warm to him. “I’ll ring my father – he’s a barrister”.

Josie has conflicting feelings about Jacob.

“I don’t know if he’s my type”. Josie is still initially stuck on John. It is not until after his death that she realises her real feelings for Jacob.

Josie doesn’t know where she belongs initially, but throughout the course of the novel, finds herself.

Initially she feels that she is out of place, “I don’t belong anywhere and I hate it”. After John’s death she understands that she doesn’t belong in his world, and therefore sets about creating her own sense of belonging, “ I know now that what’s important is who I feel I am”.

Structuring your essayTHE INTRODUCTION

The Introduction should provides these things:Interest: Grab the reader’s attention (Usually with

a Universal statement)Definition: Explain key terms/ideas in the topicThesis: Your contention/line of reasoning.Direction: Hints at what the paragraphs are about;

REMEMBER

The Introduction must also include the name of the text: Looking for Alibrandi (underlined or inverted commas) and the name of the author(Melina Marchetta).

NUTSHELL STATEMENTSYou also need to include a nutshell statement (an elegant summary of the plot) either in the Introduction or the first body paragraph.FOR EXAMPLELooking for Alibrandi is one girl's story of her final year at school. The year where she meets her father, falls in love, has her heart broken and finds the real truth about her family and herself.

Structuring Your Essay:• Choose 3 or 4 points that will prove Josie has matured. These will form

the body of your essay:

INTRODUCTIONParagraph oneParagraph twoParagraph threeParagraph fourCONCLUSION

These points will be expanded into detailed paragraphs responding to the question

Writing Your Introduction

Now that you have planned your four responses to the essay question, attempt to write an introduction.

Sample introductionIt takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. This is what Josie, the protagonist confronts and resolves in Merlina Marchetta’s novel, Looking for Alibrandi .

Ultimately, Josie is a better person at the end of the novel than she was at the beginning. For this reason we can definitely call this a novel of education or a Bildungsroman novel.

Josie’s attitudes towards her family and friends improve as she learns more about them and tries to understand them.

Topic sentence including main contention

Outline

your main

arguments

Your Thesis

Body Paragraphs

• Your body paragraphs are where you develop your main ideas.

• Each paragraph has a main idea/point to make. This main point is discussed in detail and supported with evidence form the story(can be an example or a direct quote).

• Remember the TEEL or SEX LINK structure for Body paragraphs.

PRACTICE...Complete the following paragraph...

In the novel, Looking for Alibrandi, Melinda Marchetta explores how Josie is initially embarrassed about being Italian but throughout the text she becomes proud of her Italian heritage.Include supporting ideas and quotes from the textThis is highlighted when Josie finds Tomato Day suffocating labelling it “National Wog Day” and embarrassing, as she wonders, “How many other poor unfortunates our age were doing the same?” (p.171). However, this changes through hearing Katia’s story and realising the importance of her heritage. EVIDENCE REQUIRED!

Topic sentence

Elaboration /

Examples

Link back to topic

Reassert your point.

Elaboration /

Examples

Conclusions

• Conclusions are important as they leave a final impression on your reader. They also have rules.

• Have interest (it’s your last chance to impress the reader).

• Summarise your total view.• Have a punch-line/final comment

Sample conclusionLooking for Alibrandi well-deserves to be classified as Bildungsroman because Josie transforms from schoolgirl to young adult over the course of the novel. This is a result of a number of events in her personal and school life. Josie’s heightened understanding of herself and others is evidenced in the closing line of the novel when she declares,“Finally, I understood”.

Be specific with evidence and examples from your BODY paragraphs

Now it’s your turn!

• Have a go writing an essay. Use the question I’ve used here as your first ‘practice’ essay. Remember to plan it carefully.