Reaction paper

You will use the short story “Editha” and “The wife of his youth”.

If you have any questions let me know.

Here is the guide lines for the paper

Reaction Paper Guidelines
Purpose: Reaction papers can be used as tools in a class to encourage students to think critically about texts, and how those texts are in conversation with each other, or with a wider field of discourse. In business, for example, employees often have to read a variety of material related to both their field as well as other industries in order to remain informed and current on what may have implications and/or consequences for their particular job.
Skills used in a reaction paper include: summary, analysis, and synthesis. A reaction paper may or may not feature a conclusion. Unlike in some other forms of academic writing, it is OK to use the personal I in a reaction paper. Each reaction paper will be approximately 1-2 page, MLA-style documents in which you respond to two texts.
Note: Your second paper cannot use either of the same two texts you used for the first paper.
Criteria for success: see the writing rubric under Content for grading.
SUMMARY
Reaction papers usually start with a brief summary of the texts that will be discussed in the paper. It is necessary to include the title and author(s) for each text. A summary in a reaction paper should capture the thesis statement or main argument/idea from the text within the first few sentences. However, because the main purpose of the reaction paper is to analyze and synthesize the discussed text, it is important that the summary section is not too long; one paragraph is usually sufficient. Also, make sure to keep the summary strictly factual by avoiding opinion words such as good, bad, convincing, flawed etc. and avoid writing something like, this is a good story as your reader has no idea what you mean by the word good.
Summary example:
Nothing Gold Can Stay was written by Robert Frost in 1923. The poem expresses the idea that all that is vibrant and lovely in this world is ephemeral. What is best in life, what is beautiful, what is fresh and promising, is always lost eventually. The Road Not Taken also by Frost, and written in 1916, is less evocative and more immediately practical, appealing as it does to the sense of urgency of the unknown speaker faced with making a significant decision between two paths, both literal and figurative.
ANALYSIS
The analysis section is where the writer explores their reaction to the paper. A useful way to begin thinking about the analysis is to use the They say / I say format: first, describe or quote an idea from the paper (They say), then state your reaction (I say). Your reaction may be in the form of agreement, disagreement, qualified agreement/disagreement (I agree with X but disagree with Y), as well as questions, criticisms, and emotional responses (how the text made you feel). It is important to provide an explanation for each of your reactions.
Analysis example:
Some may argue that Frosts depression and disillusionment with the world at that time is overwhelmingly prevalent in the poem about loss, Nothing gold can stay (line 8). On the other hand, while I understand the references to gold and green eventually turning to rot and grief, Natures first green is gold (line 1), I believe Frost intended instead for readers to appreciate the essence of joy as being so brief as to heighten our pleasure of it when we find it in our lives. In The Road Not Taken, as he emphasizes the role of choice in our lives, I believe he is still preoccupied with the idea of taking chances and grasping happiness wherever and whenever possible.
SYNTHESIS
The synthesis section is where the writer discusses how the text(s) relate to each other and/or to their larger discursive field. Comparing and contrasting the texts can be a useful way to begin thinking about how the texts relate to each other. A writer can also bring in outside information, such as from class lectures or previous readings. For example, the writer may note if the text adds additional information to an idea previously presented in class, explains an idea in a different way, or contradicts an idea.
Synthesis example:
Much of what weve read thus far in American literature has discussed the idea of choice and choices as significant in the American character and to the American dream of the good life. In these two Frost poems, one discussing the loss of all that is good, and one discussing how to make the best choice for ones life, there is a meeting place, of sorts, in which happiness can indeed come from loss and choice can lead to lost opportunity. For example, if one chooses the wrong road, has one lost all hope of happiness? A former high school friend, who was unable to attend the college of his choice, is now happily living his best life after graduating, with honors, from his second-choice institution. He argues he was saved from the wrong path of the first college because he didnt get in, thus allowing him to attend a smaller university where the personalized attention from his professors and advisors helped him succeed.

Last Completed Projects