Some of you have expressed concern about how much harder it might be to write about a full-length novel as opposed to a short story or a poem (as in English 1080). It probably is a little more difficult in some ways, but in other ways it’s possibly even easier. With a short story, of course, there are only so many of pages of material that you have to deal with, and with a poem there’s usually no more than a single page to contend with. The problem with that, of course, is that sometime it’s hard to come up with enough to say: you’re limited by the brevity of the short story. Granted, a skilled and experienced thinker and writer can find a lot to say about just about anything. But in first-year university, such skills haven’t necessarily been developed fully. The novel, by virtue of its length, might be a bit of a godsend to some of you because there’s so much more to talk about. There should be no shortage of scenes, characters, and images to discuss.
The concern usually is, “How can I write about something so big in such a short period of time?” It starts with making sure you can articulate the answer to the questions: What is this novel about? What are the main issues? What are some scenes and images that will allow me to talk about those issues? (Try answering those questions for yourself, in writing. Make lots of notes.)
You’re obviously not expected to write about every part of the novel. But you are expected to write an organized response to the question. Your essay should show that you’ve seriously considered the bigger issues of the novel by considering some of the subtleties of language, scenes, and images. It all becomes “symbolic” by virtue of it having implications that are bigger than itself. The image of “the road,” for example, in and of itself is small and yet connected to much larger ideas. The road is obviously symbolic of where the man and boy are going. So your next question is: Where are they going? I don’t just mean that in a literal sense. I mean, yes, the literal journey is important and you should show that you know that. But you should also show that you know how to draw implications from what you are given.
So the man and the boy are headed south. They are driven by something, driven out of the safety of their home by something. They are searching for something. On the road, they encounter something and someone. They are afraid of certain things, of certain people, and these objects and people represent what the world has become.
From there, it is quite simple to draw connections to the larger issues of the novel: identity, the loss of a sense of place and security (think of the map that the boy is trying to read as if the states actually existed, the constant references to lost transportation systems, and so on—the road is, in fact, representative of that lost system, among other things). So much has been lost. I won’t list it all. But on that road, they keep to the straight and narrow, trusting in it, believing (because they have to) that it will lead them somewhere. If you can connect these ideas to our discussion of God and the need to have faith in something, to decide what matters, and what the apocalypse has done to the world’s notions of “important,” then you are on your way to being able to answer each and every question you’ll be presented with, both tomorrow and for the final exam.
If you were in class on Monday, you already know what the questions are, and you’ll know that I’ve given you an idea of how to approach each one. All three questions ask you to delve into similar ideas. For example, your sense of right and wrong gives you something to believe in and decides what kind of person you are. That’s only the beginning, but I’ll leave it up to you to flesh out the argument. I don’t want you simply to repeat what you’ve been told. I want you to tell me what YOU see when you look into this novel. When you go through the novel, which scenes and details or bits of dialogue stick with you and make you think about things? What kind of things? What’s it all about, according to YOU? Forget I’ve said a word about any of it. Look at it fresh. Go through the novel. Make your own notes. Make your own assessments, and come up with an idea of what you think it’s all about. Of course, keep this other stuff in mind, but don’t go repeating a word of it unless you’ve actually come to believe it and can articulate for yourself, in your own way. Maybe you can even add to it. There’s lots left to be said. Some of it I’ve left open intentionally. Some of it, I just didn’t have time to touch. Either way, do your best to be original.
You’ll have 50 minutes to write the essay. Try to remember the basic guidelines of essay writing you (hopefully) learned in English 1080. This one is meant to be a diagnostic, to give me an idea of where you stand. We’ll take it from there. But I promise that, if you’re willing to give it an honest try, we can make you a better writer by the end of the semester.
Beyond that, I’m not sure what else you need to know in order to write the essay. Come early, if possible. Be on time at least. Get comfortable in those uncomfortable seats. I’ll bring the paper and a sheet with the questions on it. You choose to do one of them.
The trick, I think, is to make a lot of notes for yourself and then put them away and close your book: see how much you can remember.
Try to recall a list of key, related ideas you want to discuss (God, names, identity, place, good and bad, and so on).
Then, try to recall a short list of key scenes or images you want to apply to these ideas (the image of the road, the sextant, the thief that they leave to die naked, the nearly-blind stranger with whom they have a long, philosophical discussion, the people that the man kills, and so on).
There’s so much you could discuss. When you get in the exam room and are given your paper, write your list out and then make some notes on the list so that you won’t get stuck. Then write out three or four major topics that you want to cover in separate paragraphs. That should help. This is advice only for those of you who want it. Some of you have your own ideas that work for you and you should go with that, as long as it truly does work.
Good luck tomorrow. I’m rooting for you. The questions are designed to allow you to tell me what you know. I want you to succeed on this essay and every essay.
But that depends on you. Success comes with preparation. You even have a better chance of being lucky if you’re prepared. So know the novel, remember your key words and scenes, and have at it.
GC
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