Past Experiences A Reader Response Criticism Of

Basic Requirements: Response is in the genre of an academic essay and meets the length requirement of 1000-1200 words

Content 1: Essay applies the principles of reader response theory to analyze the writer’s experience of reading Twelfth Night

Content 2: Essay explains the perspective and lens or lenses that the writer brought to Twelfth Night, drawing on the writer’s “reservoir of past experiences,” “past inner linkage of words and things,” “past encounters with spoken or written texts,” or ability to hear “the sound of the words in the inner ear” (Rosenblatt 270). The essay may also draw on how the writer might “participate in the story, …identify with the characters, …share in their conflicts and their feelings” (270).

Content 3: Essay explains how the writer’s perspective and lens or lenses “evokes” a unique understanding of Twelfth Night

Content 4: Essay’s argument is supported by at least two quotations from Twelfth Night and one quotation from another source

Thesis: Essay has a clear thesis statement that makes an argument about the their unique experience of reading Twelfth Night and reflects the organization of the essay. Essay has a purpose statement or thesis toward the beginning; if not at the beginning, thesis comes in the conclusion.

Macro- and Micro-organization: Overall organization of the essay is logical and follows the thesis; each paragraph is of a reasonable length, develops one main idea, and has a topic sentence

Sources: Quotations are introduced, embedded in sentences, discussed, and cited with parenthetical citations (2 quotes from Twelfth Night and 1 quote from an alternate/second source)

Works Cited: Includes a Works Cited page in updated MLA format (2 sources)

Grammar, Tone, and Style: Grammar, tone, and style are appropriate for the intended genre of an academic essay

Formatting: Essay fulfills the MLA formatting conventions for an academic essay (TNR font, 12 pt, double spaced, 1” margins, heading, page numbers, title)