Rhetorical Precis

PRECIS FORMAT

1)– T. A. G., (year of publication), verb + “that” (THESIS)2) – How + 3 Textual Evidence (quotes)3) – Author’s purpose + “in order to…”4) – Intended Audience +/ tone

MLA Citation at bottom

In the quintessential novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald masterfully illustrates the deterioration of the American dream that corrupts the title character. Fitzgerald conveys Jay Gatsby’s futile attempts at “[repeating] the past” and fulfilling his dream through the vivid imagery and symbolism of colors: from the “green light at the end of Daisy’s dock” (27) signaling Gatsby to reach for his ambition, to the gray “valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens,” (27) to Daisy’s superficial whiteness (“white dress,” “white car” (17). Fitzgerald passionately paints these colors in order to capture the vibrancy of an era marked for its ostentatious materialism. He poignantly addresses the entire social spectrum: those who have and those who dream of having by providing a cautionary tale of a man who pursues a dream not worth chasing; thereby leading his readers to reflect upon the cost of worldly ambition.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1925. Print.

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Catcher in the Rye MLA Citation

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1945. Print.

Catcher in the Rye Precis

In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye (1945) , J. D. Salinger

* explores the tension between innocence and experience

* examines the growing pains of a typical 1950s teenager…

* relates…* illustrates…* ponders the meaning of ….

Precis Peer ReviewSENTENCE 1:

A. Does the 1st sentence have Title, Author, Genre, & year?B. What is the “rhetorically accurate verb” they chose?

SENTENCE 2:A. Does it answer “how the author” conveys the thesis?B. Does it have 3 quotes?

SENTENCE 3:A. What literary device(s) are mentioned?B. Fill in the blank “in order to ______________”

SENTENCE 4: A. Who is the audience?B. What is the tone?

Huck Finn Chapter XIX“The Monkey Garden”Excerpt from Up from SlaveryDesiree’s BabyAlmos’ a Man

Draft DUE 3/15, ThursdayFinal DUE 3/20

Precis Edit: All tenses in the present / consistent No personal pronouns (I, my, you, your, us, we) MLA Citation (hanging indent) in correct format:

Author’s last name, First name. “Title of short work.” Title of Long Work. Publication City: Publishing Company, year. Print.

Cisneros, Sandra. “The Monkey Garden.” The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage, 1984. Print.

Avoid passive voice (get rid of “to be” verbs) Cut unnecessary words (be direct) Strengthen sentence structure Properly introduce quotes