Chapter+11

= "Writing About Drama" =

In this chapter, the focus is mainly on defining what types of Drama exist, namely, Tragedy and Comedy.Then, it breaks it down to the main points a writer should focus on if they are going to create a decent paper about one of these types of Drama. The text covers multiple aspects a student can take when writing about Tragedy or Comedy plays, giving example essays to help. The chapter gives different examples of topics from each sub group of Drama, and what key elements of both and provides questions a writer should ask while developing their thesis and body paragraphs.

Most of the focus in the actual writing sections, amplified Current Traditional methods such as organization and structuring the paper. For example, on page 188 of the text, it provides a checklist for writing about tragedy. It encourages concise paragraphs and linear structure of writing, isolating the writing process into different parts. "The organization of such an essay is usually not a problem: Isolate the relevant aspects of the theoretical statement, and then examine the character to see if, point by point, he illustrates them" (Barnet and Cain 187).

Not only did it advocate Current Traditional methods of writing, but a Collaborative pedagogy as well, putting its elements such as peer review into a positive light. Through collaboration with their peers, student writers are able to gain a better understanding of what they are saying and how they are saying it from an actual audience. This coincides with the Collaborative theorist Rebecca Howard who believes that students retain more and do better when they receive sound peer evaluation. Quoting the theorist Gere, " "[T]hey bring writers and readers closer together, thereby providing writers a direct experience with audiences" (Howard 60).


 * Note:** This wikispace can be used as a guide to decide whether or not the text //A Short Guide to Writing About Literature// will be effective for your classroom probably at the college level. Throughout the review of this book, several composition theorists and their writings are referenced. Familiarity with these articles and theories will be helpful in accessing this guide and deciding whether or not to use this book as a source. For your convenience, on the Annotated Bibliography page of this wiki an annotated bibliography including extensive summaries of each work references can be found.