The Review Essay and

Discussion Leads
Autobiography, September 2023
 Review essays help you make sense of written works you may use
for a longer research project. They require you to thoroughly
summarize, explain and sometimes synthesize ideas found in essays
or books. You can write a review essay focusing on a single work, a
body of works by a single author or a collection of works about a
single topic. The purpose of these essays is to allow students to
What is a show that they understand the arguments or main points of several
readings and can analyze them in a coherent, integrated, and
Review Essay? thematic fashion.
You should not do any additional research or make reference to any
outside works in writing these papers. The aim is to develop your
writing and analytical skills, not your research skills. The readings
form the raw material on which you are to make a coherent and
critical argument.
  Identify a topic, developing over more than one text we have read so far in
the course, that you consider significant. In your essay, offer an overview
of what you have learnt on that topic, gathering and presenting details from
the selected pieces. Demonstrate why the topic you have identified is
important. Your review essay should bring into its purview at least 2 pieces
from the course. Up to two additional pieces from outside the course is
allowed if you so wish.

How to write a  Your essay should be ‘a review’ as much as it can be at this stage:
Review Essay beyond fair presentation of the material, develop a critical tone,
offering observations about the strength of each pieces by itself, or
for pieces are taken together, as well as limits, biases, or gaps you
may sense. Raise questions about the chosen topic from the scope
of your paper: answer them if you can or note how they are not
addressed by your readings so far. Comparison between the
selected texts in terms of the findings, approaches/methodology,
disciplines/fields, or audience would be excellent inclusions as
well.
  Organize intelligently: identification of the topic and a thumbnail sketch of
what your essay covers before you get to details might be helpful

 In any thumbnail sketch, including this, be concise, including details that

are directly relevant to your topic: summarize in a few words; group
together authors if they take similar positions, represent a school of
thought, critical position etc.

Organization  Try theme based, problem based, method based, debate based, rather than
simply author-based organization and discussion

 Depending on the paper, you may need the thumbnail to be a historically

arranged (how did an idea or body of scholarship develop, change
direction/s), but this is not always necessary

 Once the thumbnail is done, fan out the positions/scholarship/ arguments of

authors/books/debates that are critical for your purpose

 ALL this should be from the vantage point of your topic (object of analysis)
  Quote for capture key words, tone, voice
 Be honest: never quote out of context. Clarify if the context is not obvious. Some
examples:
o “Writing in a different context, X has argued that …” (citation).
o “Writing on the issue of racism elsewhere, Achebe has argued …”

Handling of
o Writing on the issue of child marriage, Sunder Rajan has questioned

 Do not use quotes to simply pad your essay. When you quote, the reader expects very
Quotes/Textua specific references to the quotes: explain, elaborate, and connect the quote with your
argument as clearly as possible; especially for long quotes, discuss adequately before
l introducing and relate to its purpose for your paper. Particularly important!

Analysis/com  Integrate quotes in your own sentences. Don’t let a quote be a sentence by itself in your
writing (called a “dropped quote”)
mentary by  Integrate all quotes with the help of punctuation marks such as commas or colons.

others Alternately, introduce the quote in a signal phrase (Example: In Achebe’s

 reading, “ . . .” or Achebe argues that “. . .”).

 After you quote, the sentence’s grammar should remain intact. Check this is so, or
construct the sentence differently, or make inserted modifications to achieve this.
 While it is certainly needed after quotes, the same also is true for paraphrases: connect the
reference to the thinker’s concept/argumentation back to the point you are attempting to
establish through it. This happens especially after the paraphrase/quote. This employs the
purpose of the quote/paraphrase in aid of your own argument/claim.
  Voice manipulation: should be clear who is saying which sentence, especially your voice must
remain the framing voice

 Be careful with handling pronouns

Other Stylistic  See tips on handling quotes mentioned in the previous slide

 Use combination of direct quotes, paraphrasing, and summaries (all of these, including

details helpful paraphrases and summaries need author citing)

 Common, useful phrases for introducing an author’s argument/position/scholarship often are: ‘X

in handling argues that “...” (citation).’ or, ‘X argues, “...” (citation).’ Alternatives:
o contends/ suggests/ proposes/ claims/states/writes/ grapples
with/explores/examines/discusses/ lays bare/ shows/observes/ demonstrates/ reveals
other people’s o questions/takes to task/challenges/contradicts/critiques
o X convincingly/thoroughly/meticulously examines/shows/proves
words and o According to X/We see in X’s work
o X sides with Y to argue
ideas o X cites Y to prove
o X disagrees with Y to contend
o Taking a position in agreement with Y, X suggests
o In this X reflects an influence of Y
o X (or X’s position) inadequately reflects/ fails to take into account/ does not consider/
confuses the issue at hand by
  On 19 September, your first draft of the Review Essay is due.
Submission Please bring it with you to class for peer review.
 The second, and final, draft is due by end of day of 21 September.
Dates
  In pairs/ groups of 3, you will be responsible to lead class
discussion on select texts for a week’s worth of classes.
 Its components include a plan for the class which needs to indicate
readings as per the group/pair’s interest as well as which sections
the class will have to read. Further, it will indicate what interactive
activities will be used and to what purpose.
Discussion  The next component in a group report. This has to be made
Leads available for the class to comment upon and raise questions for
the Leads/class discussion.
 Whether or not you are the lead, class discussion including
comments on the report, and active participation in classes are
expected of all class members.
 We will discuss this on class on Friday.