A reflective essay involves a personal reaction that contains some objective judgments, along with pyschological and emotional reaction; in other words, you explain what you came away with after reading the book. In fact, although the reflective essay is written in first person, it is not unlike a book review, so you may wish to read some reviews on the book that you have read, as well as some others. (Here is a link to one book review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/books/27masl.html?_r=0 )
Is there any significance to this title? (What is the meaning and importance of this title?)
Does it arouse your interest?
Does it seem appropriate to the literary work? (Does it fit?)
- Reflection on the ending- Ask yourself:
Am I satisfied with the ending? Did it fit with the narrative, or was it abrupt and disconnected? or "flat"? (Always provide reasons for your answers.)
Did it match the tone of the rest of the narrative, or did it seem to belong to another book?
Did the character(s) act as you expected?
Did the ending leave you with questions still? Was it a satisfying ending? Why?
- Writing Style
What kind of style is used--Is it rather formal and distant, or does the author seem to be talking to you? Is too much dialogue, or not enough? What form of narration is used (i.e. first person narrator, third person, or omniscient narration)? Are the main characters developed well enough? How are the sentences written? (For instance, some writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald have a lyrical quality to their writing.)
It the narrative romantic, realistic, naturalistic, magical realism, etc. [Look these terms up in a literary glossary]. What effect does this type of narrative have on the book in general? (e.g. The Call of the Wild is naturalistic; in this novel, the animals and people act on their instincts and basic nature) Does the reader learn much about the main characters? If so, what? (Don't write about the characters; write about how the characters are developed, and what connection they have to the theme. Are they realistic, or more composites of certain qualities?)
In the end, pronounce your judgment on the book. Was it satisfying? Worth reading? Entertaining? Comforting? Enlightening?
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After jotting down your responses, put them together in a coherent essay. Find three key points and write a thesis. Here is an example:
(Title of novel) is an intriguing work because while the main character seems _______________there are interesting developments to the plot which affect the reader, leaving her/him wondering/satisfied/curious, etc. ______until an ending that _________
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