Essay planning

‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’by Evan Hunter

Choosing an essay question

• Score out / put a cross beside any that are not suitable.

• Tick / circle any that are.• Decide which question best fits the text and

your quotations.

Essay questions

• 1. Choose a novel or short story in which you feel sympathy or admiration or pity for the main character.

• Explain how the writer achieves the effect and discuss how it contributes to your appreciation of the text as a whole.

• 2. Choose a novel which is set during a period of social or political change.

• Discuss how important the writer’s evocation of the period is to your appreciation of the text as a whole.

If it says ‘or’, pick ONEPROSE

Essay question:

Text:

Topic 1:

Topic 4:Topic 3:

Topic 2:

Quote:

Quote:Quote:

Quote:

Essay question: Choose a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character. Text: ‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’

Topic 1:

Topic 4:Topic 3:

Topic 2:

Quote:

Quote:Quote:

Quote:

Essay question: Choose a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character. Text: ‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’

Topic 1:

Andy has been stabbed

Topic 4:

He want to be remembered as Andy

Topic 3:

He does not have a future

Topic 2:

Nobody helps him

Quote:

Quote:Quote:

Quote:

Essay question: Choose a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character. Text: ‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’

Topic 1:

Andy has been stabbed

Topic 4:

He does not have a future

Topic 3:

The weather is against him

Topic 2:

Nobody helps him

Quote: “The knife entered just below his rib cage and had been drawn across his body violently, tearing a wide gap in his flesh.”

Quote: “Someday he would marry Laura. Someday he would marry her, and they would have a lot of kids, and then they would get out of the neighbourhood.”

Quote: “He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body”

Quote: “I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to get mixed up in this. He's a Royal.”

Essay question: Choose a short story in which you feel admiration for the main character. Text: ‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’

Topic 1:

Topic 4:Topic 3:

Topic 2:

Quote:

Quote:Quote:

Quote:

Essay question:

Text: ‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’

Topic 1:

Event 1 – Start

Topic 4:

Event 4 - The end

Topic 3:

Event 3 - An event from the middle/nr the end

Topic 2:

Event 2 - An event from near the start/middle

Quote 1:

Quote 2:

Quote 1:

Quote 2:

Quote 1:

Quote 2:

Quote 1:

Quote 2:

?

Key incidents

• Start– Andy has just been stabbed by a member of a rival gang at the start of the story

• Drunk doesn’t help Andy– the drunk man thinks Andy is drunk and doesn’t call the cops

• Couple don’t help Andy – are too scared to help Andy / remind him of Laura

• Takes off jacket– Andy realises he was stabbed just because he was wearing the jacket and struggles to take it off

• Dies– Andy dies and Laura finds him

• End – the policeman records his death as a gang incident

Key terms

• Character – • Setting –• Plot –• Theme –• Conflict –• Symbol –• Key incident –• Climax –

“He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his

jacket and drilling his body”

Word choice

MetaphorSymbolism

Repetition

Can you identify the techniques?

Word choice – this is an American word for ‘pavement’. This reminds us that the setting is America. We also know it takes place in March.

“He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his

jacket and drilling his body”

Word choice – March is the start of Spring. The associations of this are of lambs and plants being born/growing. This contrasts with Andy dying too young.

Metaphor – the rain is being compared to a drill. Just as a drill easily cuts holes in wood, so too it feels like the rain in making holes in Andy’s flesh. This is violent image that suggests the rain is so hard it is hurting Andy.

Symbolism – the jacket represents the gang he is a member of. At this point he still wearing it but, later, he takes it off as he wants to be a remembered as a person, not just a gang member.

Repetition – the word ‘drilling’ is repeated, emphasising the force of the rain.

‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’

Writing a critical essay

• Choose a novel or short story in which you feel sympathy or admiration or pity for the main character.

• Explain how the writer achieves the effect and discuss how it contributes to your appreciation of the text as a whole.

Essay task

• Choose a novel or short story in which you feel sympathy or admiration or pity for the main character.

• Explain how the writer achieves the effect and discuss how it contributes to your appreciation of the text as a whole.

Essay task

Structure

1

3

2

Introduction

Main body

Conclusion

• Let’s start by looking at the main body.• We’ll come back to the introduction later.

Main body

Structure your essays like this:

Introduction

Conclusion

MAIN BODY

Paragraph 1 - Topic 1Paragraph 2 – Topic 2Paragraph 3 – Topic 3Paragraph 4 – Topic 4

Structure your essays like this:

Introduction

Conclusion

MAIN BODY

Paragraph 1 - Event 1Paragraph 2 – Event 2Paragraph 3 – Event 3Paragraph 4 – Event 4

Writing a paragraph

• P

• E

• A

• R

Paragraphs should always follow this formula:

• P = point

• E = evidence

• A = analyse

• R = response / link back to essay question

PEAR

Point =

• Topic sentence +

• Introduce quotation

PEAR

• This is the sentence that starts every new paragraph.

• In it you summarise what the paragraph is going to be about.

It should have two pieces of information:

1. What the task is2. What the topic of that paragraph is

Topic sentence

Topic sentences

T+T

Topic sentence

• Topic = The weather is against Andy• Task = Choose a short story in which you feel

sympathy for the main character.

“One way...”“One event that…”

T + T

• One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy.

Topic Task

Introduce the quote

• “He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body”

• Location in the story?• What character(s) are involved?• What has just happened at this point?

Quote

Introduce the quote

• Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather:

• “He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body”

• P (TS) One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. (IQ) Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather:

Point – should look like this:

A colon is used toIntroduce the quotation.

Evidence

Evidence =

• This is the quotation you are going to use.• Leave a line before and after the quotation

and remember to use quotations marks.

PEAR

One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather:

“He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body”

(Start your analysis here.)

Analysis

• This is where you look at the quotation more closely.

Analyse - to examinein detail in order todiscover meaning,essential features, etc.

Analysis =

• Analysis– mention any techniques

• Evaluation– explain why they are effective

PEAR

Analysis + evaluation

• The word ‘drilling’ is repeated which emphasises how strong the rain was. This is also a metaphor as the rain is being compared to a drill. Just as a drill easily cuts holes in wood, so too it feels like the rain is, effortlessly, making holes in Andy’s flesh. This is a violent image that suggests the rain is so hard it is hurting Andy. In addition, the word ‘March’ is word choice. The connotations of this word are of the start of spring and baby animals being born. This contrasts with what is happening in the story and highlights the fact that Andy is dying too young.

Response =

• Your evaluation will lead you back to the essay question

• Clearly explain how the quotation you have analysed relates to the essay question

• Relate this to the short story’s theme(s)• If you haven’t already, address the second part

of the question– Explain how the writer achieves the effect and

discuss how it contributes to your appreciation of the text as a whole.

PEAR

Response

• Through his effective use of techniques, Hunter uses the weather to create sympathy for Andy. Not only is he in a large amount of pain because of the stabbing, but the rain is adding to his misery. This contributes to my appreciation of the text as a whole because, if the author did not create sympathy for Andy, then we would not care about his death. It is important that the reader cares about Andy so we can understand the story’s theme, that gang violence is futile.

• Put it all together and it looks like this:

One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather:

• “He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body”

The word ‘drilling’ is repeated which emphasises how strong the rain was. This is also a metaphor as the rain is being compared to a drill. Just as a drill easily cuts holes in wood, so too it feels like the rain is making holes in Andy’s flesh. This is a violent image that suggests the rain is so hard it is hurting Andy. In addition, the word ‘March’ is word choice. The connotations of this word are of the start of spring and baby animals being born. This contrasts with what is happening in the story and highlights the fact that Andy is dying too young. Through her effective use of techniques, Duffy creates a vivid and disturbing picture of the concentration camps – from the vast numbers of dead bodies that lie in piles, without an attempt at treating them with dignity, to the mindless cruelty of the Nazi soldiers. It is these techniques that skilfully drive home the poem’s themes and make this a poem that sets out to do more than just entertain. Duffy urges us to remember horrifying events of the past and, more importantly, to learn from these mistakes.

P

E

A

R

One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather:

• “He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body”

The word ‘drilling’ is repeated which emphasises how strong the rain was. This is also a metaphor as the rain is being compared to a drill. Just as a drill easily cuts holes in wood, so too it feels like the rain is making holes in Andy’s flesh. This is a violent image that suggests the rain is so hard it is hurting Andy. In addition, the word ‘March’ is word choice. The connotations of this word are of the start of spring and baby animals being born. This contrasts with what is happening in the story and highlights the fact that Andy is dying too young. Through her effective use of techniques, Duffy creates a vivid and disturbing picture of the concentration camps – from the vast numbers of dead bodies that lie in piles, without an attempt at treating them with dignity, to the mindless cruelty of the Nazi soldiers. It is these techniques that skilfully drive home the poem’s themes and make this a poem that sets out to do more than just entertain. Duffy urges us to remember horrifying events of the past and, more importantly, to learn from these mistakes.

Introduction

• The introduction should not be too long.• It should focus on the task right from the

start.

Introduction

• Identify the text and author• Use words from the essay task to explain what

the essay will be about.

• T• A• T• S

Use this formula to help you:

• T – title• A - author• T – task (this is in the essay question)• S – summary (a short summary of the plot)

TATS

• T (title)• A (author)• T (task)

• Essay title = Choose a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character.

Complete the list below for your essay:

• Change the task into a statement which includes the author’s name and the title.

• Write a short summary of what happens in the short story.

• Look at the examples of introductions and highlight the following things (if they are there):

• T – title• A - author• T – task (this is in the essay question)• S – summary (a short summary of the plot)

Exercise

On the Sidewalk Bleeding is a really boring story about a boy called Andy who stabs a drunk man. The short story was written by Evan Hunter and not much really happens in it apart from Andy kicks the bucket and his girlfriend starts bawling greeting. Then it ends.

TATS?Strengths?Weaknesses?

‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’ is a poem which takes place in a part of New York where rival gangs are at war. Sympathy is created for the main character, Andy. In many ways. In this essay I will discuss how the author creates sympathy. And look at the techniques. He uses.

TATS?Strengths?Weaknesses?

‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’ by Evan Hunter is a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character. The main character is Andy and he is stabbed in an alley at the start of the story because he is in gang. Different characters enter the alley but nobody helps him. With the last of his strength he takes off his jacket as it is a symbol of the gang he joined. At the end, his girlfriend finds him and a cop records his death.

TATS?Strengths?Weaknesses?

Remember to include:

• T = ‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’• A = Evan Hunter• T = Choose a short story in which you feel

sympathy for the main character.• S = Short plot summary

Your turn

• Swap and peer assess the introductions you have written.• Copy this table and tick the boxes if you can identify them

in the introduction.

• Write a comment underneath which says:– One thing they did well– One thing they should work on to improve next time

Peer assess introductions

T - title

A - authorT - taskS - summary

Conclusion

• The conclusion is a summing up of the essay.• The conclusion is a brief summary of all the

points raised in the main body of the essay – use the essay question and your topic sentences.

Conclusion

• Remember, you should never add anything new in the conclusion.

• The conclusion should sum up what you have written and prove that you have answered the question.

• Quotes relating to new points should not be used in the conclusion.

• Restate your personal opinion (demonstrating your engagement with the short story).

• All the conclusion needs is three or four strong sentences which do not need to follow any set formula. Simply review the main points and go back to your introduction/the essay question – have you answered it?

• It should be more than one sentence.

• In conclusion, Evan Hunter makes the reader feel sympathy for Andy through his skilful use of techniques, such as imagery and word choice. I felt sympathy for Andy at the end of the story because there were so many things that he wanted to do. Although the policeman saw Andy not as a person but just as another victim of gang conflict, Hunter helps us to see Andy as real person and one way he does this is by describing his hopes and dreams – dreams we know will never come true.

Conclusion

• Start with the words “In conclusion…” or “To conclude..”

• Refer back to the words of the question• Sum up the main points of the essay and your

feelings about the text.• Identify the a part of the story that made you

feel particularly sympathetic towards Andy.

Do

End with a bang not a whimper

• End with a detailed point or example• Be negative about the text. Whether you

enjoyed reading the text or not, your text was chosen because of its literary merit, you should appreciate this.

Don’t

Don’t bring in any new points

• Use this acronym to help you:

• S – Summarise (what the essay has been about)• T – Task (refer back to the task)• O – Opinion (give your personal opinion)• P – Positive (make sure your opinion is positive)

STOP!

• Swap and peer assess the conclusions you have written.• Copy this table and tick the boxes if you can identify them

in the introduction.

• Write a comment underneath which says:– One thing they did well– One thing they should work on to improve next time

Peer assess conclusions

S – Summarise

T – TaskO – OpinionP – Positive