Please compose an essay and post it to Turnitin.com
Essay Prompt: Jane Austen’s novel Northanger Abbey (1818) opens with the
following passage. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay,
analyze the literary techniques Austen uses to characterize Catherine Morland.
Opening to Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy
would have supposed her born to be an heroine. Her situation in life, the
character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition, were all
equally against her. Her father was a clergyman, without being neglected or
poor, and a very respectable man, though his name was Richard, and he had never
been handsome. He had a considerable independence besides two good livings, (1)
and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters. Her mother
was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper, and, what is more
remarkable, with a good constitution. She had three sons before Catherine was
born; and, instead of dying in bringing the latter into the world, as anybody
might expect, she still lived on—lived to have six children more—to see them
growing up around her, and to enjoy excellent health herself. A family of ten
children will be always called a fine family, where there are heads, and arms,
and legs enough for the number; but the Morlands had little other right to the
word, for they were in general very plain, and Catherine, for many years of her
life, as plain as any. She had a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without
colour, dark lank hair, and strong features; so much for her person, and not
less unpropitious for heroism seemed her mind. She was fond of all boys’ play
and greatly preferred cricket, not merely to dolls, but to the more heroic
enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a
rose-bush. Indeed she had no taste for a garden, and if she gathered flowers at
all, it was chiefly for the pleasure of mischief, at least so it was
conjectured from her always preferring those which she was forbidden to take.
Such were her propensities; her abilities were quite as extraordinary. She
never could learn or understand anything before she was taught, and sometimes
not even then, for she was often inattentive, and occasionally stupid. Her mother was
three months in teaching her only to repeat the “Beggar’s Petition,” and, after
all, her next sister Sally could say it better than she did. Not that Catherine
was always stupid; by no means; she learnt the fable of “The Hare and many
Friends,” as quickly as any girl in England. Her mother wished her to learn music;
and Catherine was sure she should like it,
for she was very fond of tinkling the keys of the old forlorn
spinnet,(2) so at eight years old she began. She learnt a year and could not
bear it; and Mrs. Morland, who did not insist on her daughters being accomplished
in spite of incapacity or distaste, allowed her to leave off. The day which
dismissed the music-master was one of the happiest of Catherine’s life. Her
taste for drawing was not superior; though whenever she could obtain the outside
of a letter from her mother, or seize upon any other odd piece of paper, she
did what she could in that way by drawing houses and trees, hens and chickens,
all very much like one another. Writing and accounts she was taught by her father; French by her
mother. Her proficiency in either was not remarkable, and she shirked her
lessons in both whenever she could. What a strange unaccountable character! for
with all these symptoms of profligacy at ten years old, she had neither a bad
heart nor a bad temper, was seldom stubborn, scarcely ever quarrelsome, and
very kind to the little ones, with few
interruptions of tyranny. She was, moreover, noisy and wild, hated confinement
and cleanliness, and loved nothing so well in the world as rolling down the
green slope at the back of the house.
(1) Incomes or endowments, (2) Piano
Essay Rubric
Overview: The score reflects the quality of the essay as a whole—its
content, its style, its mechanics. Students are rewarded for what they do well.
The score for an exceptionally well-written essay may be raised by 1 point
above the otherwise appropriate score. In no case may a poorly written essay be
scored higher than a 3.
A
These persuasive essays reflect astute readings of the Austen selection. They analyze with clarity and precision the strategies and/or techniques of characterization that Austen uses to create the complex portrait of the “unaccountable” Catherine Morland. They articulately describe Catherine’s personality and, with apt and specific references to the text, illustrate Austen’s strategies and/or techniques. These essays need not be flawless. Nonetheless, they exhibit the students’ abilities to discuss the passage with understanding and insight, sustaining control and writing with clarity and sophistication.
These persuasive essays reflect astute readings of the Austen selection. They analyze with clarity and precision the strategies and/or techniques of characterization that Austen uses to create the complex portrait of the “unaccountable” Catherine Morland. They articulately describe Catherine’s personality and, with apt and specific references to the text, illustrate Austen’s strategies and/or techniques. These essays need not be flawless. Nonetheless, they exhibit the students’ abilities to discuss the passage with understanding and insight, sustaining control and writing with clarity and sophistication.
B
These competent essays coherently describe Catherine’s personality and identify some strategies and/or techniques of characterization used by Austen. Their assertions about her characterization may be less convincing or they may provide fewer supporting examples from the text than do the highestscoring essays. In essays scored a B, analysis may be more implicit than explicit. These essays demonstrate the students’ abilities to express ideas clearly, but they do not exhibit the same level of mastery, maturity, or control as the very best ones. They are likely to be briefer, less incisive, and less well supported than essays in the A range.
These competent essays coherently describe Catherine’s personality and identify some strategies and/or techniques of characterization used by Austen. Their assertions about her characterization may be less convincing or they may provide fewer supporting examples from the text than do the highestscoring essays. In essays scored a B, analysis may be more implicit than explicit. These essays demonstrate the students’ abilities to express ideas clearly, but they do not exhibit the same level of mastery, maturity, or control as the very best ones. They are likely to be briefer, less incisive, and less well supported than essays in the A range.
C
Although these plausible essays suggest awareness of the complexity of Catherine’s character and the techniques employed by Austen, they are generally superficial and less convincing than the ones in the B category. Discussion in these essays, though not inaccurate, tends to be overly generalized and inadequately supported by references to the passage. Although the writing is adequate to convey ideas and is not marred by distracting errors, these essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as those in the B range.
Although these plausible essays suggest awareness of the complexity of Catherine’s character and the techniques employed by Austen, they are generally superficial and less convincing than the ones in the B category. Discussion in these essays, though not inaccurate, tends to be overly generalized and inadequately supported by references to the passage. Although the writing is adequate to convey ideas and is not marred by distracting errors, these essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as those in the B range.
D
These lower-half essays reveal an incomplete or oversimplified understanding of the passage. Their assertions about the nature of Catherine’s personality or the methods of characterization employed by Austen may be implausible or irrelevant. They may rely almost entirely on paraphrase. Often wordy and repetitious, the writing may reveal uncertain control of the elements of college-level composition and may contain recurrent stylistic flaws. Essays that contain some misreading and/or inept writing should be scored a D-.
These lower-half essays reveal an incomplete or oversimplified understanding of the passage. Their assertions about the nature of Catherine’s personality or the methods of characterization employed by Austen may be implausible or irrelevant. They may rely almost entirely on paraphrase. Often wordy and repetitious, the writing may reveal uncertain control of the elements of college-level composition and may contain recurrent stylistic flaws. Essays that contain some misreading and/or inept writing should be scored a D-.
F
These essays compound the weaknesses of those in the D range. They may seriously misread the passage. Often, they are unacceptably brief. Although some attempt may be made to answer the question, the observations are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the text. These essays may be poorly written on several counts and may contain distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Essays scored a F contain little coherent discussion of the passage. Especially inept, vacuous, and/or unsound essays must be scored a F.
These essays compound the weaknesses of those in the D range. They may seriously misread the passage. Often, they are unacceptably brief. Although some attempt may be made to answer the question, the observations are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the text. These essays may be poorly written on several counts and may contain distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Essays scored a F contain little coherent discussion of the passage. Especially inept, vacuous, and/or unsound essays must be scored a F.
