Elements of political and social protest writing common mistakes

Common mistakes

• Overlooking Context

  Failing to connect the text to its historical and social context.

  Fix itAlways consider how the author's background and the time period influence the themes and messages in the writing.

• Overgeneralizing Themes

  Students often state broad themes without supporting them with specific textual evidence.

  Fix itAlways link themes to specific examples from the text to strengthen your argument.

• Overlooking Context

  Failing to connect the text to its historical or social context.

  Fix itAlways consider how the context influences the themes and messages of the writing.

• Overlooking the significance of minor characters

  Students often focus solely on Offred and neglect how secondary characters like Moira and Serena Joy contribute to the themes.

  Fix itConsider how these characters reflect and challenge the societal norms of Gilead.

• Overlooking Context

  Failing to connect the text to its historical and political context.

  Fix itAlways consider how the societal issues of the time influence the themes and characters in the novel.

• Confusing Innocence with Experience

  Students often conflate the themes of innocence and experience in Blake's poetry.

  Fix itClearly differentiate between the two states, using specific examples from the texts to support your analysis.

• Overlooking Context

  Failing to connect Blake's poems to the historical and social context of the Industrial Revolution.

  Fix itAlways consider how the context influences the themes and messages in Blake's work.

• Overlooking Contextual Elements

  Failing to connect the text's themes to its historical and social context.

  Fix itAlways consider how the context influences the characters' actions and the narrative's message.

• Overlooking the significance of setting

  Failing to analyze how the setting influences characters and themes.

  Fix itAlways consider how the setting shapes the narrative and reflects broader societal issues.

• Overlooking Character Development

  Failing to analyze how characters evolve in response to their social environment.

  Fix itFocus on how characters like Louisa and Stephen are shaped by the oppressive structures of Coketown.