You will write a summary of “Consider the Lobster.” Having read and annotated the essay, you will first write a an outline that includes a thesis statement, two to three topic sentences, and two quotations from the essay under their respective topic sentences; you will then develop this into into a three page summary essay.
Remember that a summary is a compressed version of an original text, based on the observations, connections and inferences you make through close reading and annotating. Your goal is to communicate the gist of the writer’s main point and to organize your sentences and paragraphs in a logical representation based on the key points the writer has used. Do not include your own opinions or ideas.
Read the “Writing Effective Summaries” and follow these steps to complete this assignment
After a thorough first reading, write in your own words the point of the piece on scratch paper just to make sure you understand the subject matter being presented.
Reread, annotate, and underline the main ideas, not the supporting details.
Write an introductory statement that introduces the article title and the author, and explain what the article is about in a few sentences.
Decide on the order that you want to present the main idea/s; they should not necessarily follow the order of the original. Instead, they should be organized based on their importance in supporting your understanding of the author’s main point. Then, write the body of your summary.
Finish the summary with the author’s own conclusions on the subject.
***Be careful not to simply repeat the plot of the original essay. You can quote only twice from Wallace directly, and only when you cannot restate his idea in a clearer way or when his words are particularly memorable; put the rest of the essay in your own words. This should be as close to three full pages as possible, no shorter, no longer.
This essay must be MLA formatted. You will receive two grades for this essay: one for accurate use of MLA format, and one for a clear and accurate summary.
Create a title for your summary essay.
Your essay would be graded if it’s organized logically with a thesis statement, topic sentences, and supporting details, including accurate and important quotations (if used)
“Features of Effective Summaries”
Effective summaries:
limit the scope of the summary to the most essential points in the original text,
mention the title of the reading, the name of the author, and the author’s thesis or purpose right away. (For example: In Marie Muniz’s article “Back, but Not Home ,” the author expresses her desire to go back to the cultural roots she left behind when her family moved to the U.S.)
are explicit about the author’s argument and purpose.
focus on the author (A summary should not be written as though the ideas are yours.).
are about what the author says, rather than about what you think or whether you agree.
talk about what the writer says in present tense.
use quotations sparingly, if at all (Quotations should consist only of particularly memorable phrases or things you simply couldn’t put in a better, clearer way.).
Checklist for Strengthening a Summary
Ask yourself:
Have I captured the author’s meaning accurately? Have I included all of the main points?
Are the connections between the author’s ideas clear? Are there places that need clearer transitions to show how the author moves from one major point to another?
Are the author and the source clearly and accurately named in the first sentence?