Rubric for Passage Summaries and Analyses

Translations and Waiting for Godot Passage Summaries and Analyses

9-8

These compositions offer a commanding summary and persuasive analysis of the scene, including insightful analysis of how the scene contributes to the major themes of the play. Students make a strong case for their interpretation of the passage and its relationship to the novel as a whole (especially with regard to themes). They explore the playwright’s meaningful use of elements such character, event, setting, motifs, symbols, cultural and historical allusions, tone, and style. These essays develop analysis through apt and specific references. The perceptive analysis is clear, precise and well organized. The analysis demonstrates sophistication and effective control of language.

7-6

These compositions show an understanding of the passage and its relation to the play as a whole through accurate summary, reasonable analysis and sustained, competent reading of the passage and its relation to the novel as a whole (especially themes) with attention to many of literary elements listed above. (The essays do not just name or list the themes found in the passage and in the novel as a whole, but also exhibit an understanding of how the passage develops the theme and how the theme is developed in the work as a whole.) The explication exhibits clarity and control; it includes supporting references from the text.

5

These summaries and analyses respond to the assigned task with accurate summary and plausible analysis of the passage but tend to be less than convincing. The explications may be underdeveloped in their analysis of the playwright’s use of literary techniques in the passage or in their analysis of the passage’s relation to the whole. (Techniques and themes might be identified but not analyzed and explained.) Support from the passage tends to be general and paraphrased, lacking attention to specific language and techniques employed by the playwright. Organization and command of language tends to be less effective (i.e. less clear) than in explications that score 7 or 6.

4-3

These summaries and analyses exhibit a less than adequate understanding of the task and often include significant misreading, omissions, and errors. The summaries may be incomplete or inaccurate. The analyses tend to rely on plot summary or paraphrase. They do not articulate plausible understanding of the passage itself or its relation to the whole novel. There may be little or no discussion of particulars, or the particulars that are discussed are misunderstood.