First and foremost, remember that this is a Critical response paper, NOT a Personal response paper.
You must maintain an academic perspective throughout your paper. You are presenting an argument and supporting it with evidence from the text or other sources.  Therefore, AVOID the following types of statements: "It seems to me," "I think," "I believe," and "It is obvious that." In fact, try to avoid using the first person altogether.

• You also should avoid using the second person ("you") as well.
• Do not refer to "the reader", i.e., "In these lines the reader can really see what the speaker is describing," "the author lets the reader understand what he is feeling," etc..

Be sure your first paragraph is an overview of the contents of your essay. It's almost like an outline for your reader that is written in complete sentences. Sometimes it's helpful to go back and refocus your first paragraph after you've finished your essay.

• Your thesis sentence should present a point that you will prove.  Do NOT make announcements ("This paper will compare Agamemnon and Gilgamesh in terms of their kingly qualities").
• You also need to make sure you introduce both the author and work to be analyzed as early as possible.
• Be sure to use quotation marks for titles of shorter works, such as poems and short stories, and italics for titles of longer works, such as plays, epic poems and novels.
• Avoid using references to the dictionary (Webster's defines love as . . . ").

The body of the essay should be filled with information related to your thesis.
Each paragraph has a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.  You should use evidence within your paragraphs which further explains what your topic sentence introduced.  Don't forget to clearly express your own opinions. Avoid repeating yourself.

• Avoid plot summary!  Use quotes from only those sections of the text immediately relevant to your discussion!

Evidence is needed in your paper.
Be sure to "back up" all your points with either examples from the text or citations from the text.

• You really should not use outside sources.
  

Using proper MLA format, include parenthetical citations with proper punctuation and a Works Cited page.

• Be very careful when making references to the Humanities textbook.  For example, Homer is the author of The Iliad.  Martin Puchnar is the main editor of the work in which The Iliad appears.  Also be careful when citing information from the introductions to the authors and works.
• Sample Entry:

• Foster, Benjamin, translator.  The Epic of Gilgamesh. Norton Anthology of World Literature Shorter. 3rd Ed., edited by Martin Puchnar, et al. Vol. 1. NY: W.W. Norton, 2013, pp. 38-88.
  

• (Note: only the first line is flush with the margin; subsequent lines are tabbed over. It's called reverse indent, if you want to look it up.)

• Do Not Number the Entries in a Works Cited.
• Also be careful when quoting verse--Use slashes to show line breaks and cite by line (or act.scene.line for plays).
• Introduce and explain all quotes.  This means you should avoid beginning or ending a paragraph with a quote and you should never place quotes back to back without discussion in between them.
• Also, avoid using quotes as the subjects of sentences!
• "xxxxxx" means that . . . [awkward]
• When he says, "x x x x x," he means . . . .  [also pretty awkward]
• Avoid plagiarism !!  See Policy 
• DO NOT USE A COVER PAGE !!

• Don't use "in which" when you mean "that."
• Don't use "that" when you mean "who" (i.e. when referring to people)
• Use Punctuation to show Possession:  "Morrison's book" not "Morrison book"

A strong conclusion leaves your reader fulfilled and your paper complete.
Briefly sum up your thesis. Perhaps your final thesis has a little more content than the thesis in your introductory paragraph
because the reader now knows where you are coming from.
Don't be afraid to make your final paragraph REALLY COUNT in some way. Again, it gives the reader something to remember you by.

• Please!! Avoid making comparisons to Present Day Society !!! Such comparisons almost never have a basis in actual textual analysis !!
• Please Do NOT Write a Paper About Slavery itself. Of course, Slavery was a horrible, terrible institution. However, this discussion should be of a literary nature, critiquing the narratives themselves, not the subjects.