Name______
Brighton Beach MemoirsTheme Essay (80 pts)
InBrighton Beach Memoirs, everyone in the Jerome/Morton family takes care of everyone else. By the end of the play, almost every member of the household has acceptedhis or her responsibilities in the family. This sense of responsibility helps keep the family together.
Assignment: Write a 5-paragraph essay in which you analyze thetheme Neil Simon develops about family responsibility
Prewriting: First, write what you think is the message or theme of the play. Remember, a theme must be more than one word. It should be stated as a complete sentence.
Write the theme below: Through his characters, Neil Simon develops the theme that:
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Now, for your body paragraphs, choose 3 characters who exemplify this theme of responsibility to the family. For each character, summarize what he or she does in the play that shows family responsibility. Then find a quote that illustrates this family loyalty. Remember to introduce the characterspeaking, who he/she is talking to,put quotation marks around the quote, and include a parenthetical citation with author’s last name and page #. If you would like, you may use two quotes per character to better illustrate this character’s role in helping the family.
Character 1: ______
What he/she does that exemplifies the theme: ______
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Quote: (For example, Jack says to Nora, ““It’s not my place to make decisions for you. But I can offer advice. Advice is free. If it doesn’t fit, you can return it” (Simon 53)
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How does this example demonstrate the theme you wrote above?
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Character 2: ______
What he/she does that exemplifies the theme: ______
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Quote:
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How does this example demonstrate the theme you wrote above?
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Character 3: ______
What he/she does that exemplifies the theme: ______
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Quote:
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How does this example demonstrate the theme you wrote above?
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Mike Jones
Mrs.Mont
English 11
12December 2011
Title of Paper
Grabber (may be a relevant quite, startling fact, observation, or brief anecdote.) Bridge:In the play Brighton Beach Memoirs, Neil Simonwrites about a family struggling to live together during the end of the Great Depression. While many conflictsarise such as ______, ______, and ______(use parallel structure), these characters feel a genuine responsibility to help each other through difficult times. Roadmap: Write one sentence for each character you chose on the prewriting sheet explaining, briefly, what the character does that exemplifies family responsibility. Save your strongest example for last. End the introduction with the thesis you wrote on the prewriting sheet.
1 One character who truly exemplifies the theme of responsibility to family is______. 2-3 Give some background information about this character.4 In the scene when ______, this character shows his/her family loyalty by ______. 5 He/she says to ______, “Include quote from prewriting sheet” (Simon #). 6-7 Explain how this quote illustrates the theme stated in your thesis.
In addition, ______also exhibits a sense of duty to others in the family. Follow the same pattern as in body paragraph 1, but try to vary sentence starters.
Finally, ______is the character who most keeps the family together through his/her sense of loyalty. Follow the same pattern as in body paragraph 1, but try to vary sentence starters.
These charactersall demonstrate the theme of(restate the theme here, but use different words than you used in your introduction). If ______, ______, and ______had not considered their family responsibilities, the Jerome/Morton familymay not have survived the conflicts they encountered. Clincher: Explain how family loyalty and responsibility could be a useful lesson in life. (2 sentences)______.
Reminders:
1. Use MLA format - proper heading, double space, Times New Roman 12 pt font.
2. No 1st or 2nd person; no ______or ______
- Write in the present tense. Ex: In the book, Blanche fights with Kate.
4. Cite your quotes with author's last name and page #. Ex: Jack emphasizes the importance of family when he tells Stanley, “I’m glad you’re so close” (Simon 123).
6. Avoid contractions.