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Personal Response
(Five Paragraph Essay)
Personal Response to literature depends on the recognition of the theme in the
piece of literature you are responding to. Common themes such as risk, isolation,
loneliness, or lack of communication really lend themselves to the discussion
needed for a good personal response essay. In order to find the theme of the
literature that is to be responded to, first examine the narrator’s behavior.
Question the actions and motivations for the behavior of the literature’s main
character. For example, if a character acts rudely toward others, the reader must
investigate why this behavior happened. Watch for clues as you read a story,
think of personal experiences you have had that may be parallel to the narrator’s
experience. The rude character may be reacting to external pressures, or even
out of a need for personal contact.
Once the general theme of the literature has been established, think of a similar
situation or feeling that has happened to you. It is at this point that many writers
of personal response get bogged down. They believe that personal experience
must reflect their own lives. This is not true. Borrow an experience from a friend
or make one up. Build this experience around the theme of what you have read.
Figuring out the theme of the literature and then linking it to an experience of
your own are the first two steps in understanding personal response. The final
step is to support your opinion of the author’s attitude by bringing in other
literature you have studied. This will give your essay a more authoritative tone.
Study stories which have dealt with the common themes mentioned above. The
easiest method to use when responding personally to literature is an essay form
which has been nickname "The Five Paragraph Bullet".
The Five Paragraph Essay
Introduction
Sometimes taking risks is essential in
order to achieve one’s purpose in life
whether this is in the area of public or
personal relationships. The narrator in the
The first paragraph of this essay like
any essay is an introduction. After
making a general statement based on
the theme of the literature, develop