Final answer:
The student's question is about preparing for a textual analysis essay based on a film extract. A strategic approach involves multiple readings for different levels of comprehension, note-taking, and organizing an outline with a focus on key passages and patterns that support the thesis of the essay.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the preparation for a textual analysis and essay writing based on an extract from the film Fargo. When analyzing a text or film, it's essential to engage with the material, employing strategies like annotating, taking content notes, and making margins notes & highlighting.
The process includes reading the extract first for the gist, then for a deeper understanding, and a third time for deep analysis, each followed by note-taking sessions. After reviewing the material multiple times, the student should make an outline, focusing on the crucial aspects and patterns, such as setting or image patterns, to help structure the essay. This outline should include four or five key passages listed in order, which are most relevant to the thesis or central argument of the essay. Discarding non-essential notes aids in keeping the essay concise and focused on analyzing patterns or devices within the text, rather than summarizing the plot.
To further enhance understanding and retention of the material, it's advisable to read the assignment twice, before and after class discussions, and to break readings into manageable chunks. This structured approach to reading and note-taking will assist students in retaining information, which is beneficial for essay writing and tests. Instead of simply summarizing the plot, the student's goal should be to elucidate the author's choices and consider how the form of the story reflects its content.