Analysis of Sympathy and Tragedy in 'On the Sidewalk Bleeding' by Evan Hunter
Explore the themes of sympathy, tragedy, and identity in "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter through the character of Andy, who struggles with a sense of belonging and recognition after a tragic incident. The essay delves into the societal pressures, personal aspirations, and ultimate fate of Andy as depicted in the narrative.
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Essay planning On the Sidewalk Bleeding by Evan Hunter
Choosing an essay question Score out / put a cross beside any that are not suitable. Tick / circle any that are. Decide which question best fits the text and your quotations.
If it says or, pick ONE Essay questions 1. Choose a novel or short story in which you feel sympathy or admiration or pity for the main character. Explain how the writer achieves the effect and discuss how it contributes to your appreciation of the text as a whole. 2. Choose a novel which is set during a period of social or political change. Discuss how important the writer s evocation of the period is to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
Quote: Quote: Topic 1: Topic 2: Essay question: Text: Topic 3: Topic 4: Quote: Quote:
Quote: Quote: Topic 1: Topic 2: Essay question: Choose a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character. Text: On the Sidewalk Bleeding Topic 3: Topic 4: Quote: Quote:
Quote: Quote: Topic 1: Topic 2: Andy has been stabbed Nobody helps him Essay question: Choose a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character. Text: On the Sidewalk Bleeding Topic 3: Topic 4: He does not have a future He want to be remembered as Andy Quote: Quote:
Quote: The knife entered just below his rib cage and had been drawn across his body violently, tearing a wide gap in his flesh. Quote: I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to get mixed up in this. He's a Royal. Topic 1: Topic 2: Andy has been stabbed Nobody helps him Essay question: Choose a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character. Text: On the Sidewalk Bleeding Topic 3: Topic 4: The weather is against him He does not have a future Quote: Someday he would marry Laura. Someday he would marry her, and they would have a lot of kids, and then they would get out of the neighbourhood. Quote: He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body
Quote: Quote: Topic 1: Topic 2: Essay question: Choose a short story in which you feel admiration for the main character. Text: On the Sidewalk Bleeding Topic 3: Topic 4: Quote: Quote:
Quote 1: Quote 1: Quote 2: Quote 2: Topic 1: Topic 2: Event 1 Start Event 2 - An event from near the start/middle ? Essay question: Text: On the Sidewalk Bleeding Topic 3: Topic 4: Event 3 - An event from the middle/nr the end Event 4 - The end Quote 1: Quote 1: Quote 2: Quote 2:
Key incidents Start Andy has just been stabbed by a member of a rival gang at the start of the story Drunk doesn t help Andy the drunk man thinks Andy is drunk and doesn t call the cops Couple don t help Andy are too scared to help Andy / remind him of Laura Takes off jacket Andy realises he was stabbed just because he was wearing the jacket and struggles to take it off Dies Andy dies and Laura finds him End the policeman records his death as a gang incident
Key terms Character Setting Plot Theme Conflict Symbol Key incident Climax
Can you identify the techniques? Repetition Word choice He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body Symbolism Metaphor
Word choice March is the start of Spring. The associations of this are of lambs and plants being born/growing. This contrasts with Andy dying too young. Word choice this is an American word for pavement . This reminds us that the setting is America. We also know it takes place in March. Repetition the word drilling is repeated, emphasising the force of the rain. He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body Symbolism the jacket represents the gang he is a member of. At this point he still wearing it but, later, he takes it off as he wants to be a remembered as a person, not just a gang member. Metaphor the rain is being compared to a drill. Just as a drill easily cuts holes in wood, so too it feels like the rain in making holes in Andy s flesh. This is violent image that suggests the rain is so hard it is hurting Andy.
On the Sidewalk Bleeding Writing a critical essay
Essay task Choose a novel or short story in which you feel sympathy or admiration or pity for the main character. Explain how the writer achieves the effect and discuss how it contributes to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
Essay task Choose a novel or short story in which you feel sympathy or admiration or pity for the main character. Explain how the writer achieves the effect and discuss how it contributes to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
Structure 1 2 3
Introduction Main body Conclusion
Lets start by looking at the main body. We ll come back to the introduction later.
Structure your essays like this: Introduction MAIN BODY Paragraph 1 - Topic 1 Paragraph 2 Topic 2 Paragraph 3 Topic 3 Paragraph 4 Topic 4 Conclusion
Structure your essays like this: Introduction MAIN BODY Paragraph 1 - Event 1 Paragraph 2 Event 2 Paragraph 3 Event 3 Paragraph 4 Event 4 Conclusion
Paragraphs should always follow this formula: P E A R
P E A R P = point E = evidence A = analyse R = response / link back to essay question
P E A R Point = Topic sentence + Introduce quotation
Topic sentence This is the sentence that starts every new paragraph. In it you summarise what the paragraph is going to be about. It should have two pieces of information: 1. What the task is 2. What the topic of that paragraph is
Topic sentences T + T
Topic sentence Topic = The weather is against Andy Task = Choose a short story in which you feel sympathy for the main character. One way... One event that
T + T One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. Topic Task
Introduce the quote He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body Location in the story? What character(s) are involved? What has just happened at this point?
Introduce the quote Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather: He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body
Point should look like this: P (TS) One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. (IQ) Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather: A colon is used to A colon is used to Introduce the quotation. Introduce the quotation.
P E A R Evidence = This is the quotation you are going to use. Leave a line before and after the quotation and remember to use quotations marks.
One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather: He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body (Start your analysis here.)
Analysis This is where you look at the quotation more closely. Analyse- to examine in detail in order to discover meaning, essential features, etc.
P E A R Analysis = Analysis mention any techniques Evaluation explain why they are effective
Analysis + evaluation The word drilling is repeated which emphasises how strong the rain was. This is also a metaphor as the rain is being compared to a drill. Just as a drill easily cuts holes in wood, so too it feels like the rain is, effortlessly, making holes in Andy s flesh. This is a violent image that suggests the rain is so hard it is hurting Andy. In addition, the word March is word choice. The connotations of this word are of the start of spring and baby animals being born. This contrasts with what is happening in the story and highlights the fact that Andy is dying too young.
P E A R Response = Your evaluation will lead you back to the essay question Clearly explain how the quotation you have analysed relates to the essay question Relate this to the short story s theme(s) If you haven t already, address the second part of the question Explain how the writer achieves the effect and discuss how it contributes to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
Response Through his effective use of techniques, Hunter uses the weather to create sympathy for Andy. Not only is he in a large amount of pain because of the stabbing, but the rain is adding to his misery. This contributes to my appreciation of the text as a whole because, if the author did not create sympathy for Andy, then we would not care about his death. It is important that the reader cares about Andy so we can understand the story s theme, that gang violence is futile.
One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather: P He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body E The word drilling is repeated which emphasises how strong the rain was. This is also a metaphor as the rain is being compared to a drill. Just as a drill easily cuts holes in wood, so too it feels like the rain is making holes in Andy s flesh. This is a violent image that suggests the rain is so hard it is hurting Andy. In addition, the word March is word choice. The connotations of this word are of the start of spring and baby animals being born. This contrasts with what is happening in the story and highlights the fact that Andy is dying too young. Through her effective use of techniques, Duffy creates a vivid and disturbing picture of the concentration camps from the vast numbers of dead bodies that lie in piles, without an attempt at treating them with dignity, to the mindless cruelty of the Nazi soldiers. It is these techniques that skilfully drive home the poem s themes and make this a poem that sets out to do more than just entertain. Duffy urges us to remember horrifying events of the past and, more importantly, to learn from these mistakes. A R
One way in which sympathy for the character of Andy is created is when the author suggests the weather is hurting Andy. Near the start of the story imagery is used to describe the unpleasant weather: He lay on the sidewalk with the March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body The word drilling is repeated which emphasises how strong the rain was. This is also a metaphor as the rain is being compared to a drill. Just as a drill easily cuts holes in wood, so too it feels like the rain is making holes in Andy s flesh. This is a violent image that suggests the rain is so hard it is hurting Andy. In addition, the word March is word choice. The connotations of this word are of the start of spring and baby animals being born. This contrasts with what is happening in the story and highlights the fact that Andy is dying too young. Through her effective use of techniques, Duffy creates a vivid and disturbing picture of the concentration camps from the vast numbers of dead bodies that lie in piles, without an attempt at treating them with dignity, to the mindless cruelty of the Nazi soldiers. It is these techniques that skilfully drive home the poem s themes and make this a poem that sets out to do more than just entertain. Duffy urges us to remember horrifying events of the past and, more importantly, to learn from these mistakes.
Introduction The introduction should not be too long. It should focus on the task right from the start.
Identify the text and author Use words from the essay task to explain what the essay will be about.
Use this formula to help you: T A T S
