What is a Critical Summary? Each Critical Summary will consist of three sections

What is a Critical Summary?
Each Critical Summary will consist of three sections (at least one paragraph per section):
In the first section, clarify the setting of the story and describe the roles and character traits of each major character within the story.
In the second section, provide a detailed summary of the story’s plot.
In the third section, provide your analysis of a key theme or issue the story seems to be dealing with. A simple method to do this is to ask what broader social issue (i.e. an issue of importance in the real world, outside the realm of the story) or common interpersonal problem the story might be addressing. Then look for what messages or ideas the story could be viewed as portraying about that issue.
This kind of analysis can be challenging, but don’t be intimidated by it. There isn’t always one right or wrong approach to this. Simply look for what you consider a key social issue that could be seen within the story and look for textual evidence that helps back up your analysis of this issue.
When trying to identify “social issues,” it may be helpful to look at the most common categories of these issues, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political/social power, or economics.
Thus, each Critical Summary should be at least 3 paragraphs in length.
How Will the Critical Summaries Be Graded?
These Critical Summaries will be graded based on their accuracy, detail, and the development of thoughtful analysis.
Even though the structure of this only calls for a minimum of three paragraphs each, it is expected that these will be lengthy, substantive, and detailed paragraphs. If you need to write an additional paragraph to adequately address one of the sections, you should do so.
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other mechanics WILL significantly impact your grade, so make sure to carefully proofread and edit for these.