Provocative & Interpretative Tests

I would not make 1-5 equal to A-F, but you want to be as close to 1 as you can

 

Provocative

1)                  Thesis is greatly surprising, possibly upsetting.  I can easily think of 2 or 3 counterarguments that would offer it formidable challenges.

2)                  Thesis is unexpected, intriguing.  I can think of 1 or 2 counterarguments that would need to be explored in order for thesis to be persuasive

3)                  Neutral.  Thesis may or may not be proven.  The interest will be in the argumentation rather than the argument.

4)                  Thesis is expected, familiar, or apparent.  It would be hard for me to imagine a sound or attractive counterargument.

5)                  Thesis is descriptive, obvious, or unclear.

Interpretive

1)                  After reading this paper, I feel as if I have completely missed a rich layer of meaning in the novel.

2)                  After reading this paper, I feel that my interpretation of the novel has been substantially enriched.   Meanings that I sensed were there are now very much clearer.

3)                  Author uses novel for purposes of illustration, relying on conventional interpretations to support the thesis.

4)                  Occasional allusions to the novel’s artistic meaning are “safe” or obvious.

5)                  Thesis does not offer the reader any interpretive sense of the novel.