INPUT ARTICLE: Article: In many high school and college courses you will be asked to write a literary commentary. This assignment requires you to evaluate a piece of literature, most often a novel, poem, or play. The key part of a successful commentary is a strong, clear thesis statement. Your thesis is your argument or your point of view. This is where you take a stance, and spend the rest of the essay supporting your thesis. Maybe you are writing a commentary on Great Expectations. Your thesis could be, "Not only is Dickens' tale engaging, it is also an insightful commentary on the differences between social classes in industrial Britain." This will vary considerably depending on how long you want your commentary to be. At its briefest, say for a bulleted or single-paragraph commentary, make note of vital information to include. For longer commentaries, create a structure for your response. You might write at the top of your outline, "Important Themes in Great Expectations". You could then make bullet points such as "Setting", "Ambition", "Class", etc. An introductory paragraph will help you to remain focused on the key points as you write. For example, include an introduction where you provide the context for the work and state your thesis, followed by analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, themes, etc. Then wrap up with a short conclusion of the importance of the topic. You might start by saying, "Great Expectations is full of imagery that makes the reader feel as if they are in 19th century England with Pip. Dickens' novel about class, ambition, and love sheds important light on the social divides of the time." You could then list the themes that you will discuss in the body of your commentary. State an issue or theme you've identified, show where you've found it in the work, then explain what effect the issue or theme has on the work. You might feel that Miss Havisham's obsession with lost love is an important theme in Great Expectations. An excellent specific example to illustrate this theme is pointing out that the character remains in her wedding dress, despite being jilted decades before. When you use specific examples, make sure that you clearly illustrate how it connects back to the larger theme. You are using Miss Havisham's wedding dress as an example of the grief that comes with a lost love. Your reader will appreciate you clearly explaining why that is important. You might write something like, "Miss Havisham is an example of the theme that love can sometimes go terribly wrong. This is also an important theme when examining the relationship between Pip and Estella." Make sure to use smooth transitions. When you move to a new example, use a good transition word or phrase. Some examples are "similarly", "conversely", and "again". . If you used information from other sources, cite them according the guidelines for the assignment or publication. For instance, any quotes should be cited. Make a separate "Works Cited" section at the bottom of the commentary for this information.

SUMMARY: Define your thesis. Create an outline. Introduce your topic. Use specific examples to support your thesis. Connect your examples back to the theme. Cite your sources

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Anxiety may cause people to neglect their physical or emotional health, and you can help by suggesting that she do something if you notice she has forgotten. Self-soothing activities may be especially important if she has frequent anxiety. For example, ask her if she would like to get something to eat or suggest that she take a warm, long bath. When dealing with children, engage in relaxing activities together. Let them pick what they want to do. Not everyone with anxiety will have an anxiety disorder but that doesn't mean it doesn't need to be dealt with. Set aside 30 minutes out of the day, where your loved one can just have a good worry. During this time, don't let him be distracted by anything other than worrying and feeling anxious. Encourage him to think of solutions to his problems. This technique is effective with children as well as adults and helps them gain a sense of control over their problems. Your loved one may tell you why she feels upset, or you may have been able to tell based on what set off the anxiety. Try saying how upset she looks, and recognize that this is hard. This lets her know that you care, and that you think her struggles are valid. Ironically, affirming her stress can reduce it. "That sounds really hard." "I can see why that would be upsetting to you. It sounds like visiting your father can be difficult for you sometimes." "You look stressed. Your face is scrunched up and you look hunched over. Do you want to talk about it?" Hugs can bring comfort to an anxious person. You may try to pat his back, give him a one-armed hug or put your arm around his shoulder to make him comfortable. Only do what you and he are comfortable with. Always give him opportunities to decline. If he is dealing with sensory overload or are autistic, touch may make things worse. Or he may not be in the mood. This can be an enormous relief to the anxious person. Be accommodating, and don't question her bad days or unusual needs. Treat her anxiety like a fact that, while unfortunate, is not a dreadful burden upon your life. Recognize that her feelings matter, and treat her with compassion, anxiety and all. Be flexible. It may take longer for people with anxiety problems to get ready for events such as getting ready for school. Factor in this time and allow for delays. If your loved one isn't being treated already, seeing a doctor about his anxiety may allow him to get the help he needs. It's important to rule out any underlying medical or biological causes of the anxiety. Once you know that the cause of your loved one's anxiety is psychological, you will be in a better position to seek treatment. To give him a boost, you might suggest accompanying him to take notes, help him remember symptoms, or just for moral support. Asking others for help can be very encouraging for a person with anxiety problems. In fact, persons with strong informal support networks have increase their chances of benefitting from treatment for anxiety. You don't have to do anything specific. Just knowing that there are people around with whom to talk to and share her worries with, can help a person with anxiety problems feel better.

SUMMARY:
Encourage your loved one to practice self-care. Allocate time for worrying. Validate her feelings. Offer human touch. Accept that her needs are different. Encourage him to seek professional help. Form a support network.