10: the statement of intent
A sample:
story idea: students studying for an exam; theme: civilization is wicked and a waste of time. students realizing their education is about a bunch of useless information that makes them good employees but nothing else
statement of intent:
I wanted to write a story that showed a similar attitude toward society as is reflected in AQWF. In the novel, soldiers come to realize the limitations and weaknesses of civilization because of the stress they are under as a result of combat. That leads them to have conversations about their own situation and their place in society, like in chapter # just before the visit of the Kaiser, and also when Paul discusses his own future and the alienation from the past. I thought that students studying for a big exam would feel a similar sort of pressure that would lead them to ask questions about what they are doing and their place in civilization. I wanted the students to have a variety of views as the soldiers did, and that is why I included the argument between Javier and Laura and the knife fight at the end. The students’ issues are not as extreme, and their conclusions are not exactly the same, but I have raised the same issues about civilization as Remarque does in the novel.
a possible outline:
- what else do we need to know to understand the text?
- what was the main idea?
- where in the novel did you find it?
- briefly, how did you execute it?
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