WHAT IS A REACTION

PAPER

The main purpose of a reaction essay is to give an

evaluation of a piece of art. Our article will help you
to write a reaction paper about a movie, but
actually, the structure of all kinds of reaction essays
is the same - to give your own perception and
feelings which the piece of art evoked in you.
 Reaction paper is a task that requires a student to
analyze information and give comments on a certain
text or media. A reaction paper is different from a
review in that it is composed in the first person and
assumes subjective point of view. Working on this
type of task, you are welcome to use such phrases as
“I believe” or “I think” and even present your
thoughts in an emotional manner.
Reaction paper format

 Formatting gives every student a chance to create an

outstanding paper, using previous experience and a
clear plan of actions. With the help of such an
outline, you will be able to see how the paper will
look like and will be able to go from one paragraph to
another smoothly. Usually you will have specific
information on the size of the paper, so a plan will be
of a great help.
A reaction paper consists of four main
parts:

 1. Introduction;
 2. Body;
 3. Conclusions;
 4.List of citations and sources.
Introduction
 Introduction section is the face of your paper, so you
need to pay extra attention to this part to gain interest of
the reader. Here you should describe the author and the
paper you are analyzing, the main ideas and problems
you are going to discuss.
Body
 The second part of the paper is where the real work
begins. You need to write down your thoughts on the
main ideas of the paper, backed with appropriate quotes
and sources.
 Conclusions should be brief and contain information on
your thesis and main ideas, which were shaped
throughout the work. You can also refer to the target
audience and the impact these conclusions may have on
the society.
 Step-by-step guide to help you get your
reaction paper done
 Start with a draft

 Remember, you need an entire draft written carefully from the beginning to
the end to understand what exactly you should include into the first
paragraph of your finished work.

 Express your opinion

 It’s a reaction paper, so don’t be shy to express your own thoughts. In this
case, there is nothing weird about all these “I feel” and “I think”.
 Do not get carried away with criticism

 Some students think that reaction papers give them an absolute freedom of
expression and go to extremes with criticism. It’s okay to critique a book or
film, but you don’t have to be rude and nasty! Remember that critiques
without evidence and clear examples is always baseless and boring to read.
Purpose

REACTION PAPERS HAVE A THREE-PARTS PURPOSE.

FIRST THEY ARE INTENDED TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR
COMPREHENSION OF THE ASSIGNED READINGS THAT WILL
BE DISCUSSED IN CLASS ON DISCUSSION DAYS. THEY WILL
HELP YOU KEEP TRACK OF IMPORTANT IDEAS THAT YOU
WILL NEED TO REVIEW AGAIN IN PREPARING YOUR SENIOR
THESIS. MOST IMPORTNATLY, THEY ARE INTENDED FOR YOU
TO GIVE YOUR REACTION TO THE ASSIGNED READINGS.