This document provides instructions for writing a 1000-1200 word essay analyzing the theme of loss and recovery in the play "Buried Child". The essay should develop an argument about how the characters have individually and collectively lost things both concrete and abstract. It should examine how the characters attempt to recover from or substitute for their losses. The analysis should reach psychological and philosophical levels rather than just describing literal events. Quotations and examples should be used to support the overall thesis. Ambiguities in the text should be seen as opportunities for complex thinking rather than hindrances. Topic sentences should organize paragraphs thematically rather than by character or chronology. Close reading for implied meanings and repetitions is emphasized over plot summary.