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Assignment
| Requirements | Feedback | Sources | Directions | Submitting Final Draft | Grading Criteria
Assignment
Write an argumentative essay that traces a theme in "Playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain," "The Things They
Carried," "St.
Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves," or "Wildwood" (focus on just one
story). Use the section on themes from our textbook (424 - 428) to develop a thesis; you'll find
the checklist on page 427-28 particularly helpful. The
discussion board questions, your own and classmates, will help you
develop possible themes.
Once you
formulate a theme, develop a thesis which states your point, and the three or four reasons
(divisions) which support it.
For suggestions on drafting a thematic thesis, click here.
Body
paragraphs should be constructed around your reasons, and each should
offer examples from the story to prove the validity of your theme, and
then a clear and detailed explanation of how and why these examples
support the claim in your paragraph.
While this
essay must include at least two secondary sources (see Secondary Sources
page), the main emphasis is on your own thinking: the research doesn't
determine what you say in your essay -- you do. The quotations from researchers,
literary critics, interviews, or other books from
the time period will support your own ideas.
While you
can use secondary sources from the textbook, at least one source will be from
your own search.
Your rough
draft does not need to include your secondary sources.
Requirements
A minimum of 1500 words is required, as are a minimum of two secondary
sources (reminder -- general encyclopedias, dictionaries, open web
sources and the
primary source itself do not count as secondary sources -- though if
used, they have to be cited).
Getting
Feedback
There's three levels of feedback available for this essay: 1) peer
review; 2) me (set up an office hour now) ; and 3) the Writing Center.
Sources
The first place to check for sources is the library's databases
(accessed via the Library Link at the bottom of your Ocean Connect page or our Canvas course site). History, psychology, anthropology, or
sociology textbooks are also very good sources. See me for several
other sources as well.
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To
make it clear, do not use quotes from the open web (as in sources
found through a general search engine such as Google, Duck Duck Go etc.). Wikipedia is not
considered a scholarly source nor are general encyclopedias
(Britannica, etc.) and dictionaries. If you choose to use these
sources, the highest grade you can receive is a D.
Need
an example? Okay a Works Cited page that looks like this
would result in a D.
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Naturally,
you must correctly document your sources using MLA parenthetical
documentation style.
Directions
Be sure you have read and understood the definitions of an essay,
thesis and division statement, topic sentences, introduction, and
conclusion included in "The Glossary."
Follow the
suggestions in "Planning
and Drafting an Essay." Remember to check with me if you have
any questions or concerns.
Remember
that while your final draft must include secondary sources, the bulk of
your quotes/examples must be from the primary source/s. If your essay
contains only a few quotes from the primary source, your grade will
reflect this lack of work with the issue at hand -- namely, the novel
itself.
Submitting
Final Draft
Click on the Assignments link from our Canvas page and then follow the
instructions for "Final Draft of Essay 2."
Grading
Criteria
To receive a passing grade, you must successfully complete the
following:
Organization: Have a clear thesis
statement which suggests how a particular question is valid. You must
also include a clear division statement which is then developed in
separate paragraphs with clear topic sentences.
Content: Paragraphs that use
specific quotes and examples from the story to prove your point -- AND
a full and complete discussion on why and how that particular quote or
word proves your point. REMEMBER: examples do not speak for themselves
-- the core of a good literary essay is in your commentary and
explanations of the examples. Develop one division over the course of two paragraphs.
Proofreading: Sentences that are
clear and no more than 4 major errors. Correctly documented sources: at
least two outside sources (such as literary criticism, letters of the
author, interviews, other works by the author) are needed.
Major errors: Sentence fragments,
run-on sentences, verb-tense error, subject-verb agreement error,
unclear phrasing/tangled wording, documentation, formatting, and
spelling/wrong word error.
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