The rough draft of Essay #2 will be due next Wednesday, April 1 (no fooling). Remember to bring three copies — one for me and two for classmates, so we may critique it. Here are the instructions (for anybody who has misplaced the copy I handed out in class):
Instructions for Essay #2
Choose one:
Option A: Analyze an argument
Write an essay in response to either “Racist Like Me” by Debra Dickerson or “I Want a Wife” by Judy Brady. Your essay must analyze the subject essay’s rhetoric and present your own argument ‑‑ either disputing the writer’s thesis outright or presenting a reasonable alternative position (do not simply agree with the essay you are analyzing). Be sure to review Joseph Kelly’s informative piece “What Are Essays?” and discuss some of the concepts he explains (premises, logical/ethical/pathetic arguments) as they apply to your subject essay. You are welcome (but not required) to research the author of your subject essay and discuss how her life and other work may be relevant to the essay in question.
Option B: Analyze a fictional narrative
Write an essay analyzing one or more aspects of “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver or “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor. Be sure to review the handout “Literary Analyses” for guidance on writing about literature. It is essential for your essay to have a narrow topic and a clear, focused thesis based on your analysis. For example, you may choose to focus on the development of characters in the story, the writer’s use of language, themes of the story or other elements of the narrative that make it meaningful or make it “work” (be clear about how you define meaning or functionality). You are welcome (but not required) to research the author of the your subject story and discuss how his or her life and other work may be relevant to the story in question.
Choose one:
Option A: Analyze an argument
Write an essay in response to either “Racist Like Me” by Debra Dickerson or “I Want a Wife” by Judy Brady. Your essay must analyze the subject essay’s rhetoric and present your own argument ‑‑ either disputing the writer’s thesis outright or presenting a reasonable alternative position (do not simply agree with the essay you are analyzing). Be sure to review Joseph Kelly’s informative piece “What Are Essays?” and discuss some of the concepts he explains (premises, logical/ethical/pathetic arguments) as they apply to your subject essay. You are welcome (but not required) to research the author of your subject essay and discuss how her life and other work may be relevant to the essay in question.
Option B: Analyze a fictional narrative
Write an essay analyzing one or more aspects of “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver or “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor. Be sure to review the handout “Literary Analyses” for guidance on writing about literature. It is essential for your essay to have a narrow topic and a clear, focused thesis based on your analysis. For example, you may choose to focus on the development of characters in the story, the writer’s use of language, themes of the story or other elements of the narrative that make it meaningful or make it “work” (be clear about how you define meaning or functionality). You are welcome (but not required) to research the author of the your subject story and discuss how his or her life and other work may be relevant to the story in question.
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For either option, you must cite your subject text as well as the additional reference texts, using MLA style. Provide in-text citations as well as a full listing of source information on a separate Works Cited page.
The first draft of your essay will be due at the start of class on Wednesday, April 1.
At the top of your first page, include your name, my name, the name of the course (EN103) and the date you’re turning it in. Be sure to label it “first draft.” Bring three copies –- one for me and two for classmates who will critique it during class. Your draft should be 2 to 5 typed, double-spaced pages long. The pages of each copy should be stapled together.
You will revise your essay based on feedback from me and the classmates who read it. The final version must be 3 or 4 typed, double-spaced pages long. You will turn in one copy of the final, revised essay and a copy of the original first draft at the start of class Wednesday, April 8.
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