Write an analytical or argumentative essay on a topic of your own choosing, focusing narrowly on The Imperfectionists or one or two of the short stories we have read this semester. Your paper must meet each of the following requirements. Read these requirements carefully, more than once.
- The paper must be 7-9 pages in length, 2100 words minimum, 2800 words maximum (in the body of the essay, excluding headers, name, date, title, works cited entries, etc.).
- Your work must be formatted carefully and correctly, following MLA guidelines as outlined on my "simple stuff" web page.
- A minimum of ten quotations from the work(s) you examine is required: ten is an absolute minimum—you may certainly offer more than ten to illustrate or substantiate your primary claims thoroughly and effectively.
- You are not required to incorporate research into this paper as you will be with paper 2, but you may if you wish bring in quotations and other support from secondary sources of legitimate scholarly criticism or commentary.
- All quotations and other source material must be documented according to MLA guidelines as outlined on my "quotes and documentation" page.
- Note that you
must submit the final draft in both hard copy (printed on paper) and electronic
form (as an email attachment, sent to chip@chipspage.com).
- Paper proposals: as a graded assignment, you are to turn in a paper proposal in the form of a topic sentence outline, beginning with the question your essay will strive to answer, followed by each body paragraph's complete topic sentence as it might appear in the essay itself, and ending with a thesis statement that a) answers the question you are addressing, and b) ties together the primary points in your topic sentences. The question you raise for this outline should be a literal question—an interrogative sentence ending in a question mark, not merely a statement of what your topic is. You may send your topic sentence outline in the body of an email message—that is, it’s not necessary to send the outline as an attachment. For full explanation of a topic sentence outline, including examples, see the paper proposal assignment page.
- The real challenge here will be to arrive at a viable topic, one worthy of exploration in an upper division college English course. See especially the first item below (excerpted from "2000-4000 grades and grading criteria" at chipspage.com). I know that assigning an open topic is also problematic because it permits far more opportunities for plagiarism—don't do it!
Feel free to take any matters from our discussions and critical responses as a starting point for greater development in this paper. You may also consider points of connection or comparison between different works we've read this semester.
Feel free, of course, also, to email me or telephone if you want guidance in arriving at a topic for exploration. The starting point would be to set up a literal question such as you will need to begin the paper proposal. Do indeed let me know if you struggle in thinking of a viable topic.
- From " Matters of course: the bedrock basics" (from chipspage.com, "2000-4000 grades"):
In order to receive a passing grade:
- An essay must first and foremost address a viable topic, meaning that if you are given a specific assignment for the essay, your paper must address the assigned topic squarely, directly, and fully. In the absence of a specific assigned topic, the essay must set up and address a topic genuinely worthy of exploration at the college level. . . . Here's one quick illustration: a beautifully written paper proving that Hester Prynne is treated harshly in The Scarlet Letter for her sin of adultery would receive a quick F because the point is too obvious to need elaboration: any reader of the novel would know that Hester is treated harshly simply from reading the book. Your essay should develop a thesis that will enlighten your readers: you should present and develop significant argument or analysis that goes beyond simply stating the obvious.
- Secondly, every essay must meet all specified assignment requirements. For instance, if an assignment stipulates that you must incorporate a personal anecdote from your own life and you do not include one, your essay has no chance of passing however brilliant it may be in other respects. Or if you are asked to incorporate quotations from four sources and you cite only two? No chance to pass.
- An essay must first and foremost address a viable topic, meaning that if you are given a specific assignment for the essay, your paper must address the assigned topic squarely, directly, and fully. In the absence of a specific assigned topic, the essay must set up and address a topic genuinely worthy of exploration at the college level. . . . Here's one quick illustration: a beautifully written paper proving that Hester Prynne is treated harshly in The Scarlet Letter for her sin of adultery would receive a quick F because the point is too obvious to need elaboration: any reader of the novel would know that Hester is treated harshly simply from reading the book. Your essay should develop a thesis that will enlighten your readers: you should present and develop significant argument or analysis that goes beyond simply stating the obvious.
As always, feel free to contact me by email or telephone for help. I
particularly encourage you to seek my help with your paper outside of class. If my
office hours don't mesh with your schedule, let me know, and we'll
make other arrangements.Tips:
- Offer concrete evidence (i.e. quotations) to support every one of your major assertions.
- Make every body ¶'s topic sentence answer the topic sentence outline question directly.
- Avoid plot summary: see nugget 1; introduce all quotes: see nugget 3.
- Sweat the details: see the "Golden Rules," "Nuggets," "Simple Stuff," and "Quotes & Documentation" pages and proofread carefully.