LITR 2021: American Literature II

LITR 2021: American Literature II

Critical Essay #2

Assignment:

Develop an original thesis premise stating an argument. Construct a thesis proof with

evidence from the text and from outside reading/research (2 critical sources).

Analyze connections between your thesis statement and supporting evidence.

Use the thesis proof as an outline to guide your writing of a well-researched

analytical argument essay.

Purpose:

The purpose of this final assignment is for you to do the following:

highlight your critical thinking skills;
display your knowledge of American literature and culture;
demonstrate your ability to locate research materials.

Due dates:

Fri, April 15

Thesis Proof (draft) for Critical Essay #2. Hard copy due in class.

This draft does not have to include your outside sources yet.

Fri, April 22

Thesis Proof (revised) for Critical Essay #2. Hard copy due in class. Must include

evidence from outside sources.

Wed, April 27

Final paper and revised thesis proof. Due into Blackboard no later than 11:59 pm.

Essay Length:

5 typed pages minimum. You must include evidence from at least two

outside critical articles, appropriately documented in MLA style. Sources can be from printed books, journals or web sources. Print sources should include scanned copies of the pages you use. Web sources should include all relevant bibliographic information and the URL.

Randomly assigned topics:

communication
freedom
loss
the past
restriction
roles
the senses

If you absolutely cannot think of an angle for your randomly assigned topic, check with me to come up with a topic of your own.

Approach:

Analyze that topic as it appears in some aspect of a work or works discussed in class after the midterm essays (from Frost on).

Poetry: Possible works for your thesis proof could be a poem or poet discussed during the Poetry Roundtable. Add at least two other poems or poets to analyze in conjunction with the work you choose from the Roundtable. Develop an idea that occurred to you during that discussion.

Fiction: Locate a theme, conflict, character study, or symbol as the focus of an argument on one of these authors: Hurston, Glaspell, DeLillo, or Alexie. If you previously wrote on “Trifles” or “The Gilded Six-Bits,” veer away from those works. Branch out.

Thesis statement: Develop an original thesis premise about the work(s). Your original thesis might take a compare/contrast format, trace a cause/effect concept, or present a problem/solution framework. Support your thesis with quotations from our text and from at least two critical commentaries outside our text. In the analysis sections, show how the evidence connects to your thesis statement. Discuss, analyze, compare and/or contrast ideas and works. For the conclusion provide a comparative or historical perspective. What does this argument mean for us today? Why is it valuable?

Evidence from outside sources:

From outside the class text, locate two critical commentaries to add to the discussion.

What is a critical commentary? A critical biography, history, journal article, and literary criticism all constitute valid critical commentaries.

What is not a critical commentary? General entries on the author or subject from Wikipedia, Sparknotes, Cliffs Notes, Schmoop, or other reading aids. These entries might be informative but are often inaccurate, and do not convey a point of view. A Wikipedia bibiliography can be helpful in pointing you to other sources. Find them. Avoid Wikipedia itself.

The commentaries can come either from a book in print (a chapter or section) or an electronic journal article, preferably “peer-reviewed.” (Strive for “.edu” or “.org” articles over “.com” material.) Articles from the Alvin Sherman Library database (Journal Finder, “Language and Literature,” or JSTOR) may be helpful.

Books on American Literature are generally in the PS section of the library (3rd and 4th floors). Check the Sherman Library’s NovaCat for call numbers of general criticism on American Literature and on critical studies of specific writers and their works.

Articles from the Alvin Sherman Library electronic database (Journal Finder, “Language and Literature,” or JSTOR) are another invaluable source. Also see Useful Databases/Journal Titles file on Blackboard.

From thesis proof to essay
Devise an enticing introduction. Place your thesis statement as the last sentence of the first paragraph.

Copy the complete quotation for each support. (We’ve used the shortened form only for in-class exercises to save time.) Note all page references from prose, page and line references for poetry. Use the MLA format for citing sources. (Consult Online Writing Lab or OWL at Purdue University.)

Each support and analysis section should form its own paragraph. Use transitions to shift from one paragraph to the next. For the analysis sections, go beyond merely describing or paraphrasing the supports. Think. Analyze and interpret your evidence. As you write, additional ideas may occur to you. Don’t be afraid of these concepts. lllustrate them with examples, either from the text or from contemporary life.

Identify source material from our texts or hard copy sources with an in-text parenthetical reference (author and page). For electronic sources, include in-text URLs. All sources should be appropriately documented in the text of your paper and easy for a reader to locate. In addition, list sources in full bibliography entries in MLA format on the Works Cited page.

Instructor consultation:

If you want a preliminary review of your essay draft, I’ll be in the office on Mon, April 25, during our usual class time (1:00-3:00 pm). Come by in person. Do not send your draft by email.

Final paper:

Re-read, revise, edit, and proofread. Give your essay a creative, original title reflecting your main point. Your essay should be double-spaced in Times New Roman 12-point font, as detailed on course syllabus. Add page numbers to the text.

The definition of a late assignment is one that is not handed into class when required or posted on Blackboard when required. A late paper is not accepted, and therefore receives an “F.” No email submissions will be accepted after Blackboard closes.

Papers discovered to be plagiarized receive an “F” for the paper and the course.

Submit essay: Post your paper to the “Assignments” icon on Blackboard in electronic format no later than 11;59 pm on Wed, April 27. If for some reason, Blackboard is down or not working, plan “B” is for you to email me your paper, but do this before the deadline. Don’t wait until the last minute. Include a Certificate of Authorship, updated thesis proof, and text of your paper, which should be at least five full pages. You will also include a full Works Cited page of all references in MLA format. Include scanned copies of relevant pages from a book or other printed text and/or URLs for electronic sources. Label the file with your last name and “2.”

Required Format

Your final essay must fulfill the following requirements when you submit it to the Blackboard Assignment icon.

–word-processed in Times New Roman, 12-pt. font, double-spaced, with standard 1-inch margins;

–must be at least five typed pages;

–must be submitted with a completed Certificate of Authorship serving as a title page;

–must have an ORIGINAL TITLE reflecting the thesis;

–must include numbered pages;

Citation

Identify quotations and paraphrased sections with in-text, parenthetical page or line references. Also, include a separate Works Cited page, with our textbook and your outside sources identified in MLA (Modern Language Association) format. The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue has useful references for this citation method.

Grading

Note grading criteria and weight of this assignment listed on course syllabus.