Context:
We’ve spent the past several weeks identifying major themes and studying how different authors
communicate their central purpose in their novels. As we’ve discussed, authors make arguments
in fiction, even if those arguments aren’t presented in the same way as in conventional
persuasive essays. In the last major paper, you had to focus on analyzing how the author’s
content was conveyed. Now it’s your turn to make your own, original argument about the
content.
Task:
You must make an argument about a theme in Sherman Alexie’s Flight. What do you believe
to be the central purpose of the novel and why? What are the stakes of this argument: why does
it matter? You may also choose to write about Kindred or Slaughterhouse-Five if you prefer.
Feel free to consult your class notes, reading responses, and the scholarly article on literature and
the production of cultural memory.
In order to arrive at your claim, identify the single most significant passage of the novel and
prove why this particular passage is the best representation of the theme. The persuasiveness of
your argument depends on your ability to thoroughly analyze evidence and make connections.
epitomize [verb, trans.]: to be a perfect example of
How to start:
Decide which theme in the novel stood out to you the most. Why did you find this theme the
most engaging? Where do you find evidence of this theme in the text? You may want to
freewrite or make a list of all relevant passages. Consider this list and choose the single most
significant one: which passage epitomizes the theme you have chosen? Why do you believe
this? If this passage best represents the theme, what other textual evidence further supports your
belief? Your thesis should state specific reasons why this is the epitome of the theme, and,
more importantly, what is significant about that theme in your greater understanding of the
novel.
Goals: Outstanding argumentative essays will
• Make a debatable claim with clear stakes about how your passage epitomizes a central
theme
• Provide sufficient textual evidence to support all relevant points
• Synthesize all evidence to make a well-reasoned, persuasive argument
• Demonstrate coherent organization in a well-structured essay, and
• Observe correct MLA formatting and style, and proper grammar and mechanics English 111
Your essay should be written in grammatically and mechanically correct prose. All drafts should
be correctly formatted in MLA style, typed, spellchecked, and proofread; double-spaced with 12-
point Times New Roman font and 1” margins. Include right-justified headers with your name
and page numbers, and a Works Cited page. Submit electronically in Dropbox.
Targeted Outcomes:
• The argument is appropriately complex, based in a claim that emerges from and explores
a line of inquiry.
• The stakes of the argument, why what is being argued matters, are articulated and
persuasive.
• The argument involves analysis, which is the close scrutiny and examination of evidence
and assumptions in support of a larger set of ideas.
• The argument utilizes a clear organizational strategy and effective transitions that
develop its line of inquiry.