English Literature

Core Assignment 1: Literacy Narrative A Literacy Narrative can be a story about how we form our identities through language. In this assignment you will write about your own experiences with writing, reading, and learning language(s), and how those experiences have shaped the person you are today. Create a narrative essay – an essay which expresses one or more stories in order to make a point. Think of the various ways you would describe yourself to someone who doesn’t know you. How would you describe the language you use? What languages and language communities are you part of? How have those communities changed over time and why? What were your important early experiences of reading and writing? How did those experiences affect the way you read and write now? What stereotypes do you think people may have about you and other people in a language community you’re in? What are some stories you could tell about how you’ve been misunderstood or just not fully known because people draw conclusions about people who are “like you?” How do language and literacy come into play in your story? What words have been associated with people in your group(s)? Why is the particular language associated with your group(s) significant? What’s the history of the language or the words you consider important in your story and that have been used to describe you? There are many ways to organize  your essay, but you need to have at least one story (narrative) or multiple shorter stories that are tied together. This assignment asks you to experiment and be creative. There are infinite ways to interpret the assignment prompt, and if you are wondering if a certain interpretation falls within the bounds of the assignment, it probably does! (But feel free to ask if you’re unsure.) The goal of this assignment will be to start with personal observation and move outward to face what those observations reveal about the world.  Assessment Narrative (30%) Do you tell a compelling story or stories with realistic dialogue, sensory description, and details? Do you avoid cliches, generalizations, and vague reflections? Thesis/ Analysis (30%) What is the thesis or the “so what” of the piece? What insight does it offer? What argument does it make about the relationship between language and identity? Do you think about language and communities to provide an analytical component to your piece? Organization (20%) Does the organization make sense and add to the meaning of the piece? Is it interesting and logical? Style, Grammar, Editing (10%) Process (10%) Do you complete your first draft, give feedback to your peer partner(s) on theirs, and provide a writer’s letter with your first draft? With your final draft, have you attended to the tasks in your writer’s letter with an attached note that described what you added after getting feedback? Specs: 2.5-3 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman or similar font, 12pt, 1-inch margins 15% of course grade

Choose one of the topics below on Mandel’s Station Eleven. Your essay should be a minimum of 750 words and a maximum of 1000 words (Times New Roman, 12 pt. font). Your essay must offer a clear argument on the topic, well supported with textual detail. Word count matters: stay within no more than 10% under the minimum or over the maximum. Do not consult secondary sources for this assignment. Do not search the internet. Use correct MLA format: provide in-text citations for your quotations, a works cited page, and a correctly formatted first page. Drafts: A draft of the essay—a minimum of 2 double-spaced pages—is due on Oct. 1. Topics: 1. Analyze the function of theatre in Mandel’s Station Eleven. 2. Analyze the theme of survival in Mandel’s Station Eleven. 3. Many works of dystopia take up the topic of religion in some way. How does Mandel approach it in Station Eleven? 4. Who is the protagonist of Station Eleven? Why? 5. Develop your own topic about Station Eleven. It’s a good idea to discuss a topic of your own invention with me before you begin working on it. * Note that these topics are intentionally broad. It’s your job to narrow the broad topic

An annotated bibliography is similar to a works cited page, in that it lists the bibliographic information (the publisher, the author, etc.) of a particular source. The difference is that in an annotated bibliography you will write a brief summary of the source following the bibliographic information, ranging from a few sentences to a paragraph.  Please study the sample annotated bibliography attached. Develop an annotated bibliography (in MLA format, see attached sample) of at least twelve sources. Your paper only requires ten sources, but a bibliography reflects what you’ve READ about your research question, and not necessarily what you’ll be CITING in your paper. Each annotation (or summary) should be approximately three or four sentences for each source listed, and should identify the main points of the source and how it relates to the topic of your research paper. Go to section MLA-4b in your A Writer’s Reference to see is a detailed set of guidelines for how to cite each and every type of source. If you have any questions about how to cite a particular source, let me know and I will help you. Here’s a link to a screencast on how to format hanging indents, which are required for both your annotated bibliography and your works cited page for the research paper: https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cYf1Diaimv Copy and paste the link into your browser.

More than a half-page written response to Lisa Tyler’s critical essay (you could agree or disagree with her argument (or a point or two) and explain why, OR, you might take a scene from Lessing’s story that Tyler comments on in her critical essay and propose a different interpretation of that scene.

Assignment: In this writing exercise, you’ll be given a thesis statement and several topic sentences, making up the skeleton of an argument. Your job will be to write the paragraphs for each topic sentence, providing sufficient textual evidence and analysis to support the claims of the topic sentences. Your three body paragraphs must each begin with the appropriate topic sentences I have given you below.  Format: Times New Roman font, size 12. The paper should have 1-inch margins. No title page, introduction, or conclusion. You have a choice between two different arguments- Option A: Thesis: Shakespeare’s King Lear offers a grim diagnosis of the human condition: the speeches and actions of the characters reveal that man is little more than a brute beast, and even the best moral actions bear no lasting fruit.  Topic Sentence 1: Shakespeare’s play offers frequent statements that man is nothing more than a base animal. Topic Sentence 2: Indeed, the actions of his characters reinforce the rhetoric about man’s brutish nature.  Topic Sentence 3: Even the best of moral actions and intentions remain thwarted in the play, revealing that human goodness matters little.  Option B:  Thesis: Shakespeare’s King Lear offers a hopeful vision of human nature: although man can choose bestial evil, he is also capable of great good, and can even learn to better himself.  Topic Sentence 1: The play does show an awareness of man’s capacity for base brutishness. Topic Sentence 2: Yet Shakespeare also provides beacons of moral goodness in the play. Topic Sentence 3: Within the moral universe Shakespeare’s play, even wicked characters can be transformed for the better.

Understand how to format the DQ and paper APA Be able to format, cite and reference sources used in the paper and DQ APA style Recognize incorrect APA citations and references. Part A: In the paragraph below there are 3 direct quotes and/or paraphrases, rewrite the paragraph in correct APA format. Part B: Write the following references in correct APA format:

Topic- The causes and effects of cheating on exams or lying or misrepresenting qualifications and accomplishments on a job application or resume.  Assignment Instructions-  For your cause-and-effect essay, you will write an 1,800- to 2,000- word research paper using the cause-and-effect pattern of development. You’ll choose one of the assigned topics below and begin your research. Four to six secondary sources are required. You are required to use American Psychological Association (APA) citation and documentation format for parenthetical (in-text) citation and your list of references. Review Cause and Effect, Chapter 18, in your textbook and complete exercises 18.1 and 18.2. These exercises will help you identify and distinguish between causes and effects. Also refer to graphic organizers 18.1, 18.2, and 18.3 to see the structure of different types of cause-and-effect essays. You’ll choose one of these methods to organize your topic. Please note that there is no graded prewriting for the cause-and-effect essay, but you should still follow the steps in the writing process to plan, organize, draft, and revise your essay before you submit it for Evaluation. You may write in first-person or third-person point of view. You’re writing for an audience unfamiliar with your topic, so your goal is to use language your readers are familiar with and can relate to; be sure to define any technical terms you use. You are required to use six reputable secondary sources for your cause-and-effect essay. Evaluate your sources to ensure that the information you are using and passing on to your readers is accurate and reliable. Incorporate evidence from your secondary sources into your outline or graphic organizer to plan your essay. You’ll need to use parenthetical citation and include a list of references on the last page of your exam. Follow the steps in the guided writing assignment to prewrite, organize, draft, revise, edit, and proofread your essay. Choose one of the cause-and-effect graphic organizers in your textbook to develop your plan; include the information from your secondary sources in your outline or graphic organizer. Study the cause-and-effect essays “Why the Police Are Rarely Indicted for Misconduct” by Alex S. Vitale and “Is Sharing Files Online Killing Music?” by Jonathan Adamczak to see how each writer organizes and develops his analysis of each situation.  1. Start with a title page that includes your  Title, Name, Student ID, Address, and Email address 2. Usetheheaderfunctiontoinsertyourpagenumberinthetop right margin of your document. You do not need to include your essay title in the header. 3. Begin your document on page 2 after the title page. Start page 2 with your title Do not include abstracts in your essays. Use transitional words, phrases, and sentences (p. 149) to guide your reader through your essay. Do not use headings in your essay. 4. Includeyourreferenceslistonthelastpageofyourdocument. Do not submit it separately.

Short Comparative Research Paper Assignment: Write a short research paper in which you quote, summarize, and paraphrase two different scholarly critiques of Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” You will find these two scholarly articles written by two literary critics on EbscoHost. The lecture for this week describes how to find your two scholarly sources on “A Raisin in the Sun” using EbscoHost. It also looks at how to cite scholarly works in the Works Cited. What kind of paper NOT to write: I am not asking for a paper that summarizes “A Raisin in the Sun,” and I am not asking for a paper or a thesis about “A Raisin in the Sun.” The purpose of this assignment is to steep you in the literary analyses of this play written by two scholars who do this for a living. The assignment leads you to read two professional interpretations of Hansberry’s classic drama. Your thesis is to be an assertion about these two literary analyses, not about the play itself. What you should write: Write a comparison or contrast paper in which you describe how the two scholarly critiques you have found on “A Raisin in the Sun” share (or don’t share) similar points of view on the drama. Length of paper: The paper should run no less than two-and-a-half pages in length. Title of essay: The title of your essay should be a two-part title (separated by a colon) that contains the last names of the two authors and that hints at your thesis or angle. Introduction paragraph: The first paragraph of your paper should be a four-step introduction paragraph. See the formatting checklist for directions on how to do this. It is located in the key information area for this course. Thesis statement: Your thesis statement should be italicized and take the form of While Smith sees X in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” Garcia gives more emphasis to Y. Just be sure the “x” and the “y” assert something of significance. What kind of thesis statement NOT to write: Be sure your thesis doesn’t just say the two authors have some similarities or differences. That only states the obvious. Instead, assert what the differences are between the two authors. This will make your thesis statement substantive and give you something concrete to support in your paper. The rest of your paper should then develop and support for this contention (your thesis statement). Use the name of the two scholars often in your paper (Smith also argues that …). Do this starting with the introduction paragraph. How to handle the title of the play: When you cite the play, place the title in quote marks (not italics). Example: Smith says that in “A Raisin in the Sun” Hansberry constructed a world of … How to organize your paper: After your introduction paragraph, choose one of these two ways to organize the body of your essay: The umbrella approach: Here each of your topic sentences name both authors as you contrast one similarity or difference about them in each paragraph. Your topic sentences will show right away if you are writing a comparative analysis of these two authors (and not Hansberry or her play). This is sometimes called an umbrella topic sentence because your topic sentence gives an “umbrella” assertion about both authors instead of starting with a sentence that plunges directly into details about just one or the other authors and their analyses. The block approach: With this organizational approach, each paragraph is about just one of the authors, with the next paragraph offering a contrasting (or comparing) view of the same topic with the other author. Your paragraphs go back and forth between the two authors as you move from difference (or similarity) to difference. Use transition phrases/words when you shift from one author to the other: For either organizational approach above, you need to use transition words and phrases as you move from one author to the next. Examples: By contrast, likewise, on the other hand, at the same time, similarly, etc. Quote and paraphrase: Study these four ways of quoting and paraphrasing carefully and use them in your essay. Notice how they are constructed and where commas and quote marks go or don’t go. Author-centered quotes: Smith writes, “The problem is not complex or complicated” (45). Idea-centered quotes: “The problem is not complex or complicated” (Smith 45). Author-centered paraphrases: Smith believes the problem is simple. Idea-centered paraphrases: The problem is simple (Smith). Works Cited bibliography: List Hansberry and the two other authors for a total of three sources. Let EbscoHost format Works Cited entries for you. I explain how to do this in the Formatting Checklist in the course syllabus. Also, this website is helpful for how to format these sources in proper MLA format: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Decide on the dominant impression that Elizabeth Keckely gives of President Lincoln and write a description paper, drawing your supporting illustration from her memoir.  You must include one of her anecdotes that gives an example of Lincoln’s prevailing characteristic. Readings and Resources:    –Elizabeth Keckley’s memoir, https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/keckley/summary.html –from the OWL at Roane State, description: http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/Describe.html http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24968 Particularly interested in chapters  5 – 11

Notes Requirements for Essay One: Instructions:  Below are the guidelines for essay one. You must submit your rough draft on Canvas by the due date. Late papers will not be accepted.  Guidelines: Your essay must be at least 3 pages (around 500 words) and include a Works Cited page, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman font, and in MLA format. The first 2 pages will be the actual text of the paper. The third page is your “Work Cited” page. Make sure to submit your paper as a Word Document or a googledoc (.doc, docx, googledoc, or pdf). If you submit it a different format, I will not be able to grade your work, and you will not receive credit for the assignment.  Essay Assignment: Identify and explore several elements of fiction (such as plot, characters, foreshadowing, setting, point of view, symbolism, motivation, or theme) in one of the assigned short stories: “Sonny’s Blues,” “Lusus Naturae,” or “The Open Boat”. Your essay will be two pages long and must include a Works Cited page (three pages total). Focus your paper on three literary devices, making sure to document evidence of these devices from your short story. You must use proper MLA citation (parenthetical citations and a works cited page) when documenting evidence of these elements from your short story. For this assignment, you will only need one primary source: the short story you are analyzing. DO NOT USE ANY SECONDARY (OUTSIDE) SOURCES for this first essay. Be sure to identify the author and the title of the short story in your introduction. Since you are using only one source, the in-text, parenthetical citation should only contain the page number(s) of the story. Again, the only source you need for this assignment is your short story from the Norton Introduction to Literature, Shorter 13th edition. Need help with that entry? Refer to pg. 1981 in your book; at the bottom of the page, you will see an example for a short story in an Anthology. Change the author and title and pages to reflect your story.    Lisa G. Ross (318)220-6645 [email protected]