Write an Explanatory Essay (page 450)
Topic: Essential Question: What is the relationship between Literature and Place?
Question: What is the correct position to have on the subject?
Length: 1000 words
Format: Modern Language Association (MLA)
Cover/Title Page: None
Question: What is the correct position to have on the subject?
Length: 1000 words
Format: Modern Language Association (MLA)
Works Cited: Citation for the 3 short stories we read (“from Life on the Mississippi”, “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, and “A White Heron”) AND American Literary Regionalism including a Historical Perspective (page 452)
Your goal in this essay is to inform your readers, but you’re not expected to know everything about your subject. Thoughtful research can help you clarify or expand upon your ideas about the importance of setting in American literature.
Limit your search to .edu, .org, or .gov sites; they are more reliable than .com sites
In your Explanatory Essay you will be answering the question, “How do American authors use regional details to make the events and themes of a narrative come to life for readers?” (page 450)
Think about the role that specific geographic detail plays in the selections you have read. Use examples from each text to explain how authors use setting to create a desired impact on readers. In addition, briefly research American Regionalism, a literary movement that focused on the use of “local color” and celebrated the unique and varied landscape of the country.
Organize your essay/ Here is a basic five-paragraph outline commonly used for explanatory essays.
Introduction/ Present and explain your thesis statement
Body (3 paragraphs) / Support your thesis with facts, definitions, details and examples. Each paragraph should have a specific topic, such as an author, a text, or literary strategy.
Conclusion (1 paragraph) Summarize and reaffirm your explanation.
