Major Essay #2: Thicker Than Water: A Memoir
Thicker than Water: A Memoir, by Kerry Washington
DUE in this Canvas Drop Box on Friday, 4/26 by 11:59 p.m.
Students must submit (i.e., attach) their final drafts to the designated “Major Essay #2: Thicker Than Water: A Memoir” Canvas drop box.
5 pages, typed. (Your essay should conclude at the bottom of page 5.)
*Remember to compose body paragraphs that are 4-7 sentences in length, and indent the first, topic sentence of each paragraph.
Microsoft Word .doc, or .docx files only
12-pt. Times New Roman Font
Double-Spaced
Place Your Name and Our Course Number (ENG-364-Z5) in the Top Left Corner of the First Page
Place Page Numbers in the Bottom Right Corner of Each Page
*When you refer to the text of Kerry Washington’s novel in your essay, be sure to utilize a properly formatted in-text citation:
i.e., “Text of your quote” (Author’s last name, pages).
*Italicize the title of Washington’s autobiography like so: i.e., Thicker Than Water: A Memoir
Students are not permitted to refer to, or cite, any sources other than Washington’s autobiography, Thicker Than Water: A Memoir, at any stage of the composition process.
Students are not permitted to conduct secondary source research for this essay.
Students should only reference the primary source (i.e., Washington’s autobiography, Thicker Than Water: A Memoir) as they write, and before they submit, their essays.
Students should keep in mind that the Canvas drop box is equipped with artificial intelligence detection software as they prepare to submit their final drafts before the Friday, 4/26, 11:59 p.m. deadline expires.
Compose a five (5)-page, double-spaced response to the following writing prompt:
Why is it crucial for readers of Washington’s revelatory autobiography to consider the myriad ways in which the author presents an alternative view of African American identity and celebrity? Explain.
As you consider this key line of inquiry, also carefully consider the critical analysis and discussion questions below:
In the epilogue of her memoir, Washington states the following: “…I have always felt in my relationship with my parents, and in life in general, that I haven’t trusted what I’m looking at, never fully believing what I’m seeing” (Washington, 309). Astute, critical readers would be wise to keep this in-text citation in mind as they read and analyze Washington’s autobiography. The introspective, and complex, woman portrayed in these pages presents several versions of herself in each of the text’s fourteen chapters. Finally, in the epilogue, Washington asserts, “Marisa is my middle name and the hidden identity at the center of me” (Washington, 307). Ultimately, we readers must ask: Who is Kerry Washington/Kerry Marisa Washington Asomugha? Is her *authorial voice trustworthy? Does this memoir present an accurate account of Washington’s life or is it merely another performance for her audience of readers and literary critics? How does Washington’s status as a well-known, and highly regarded, Black celebrity affect our analytical interpretation of her autobiography? Is it possible or difficult to draw the line between fact and fiction, reality and fantasy, when reading and analyzing this text? What do we learn about Washington by way of examining her life story? What “pieces of the puzzle” still seem to be missing once we conclude our reading and analysis of the book?
*Authorial Definition and Meaning – Vocabulary.comLinks to an external site.
Grading Rubric:
The essay demonstrates that the student has carefully read Kerry Washington’s autobiography, Thicker Than Water: A Memoir, in its entirety: 40%
*Once again, students are not permitted to cite from any sources other than Washington’s autobiography, Thicker Than Water: A Memoir. Due to the fact that students are not permitted to conduct secondary source research for the Major Essay #2: Thicker Than Water: A Memoir assignment, it is not necessary to include a “Works Cited” page in the required Canvas drop box submission.
The essay presents an accurate and thoughtful analysis of the questions posed in the Major Essay #2: Thicker Than Water: A Memoir writing prompt: 30%
The essay is well-written, and has been thoroughly edited and revised prior to submission to the Major Essay #2: Thicker Than Water: A Memoir Canvas drop box: 30%
You should aim to submit a polished final draft of your Major Essay #2: Thicker Than Water: A Memoir assignment that has been carefully edited (i.e., spelling, grammatical, mechanical, and syntactical- or, sentence-related errors -have been corrected prior to submission), and thoroughly revised (i.e., any portion of the essay that is unclear, or poorly written, has been rewritten in order to make the final draft as clear, and well-written as possible prior to submission.)
