In a 1000 – 1550 word academic essay, explain an idea you have had about something we have read/discussed since February 18. You may develop an idea that you have introduced in one of our 1-2 page essays (which you have submitted during the semester) or brought up in discussion. You may also develop a fresh idea.
For examples of excellent essays, see sample literature papers.
Develop your idea with precise, accurate evidence and valid, complete logic.
As usual, brilliance, perceptiveness, and creativity are encouraged and rewarded, and the essay requires the usual nuts and bolts:
an introduction that identifies the main work(s) and author(s) you’ll consider and a thesis statement that expresses your main idea.
a thesis that refers to a limited scope (making the essay responsible for discussion of only some limited aspect of a work)
body paragraphs that
use topic sentences that develop the thesis
break down your main idea in an organized way (with transitions)
show what evidence that affected your thinking and
use close reading to logically explain how the evidence supported your thinking.
a full development of the idea, acknowledging relevant subtleties/counterarguments.
sentences that are carefully edited to eliminate major errors such as fused sentences, incomplete sentences, etc.
a conclusion that reemphasizes the main idea and briefly considers its implications.
MLA format. Any outside sources must be professionally cited. (Plagiarism will result in either a zero on the assignment or an “F” in the course, at the instructor’s discretion.) Use of AI/machine intelligence must be properly cited. For a review of MLA format, please see the Purdue Online Writing Lab: Link
Higher scoring essays will demonstrate your uncommon brilliance and subtlety–evidence of a careful, detailed, and inventive interpretation. The essay is an opportunity for you to think deeply about a subject, articulate your ideas, and to really elaborate upon them. I encourage creativity, subtlety, and originality.
Warning: Papers that violate the student honor code will receive a zero — and, if the offense is (in the instructor’s judgment) intentional, explicit, or sustained, then it will result in an immediate F in the course. I notice that we have several sources listed on the Works Cited page but none of them are actually cited in the paper.
For me to see what are your ideas and your language, I need you to add the in-text / parenthetical citations, which will mark the information and/or language drawn from those sources and then to re-submit. You can look at the Purdue Online Writing lab for guidance, or visit ACE (the writing center). But this is the same technique you practiced consistently in ENGL 111.
