From the syllabus: “Examine an author’s or playwright’s critique of American society in their work through methodical research.”
This essay asks you to research one of our texts and examine it through an historical or biographical approach. Find in one of our readings a topic related to American society, American work culture, and/or the American Dream and examine how the author/playwright explores that topic through that work of literature.
Literature is not just to entertain, but also to instruct. For the purposes of this essay, you’ll research and argue how the concerns authors/playwrights have about American society can be expressed through works of literature. All societies have problems, areas their citizens find irritating, hurtful, or dangerous; for this essay, make an historical or biographical assertion about the author with regard to their critique of American society, American work culture, and/or the American Dream.
Choose a story from our class (on which you have yet to write) and, through research, seek out biographical or historical information that helps you explain what issue the author/playwright was writing about and whether or not their work inspired any change. For this project, you will need to research an issue or problem with American society, American work culture and/or the American Dream; examine the author’s/playwright’s relationship with that issue or problem; explain how the story addresses it; and, finally, discover the lasting cultural impact of their work.
It helps to take a positive interest in your writing, so consider choosing a text that genuinely interests you and about whose author/playwright you’d like to know more. Perhaps you might write on the creator’s style, use of literary devices, movements in which she/he took part, social or cultural impact, lasting legacy, controversies he or she faced, or any other number of contributing factors to his/her body of work. This essay has a goal of analyzing the text through the discipline of history, either cultural or biographical (or both), so be sure address at least one major historical question in your analysis. A good strategy is to answer a few questions that seem most relevant, but are part of a larger, well-constructed essay.
In addition to providing textual evidence from the primary source, you must support your analysis with credible secondary sources. Synthesize into your argument the ideas of others: think critically about them, analyze their value, then use these ideas to support your own thesis. Demonstrate the authority and value of these sources within your essay itself. A minimum of four (4) quality secondary sources—in addition to the primary source—are required, including:
At least two (2) academic (or peer-reviewed) sources, such as journal articles or textbooks
At least one (1) popular source, such as a news periodical or book review
One additional source of your own choosing
Explain to the reader the credentials of those you incorporate into your essay, and provide context for their inclusion in your work. If you have questions about what constitutes an academic or popular source, please don’t hesitate to bring them to me.
Additional Notes/Rubric
100 points | 1,500-word minimum | Due Friday, May 10 @ 5pm.
This assignment will remain open until Sunday, May 12 @ 11:59pm. There are no penalties or reductions in score for an essay submitted over the weekend, but all Week 16 assignments close Sunday, May 12 @ 11:59pm.
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This research essay should:
open with an introduction that [1] catches the reader’s attention, [2] provides a historical or biographical context for understanding the essay (the text, its author, and your stance on the piece), and culminates in an explicit thesis statement making a claim about the author/playwright and their exploration of an issue or problem with American society
expound on the thesis by
supporting with logic your interpretive stance of the work’s sociohistorical commentary
identifying in the primary text evidence which illustrates or otherwise supports your interpretation
incorporating credible support for your argument from your research
organize those examples and research in paragraphs where you explain their connection to your thesis, providing details that help the reader understand your position
conclude satisfactorily, with what might be a lesson learned, or concluding argument, but is never a summation of the whole essay
mention the title and author(s) or creator(s) of any referenced work (including MLA documentation–9th ed.)
adhere to the Written Assignment Formatting GuidelinesLinks to an external site. (pdf via Drive)
This research essay should avoid:
Long or block quotes
Second-person pronouns and references to the reader
Over-reliance on plot summary
Over-reliance on web material, reviews, and/or the encyclopedia or dictionary
Selecting Murata’s Convenience Store Woman, a story set in Japan
Ask yourself the following questions for essay development (though you needn’t answer each of these):
What elements of the biography of the author adds to or alters your interpretation of the text?
Are you able to detect any underlying philosophy held by the author (i.e. Romanticism, Victorianism, Populism, Christianity, etc.)? If so, how does this philosophy affect the presentation of the text?
What was the author’s purpose or intent in writing the text? Were they successful?
What were the common themes present in the text and how did they fit within the context of the time it was written? What do the chosen themes demonstrate the author’s time, place, purpose, or argument?
What was the social context of the text? What are the elements of the time in which it was written? What else was happening during that time?
Have historical events that have occurred as time has passed since the writing and publication of that text added weight or changed the context of the tale?
NOTES FROM CLIENT:
Rubric, sample essay, and formatting guidelines are attached below. Please write like a Senior in highschool/freshmen in college. MLA 9th edition citations.
