Introduction
Extended Writing Project Prompt and Directions:
For this assignment you will be using argumentative writing techniques to compose your own argumentative literary analysis essay that answers one of the following questions.
Choose one of the following questions and write an argumentative essay that answers your chosen question. You will need to choose at least two readings that will provide support for your paper.
Option 1 from Unit 1: How much of what happens in our lives do we actually control?
Option 2 from Unit 2: If rules are put in place to keep us safe, is there ever a time when we should be fighting against them?
Your argumentative essay should include:
an introduction that
presents a reasonable claim, expressed in a clear thesis statement
names the author and genre of each text you have selected to support your claim
body paragraphs that
present a thorough analysis of your claim
contain textual evidence and details to support your claim
demonstrate a logical organization of ideas
a conclusion paragraph that
restates your thesis statement
effectively wraps up your essay
leaves your reader with a lasting impression, perhaps through an interesting final thought
Introduction to argumentative writing:
Argumentative writing requires a writer to make a claim or take a position on a topic and then to identify, evaluate, and provide textual evidence that offers reasonable support for the claim. Literary analysis is a form of argumentative writing. In a literary analysis, a writer takes a position on one or more works of literature to demonstrate why authors used particular text structures, word choices, ideas, images, or literary devices in their work. Literary analysis is not a summary of the literature. Instead, it is an opportunity for a writer to share his or her personal perspectives, critical thinking, or interpretation of works of literature.
Strong argumentative writing, of which literary analysis is an example, begins with an introductory paragraph that provides a general context for the topic and then presents a reasonably narrow thesis statement that explicitly states the writer’s position on the topic. The body paragraphs of an argumentative piece of writing, such as an essay, are focused on relevant textual details that provide evidence in support of the main idea. Argumentative essays often contain direct quotations, or citations, from the texts being analyzed. The language used must be clear, coherent, formal in tone, and appropriate to its task, purpose, and intended audience. Argumentative essays stay focused on the main idea and claim by using transition words to help create flow and make connections between supporting details and citations. Strong argumentative essays then end with a conclusion that revisits the main point of the thesis statement and synthesizes the evidence that has been provided. The features of argumentative writing include:
an introductory paragraph with a clear thesis statement
a clear and logical organizational structure
supporting details, including valid reasoning and textual evidence, properly cited
effective transitions to show the connections between ideas
a formal style and objective tone
a concluding paragraph that summarizes the analysis and restates the thesis
You have been reading stories and other texts that feature people’s destinies or people breaking the rules. You have also been learning about argumentative writing. Now you will use argumentative writing techniques to compose your own argumentative paper in response to one of the questions below:
Option 1 from Unit 1: How much of what happens in our lives do we actually control?
Option 2 from Unit 2: If rules are put in place to keep us safe, is there ever a time when we should be fighting against them?
Remember that an argumentative paper asks you to make a claim or take a position on a topic and then to identify, evaluate, and provide textual evidence that offers reasonable support for the claim.
Consider this questions in relation to the readings as you begin the process of writing your paper:
Option 1:
Which readings demonstrate characters having control and which readings demonstrate victims without control?
How is control portrayed within the readings?
What are the results of attempting to fight destiny?
How do the characters react to their fate?
What is the author’s message about destiny?
How does the author convey the message?
Option 2:
What rules exist in the reading?
How are the rules either challenged or should have been challenged?
What are the reasons it is appropriate to challenge the rules?
What are the results of challenging or not challenging the rules?
What is the author’s message about rules?
How does the author convey the message?
Your argumentative paper must include:
an introduction that
presents a reasonable claim, expressed in a clear thesis statement
names the author and title of each text you have selected to support your claim
body paragraphs that
present a thorough analysis of your claim
contain textual evidence and details to support your claim
demonstrate a logical organization of ideas
a conclusion paragraph that
restates your thesis statement
effectively wraps up your essay
leaves your reader with a lasting impression, perhaps through an interesting final thought
Remember that argumentative writing begins with an introduction and presents a claim in the form of a thesis statement. Body paragraphs develop the claim in the thesis statement with strong supporting reasons, details, quotations, and other relevant information from the texts. Transitions help the reader understand the relationship among the claim, supporting reasons, and evidence. A concluding paragraph summarizes or reflects on the information in the essay and restates the thesis statement to remind readers why the thesis statement is sound and correct.
When drafting your paper, ask yourself these questions:
What is the most important thing I want to say in this essay?
How can I best present the claim in my thesis statement?
What facts, details, and quotations can I draw from the texts to provide strong support for my claims?
Have I taken the time to analyze each piece of evidence I have chosen?
Am I remembering to relate all the evidence to my thesis statement?
Does the evidence I’ve chosen represent a thorough understanding of the texts?
How can I use precise language to present my claims and evidence in a way that is interesting to the reader?
How well have I communicated each writer’s portrayal of a situation that addresses one of the assignment choices?
What do I want my readers to believe or think once they have finished reading my essay?
Now it’s time to edit and proofread your essay to produce a final version. Here are some questions you asked yourself prior to this stage. Review this list once more to ensure that your essay is appropriate to the task and meets the requirements of a literary analysis:
Is my introduction engaging, and does it effectively present my thesis statement?
Have I included strong reasons and sound evidence to support the claim in my thesis statement?
Have I accurately cited the sources from which I have drawn textual evidence, both within the body of my essay and in my Works Cited list?
Does the evidence I have chosen represent the strongest and most relevant support for my claim?
Have I organized my essay so that my body paragraphs each contain a clear main idea and supporting details?
Have I used clear transitions to show the connections between ideas in my essay?
Have I presented the reader with a conclusion that effectively wraps up my essay?
Have I fully proven the validity of my claim to readers?
Have I eliminated any examples of informal language or unobjective tone?
When you are satisfied with your work, move on to proofread it for errors:
Check that you have formatted your essay according to approved guidelines and standards. This includes title page or title placement, margins, font, spacing, paragraphing, bibliographic information, and other technical considerations.
Check your spelling, including names of authors, titles, and characters.
Check sentence structure, including use of compound sentences and parallel structure.
Check punctuation. Look for missing or misplaced commas and confirm that you have used semicolons and colons correctly.
Check that you have used italics correctly.
Check the content and punctuation of quotations and citations.
Instructions
Argumentative Essay
For this assignment you will be using argumentative writing techniques to compose your own argumentative literary analysis essay that answers one of the following questions.
Choose one of the following questions and write an argumentative essay that answers your chosen question. You will need to choose at least two readings that will provide support for your paper. All support taken from the readings should be cited within the text using MLA formatting. See the attached MLA-Quick and Easy Guide for assistance.
Option 1 from Unit 1: How much of what happens in our lives do we actually control?
Option 2 from Unit 2: If rules are put in place to keep us safe, is there ever a time when we should be fighting against them?
Your argumentative essay should include:
an introduction that
presents a reasonable claim, expressed in a clear thesis statement
names the author and genre of each text you have selected to support your claim
body paragraphs that
present a thorough analysis of your claim
contain textual evidence and details to support your claim
demonstrate a logical organization of ideas
a conclusion paragraph that
restates your thesis statement
effectively wraps up your essay
leaves your reader with a lasting impression, perhaps through an interesting final thought
