Essay 3
Due on June 6 (250 points)
This quarter, you created a multi-faceted portfolio of writing that uses different persuasive modalities to consider one central topic. The project will be divided into three parts:
Part One: Arguing a Position: What is an injustice?
Part Two: Considering Cause/s and Effect
Part Three: Proposing a Solution | Essay 3
(I finish essay 1&2 already. I will attach them below, with the prompts. Just for reference. So now we will be writing essay 3).
For the purposes of this project, you focused on one topic. It may have shifted a bit during the writing process, but, ultimately, it should have remained roughly the same throughout in order to keep the portfolio consistent. Your topic should focus on a specific form of injustice, although “injustice” may be interpreted differently person by person. Essentially, you already answered:
Part One: Why is this a problem?
Part Two: What leads to/contributes to this problem?
And now, you will be answering:
Part Three: How might we solve or address this problem?
You have now identified an injustice, explained why it is unjust, and examined its causes and contexts. Now, return to and expand on your research again and leverage your own imaginative and critical thinking skills to propose a solution. Using the details and causes of the injustice to contextualize your analysis, describe and advocate for a potential solution that could solve, mitigate, or reduce harm caused by the injustice.
What am I supposed to do?
This essay asks a fairly straightforward question, but answering it will require you to leverage several skills: research, imagination, description, analysis, humility, conviction. Some of those skills look “softer” than others–but they are just as rigorous. Effective solutions require both vision and attention to detail: don’t forget either! As for humility: do not be the person who smugly walks into a complicated situation announcing you have “the answer.” Just like in a traditional argument, your persuasive power will be stronger if you are able to identify potential limitations and troubleshoot them.
A reminder: this prompt asks you to propose a solution, not the solution. In fact, “solution” might not even be the most helpful term here! The real task is identifying a practical step that can bring about more justice. On that note: be mindful of your scope. In a 2,000-word essay, you really can’t “solve” transphobia, for example, but perhaps you could offer a possible solution to help children access puberty blockers more easily. This may mean that you take some time at the start of your essay to recontextualize and reframe your injustice more specifically–please feel free to do so.
You will also need to return to your research, then expand–yes, again! Additional sources can help you understand what has or has not been tried, problems that have come up in the past, and possible ways forward. You may use any of your previous sources, but you must also add at least three more academic sources (you may also add nonacademic sources).
Targeted skills: Paragraph control and transitions
What is this useful for?
Ideally, proposing solutions is a natural progression of argumentation. Identifying problems without an eye toward “otherwise possibility” can very quickly lead to cynicism, even nihilism. That’s not to say that argumentation isn’t worthwhile if it doesn’t offer a solution (that sounds like tone policing to me!). With that said, engaging with the rigorous practice of imagining what could be is essential in the work of justice.
How can I start?
You can start by either by
1) taking some time to dream about how things might be different, then working backward to consider what steps could take us there or
2) considering your injustice in detail to look for potential gaps or pain points that might invite a solution. Either way, research and prewriting will be essential!
Requirements & Targeted Skills
You have the basic elements of the essay: introduction, thesis, body paragraphs, & a conclusion
Your thesis about a solution is thoughtful, clear, and actionable
Each paragraph has a clear purpose and is “controlled” with the use of framing claims and internal transitions
Each idea in the essay flows to the next using embedded transitions and explicit transition strategies
Minimum of 5 sources (and at least 3 new, academic sources) that are well-chosen and fairly addressed
2,000 – 2,300 words; this does not include the work cited page
