The paper must be written in Times New Roman font, 12 pt. size, with double-spacing and one-inch margins. It must be between 3 and 5 pages long. Stay within these page limits; if you do not stay within these page limits, it will adversely affect your score.The final paper will be graded on a 100 point scale. Points will be awarded as follows: An exemplary paper is worth 95-100 points. It demonstrates careful consideration of the topic at hand by making a defensible, nuanced, and original argument in support of a position, and by addressing and answering all parts of the prompt. It demonstrates clarity of thought and purpose by organizing an argument in a logical and accessible manner, and by providing a concise thesis statement that summarizes the content and structure of that argument. It demonstrates engagement with course readings, lectures, and discussions by interpreting, analyzing, and citing relevant material in support of the argument. It demonstrates attention to detail by communicating ideas with minimal grammatical, and typographical errors, and by adhering to formatting requirements. An accomplished paper is worth 85-94 points. It falls short of being an exemplary paper in noticeable, but not overly problematic, ways. For example, it might: Begin with a thesis statement that does not fully and clearly summarize the main argument. Replicate or describe course readings, lectures, and discussions without analyzing such material or presenting original thoughts. Fail to draw upon the most relevant course readings, lectures, and discussions. Commit grammatical or formatting infractions.
Prompt: If Sebastian Rodrigues was a real person, would Pope Francis consider Rodrigues to be a martyr? Why or why not? (Silence by Shusaku Endo).
In answering this prompt, you must begin with a summary of Pope Francis’s understanding of martyrdom. You must then cite and analyze passages from Endo’s Silence that directly address the question of whether Rodrigues is a martyr by Pope Francis’s standards.
When citing Silence in this paper, please follow the guidelines of whatever citation format you choose to use in this paper. When citing Pope Francis’s speeches, please use the following citations:
Pope Francis, “Homily,” 22 April 2017 Francis, 2017
Pope Francis, “General Audience,” 25 September 2019 Francis, Sept. 2019
Pope Francis, “Tribute to the Martyr Saints,” 24 November 2019 Francis, Nov. 2019
Pope Francis, “General Audience,” 19 April 2023 Francis, 2023
Use this outline to help understand the essay:
Thesis Statement
If you are unsure how to word this thesis statement, try starting by filling out one of these sentences:
Pope Francis would consider the fictional Sebastian Rodrigues to be a martyr. Pope Francis considers martyrs to be ____________, ____________, and ___________, and Rodrigues fulfills all of these criteria.
Pope Francis would not consider the fictional Sebastian Rodrigues to be a martyr. Pope Francis considers martyrs to be ____________, ____________, and ___________, whereas Rodrigues is ____________, ____________, and ___________.
Summary of Pope Francis’s Notion of Martyrdom
topic sentence summarizing Pope Francis’s definition of a martyr
elaboration on each aspect of Pope Francis’s definition, with good summaries and appropriate citations
be sure to draw on at least three of Pope Francis’s speeches about martyrdom
First way in which Rodrigues does or does not meet Pope Francis’s criteria for martyr
topic sentence summarizing the first way in which Rodrigues does or does not meet Pope Francis’s criteria
summarize (or quote if absolutely necessary) and cite good pieces of evidence from Silence in support of your argument in this paragraph
Second way in which Rodrigues does or does not meet Pope Francis’s criteria for martyr
topic sentence summarizing the second way in which Rodrigues does or does not meet Pope Francis’s criteria
summarize (or quote if absolutely necessary) and cite good pieces of evidence from Silence in support of your argument in this paragraph
Third way in which Rodrigues does or does not meet Pope Francis’s criteria for martyr
topic sentence summarizing the third way in which Rodrigues does or does not meet Pope Francis’s criteria
summarize (or quote if absolutely necessary) and cite good pieces of evidence from Silence in support of your argument in this paragraph
Conclusion
Summarize your overall argument.
