Topic Four: Women Writers in the Late 19th Century
Compare and/or contrast two or more of the following stories: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin; “The Yellow Wall-paper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman; and “The Other Two” by Edith Wharton. Analyze the authors’ representation of marriage, gender roles, and/or the domestic sphere in late 19th century America. What differences or similarities do you see in the author’s depiction of marriage, home, and women’s position in society? For this topic, you must find at least three critical sources from the Pierce College Library databases.
Essay Requirements:
A clear and arguable thesis statement that presents a main argument about the literary work and sets the direction for the essay.
At least three secondary sources that support the thesis statement. The secondary sources may be scholarly articles, books, or book chapters, and should be published in reputable academic journals or presses found in the Pierce College Library databases.
Analyze the literary work and the secondary sources to develop a comprehensive and in-depth argument that explores the main thesis statement. The analysis should include consideration of themes, symbols, characters, plot, language, or other relevant literary devices, with close readings that reveal the subtleties and complexities of the text.
Organize the essay in a clear and effective way that engages the reader throughout, using appropriate paragraph structure, transitions, and rhetorical strategies. The essay should be double-spaced, in 12-point font, with one-inch margins, and properly formatted headings, citations, and references in MLA format.
Use in-text citations to give credit to sources and support the argument, following the conventions of MLA format. In-text citations should be correctly formatted and consistently used throughout the essay.
Include a well-formatted Works Cited page that lists all sources used in the essay, following the conventions of MLA format. The entries should be in alphabetical order and contain all necessary information to identify and locate the sources.
Meet the minimum page requirement of 5-7 pages, not including the Works Cited page.
Before you submit your essay, be sure to review the requirements below and the additional details in the rubric.
Requirements:
Develop a clear and arguable thesis statement that presents a main argument about the literary work and sets the direction for the essay.
Include at least three secondary sources that support or challenge the thesis statement. The secondary sources may be scholarly articles, books, or book chapters, and should be published in reputable academic journals or presses found in the Pierce College Library databases.
Analyze the literary work and the secondary sources to develop a comprehensive and in-depth argument that explores the main thesis statement. The analysis should include consideration of themes, symbols, characters, plot, language, and other literary devices that you deem relevant, with close readings that reveal the subtleties and complexities of the text.
Organize the essay in a clear and effective way that engages the reader throughout, using appropriate paragraph structure, transitions, and rhetorical strategies.
The essay should be double-spaced, in 12-point font, with one-inch margins, and properly formatted headings, citations, and references in MLA format.
Use in-text citations to give credit to sources and support the argument, following the conventions of MLA format. In-text citations should be correctly formatted and consistently used throughout the essay.
Include a well-formatted Works Cited page that lists all sources used in the essay, following the conventions of MLA format. The entries should be in alphabetical order and contain all necessary information to identify and locate the sources.
