Character Analysis Essay Assignment



Mr. Lenzi

Junior English

The Namesake Essay Assignment

The Namesake Essay Assignment

Write a 3-4 page essay answering 1 of the prompts provided. Your essay should be at least five paragraphs long. Each body paragraph should begin with a topic statement and be followed by evidence (quotes and details from the novel) that support your topic statement.

PROMPTS:

1) It can be argued that the novel is primarily about Gogol’s relationship with his father Ashoke. Write an essay that examines the nature of this relationship and how it ultimately impacts the person Gogol becomes.

Elements you may consider:

- The train accident

- Gogol learning the significance of his name

- Gogol dealing with Ashoke’s death

- A close reading of the final scene

2) It can be argued that the novel is primarily about Gogol’s relationships with women. Write an essay that examines Gogol’s many romantic relationships and how they reflect Gogol’s journey of self-discovery.

Elements you may consider:

- Gogol’s experiences with Kim, Ruth, Maxine, Bridget and/or Moushumi

- The reasons why these relationships did not work out for Gogol

- How these relationships help Gogol form his identity

3) Examine the significance of names and identity throughout the novel. Does Gogol ever work out his insecurities surrounding his identity?

Elements you may consider:

- Why does Gogol change his name to Nikhil?

- What importance do names have for other characters?

- How does Gogol’s attitude toward his name change throughout the novel?

- At the end of the novel does Gogol ever resolve his identity issues?

4) What does this novel reveal about what it means to be an American? Is it possible to adopt an American identity while still maintaining ties to another heritage?

Elements you may consider:

- The generational conflicts that occur within immigrant families

- Gogol’s struggle to stay close to his family while becoming his own person

You can write on another topic of your choosing, but I would like you to clear your idea with me first.

Your essay should be comprised of close readings. A close reading is when you select a passage or quote and analyze it in detail. Take note of the word choice, sentence structure and the themes being expressed and relate the passage to your overall argument. Student writing is strongest when it is grounded in the text! Make sure to use evidence (quotes and specific details from the novel) to prove your argument.

Your final draft must be:

- Typed

- Double-spaced

- 12pt Times New Roman or Cambria font

- 1” margins

- Page numbers in the upper right hand corner with your name (Lenzi, 1)

*Note - There should be no extra space between paragraphs.

Your header should be single spaced in the upper-left and read as follows:

- Your name

- My name

- Class name and Block number

Example:

Biff Loman

Mr. Lenzi

Junior English – D Block

Your essay needs to have an interesting title (not The Namesake Essay)

Essays MUST be turned in at the beginning of class. If you are unable to print, you can e-mail me an attachment of a word document by 7am the day the paper is due. I am not responsible for technology issues (if I ever receive an e-mailed assignment, I will e-mail you back to let you know I have it)

The essay will be worth 100 points and will count toward Term 4.

The essay is due: Wednesday April 29th

Writing Rubric—The 6 Traits

Ideas/Content

• Essay contains clear, logical, arguable and insightful thesis that addresses some nuances in the text

• Essay convincingly explains importance of thesis

• Quotations are cited accurately and are elegantly integrated into the text of the essay

• Evidence is accurate, relevant and sufficient and in places particularly well-chosen

• Essay analyzes author’s language effectively, contains appropriate and sufficient discussions of opposing views or alternate interpretations

• Shows clear understanding of the text with some insight into its nuances

Well Below Slightly Below Meets Exceeds expectations

Organization

• Intro. draws reader in, establishes the topic and may contain an implicit thesis or question

• Concluding paragraph contains an element of discovery or surprise

• Multiple paragraphs develop the thesis in a well-chosen order that gradually builds in argument

• Essay consistently uses transitional phrases, clauses, and sentences to structure a coherent argument

• Body paragraphs are organized and develop one part of the overall thesis

Well below Slightly Below Meets Exceeds expectations

Voice

• Writer sometimes makes stylistic choices to make the voice distinctive

Well below Slightly below Meets Exceeds expectations

Word Choice

• The level of vocabulary in the essay is appropriate for discussing the issue or text; word choices are varied and clear; the essay uses vivid verbs and specific nouns with minimal reliance on adjectives and adverbs

Well below Slightly below Meets Exceeds expectations

Sentence Structure

• Essay avoids sentences fragments, run-ons, and comma splices, uses openers and closers for variety, and uses a variety of phrases and sentence types

• Essay uses the active voice, uses subject-verb split position for variety, uses a variety of clauses; essay deliberately uses passive voice/sentence errors as a rhetorical choice

Well below Slightly below Meets Exceeds expectations

Mechanics

• Punctuates phrases correctly, avoids subject/verb and pronoun/antecedent agreement errors, avoids errors in parallelism

Well below Slightly below Meets Exceeds expectations

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