Anna Ranero - ASU



HON 171-172

2001-2002

Dr. Anna M. Ranero-Antolin

ESSAYS

Reading and discussing selected primary texts form the backbone of this course. The three required essays are intended to involve each participant in more extended reflection on, and written discussions of, three or more of the term’s primary text-readings. The essays are exercises in critical thinking and effective writing. They are not research assignments; therefore, you are not to consult outside works. (If you wish to do further study on a particular topic, please wait until you finish your essay. The instructor will be happy to recommend additional reading.) Your essay should never be a plot summary, the biography of an author or a summary of the author views.

ESSAY REQUIREMENTS

All essays must be 5-6 pages long, typed, double-spaced, and carefully proofread. A paper that is 4 pages long loses 10 points. A paper that is 3 or less pages long receives an E.

All quotations must be cited. Use parenthetical documentation, not endnotes or footnotes. Example: “All through the months, the rains poured, waters running, rushing, and stagnating in pools, and sometimes carrying down boulders or the portion of a mountainside” (Ramayana, 117). If the quotation is longer than three lines, indent and single-space the quotation.

Late papers lose 5 points per day (not per class).

Grammar and style. Use traditional rules of grammar and sentence structure. Avoid contractions, colloquialisms, and slang. Do not write sentence fragments. Pay attention to punctuation, verb tense and subject agreement, and, above all, spelling. Excessive grammatical and spelling errors will adversely affect your grade.

Always write from the objective point of view. Since this is a scholarly essay, it should appeal to a wide audience, not only to those persons with your same religious, political, or philosophical beliefs. A neutral essay is the most effective.

Remember to title your paper. Your title should reflect the topic, though not necessarily the thesis of your paper. Your title should be informative; therefore, avoid one-word titles: they are too vague and do not convey any specific information. Do not title your paper “Essay # 1.” Remember that the title is the first thing that your reader sees.

Your essay should have three main parts:

Introduction, including a clear thesis: what you are going to write about (include the title of work(s) you are focusing on), and how you are going to do it (selection of a passage or a number of passages in a text, comparison of two passages in two texts, etc.) The thesis is typically 2-3 sentences long and should be on the first page of your essay.

Examples of good thesis statements:

“In this paper I will analyze Pangloss’ and Martin’s characters. Then, I will analyze how they influence Candide’s ever-changing behavior and attitude using sections of the text.”

“This paper will prove that Thomas More did not believe that Utopia was the perfect society. This will be accomplished by discussing his comments on the governmental interference, lack of individual wealth, social harmony, tolerance of religion, and equality among the people.”

“Herein lies the irony of the Reply: Despite such assertions, Sor Juana artfully displays an astounding depth of knowledge and insight that contradict her claims to ignorance. In order to fully examine the extent of Sor Juana’s use of irony, one has to explore her employ of language, the function of the biblical references, and the autobiographical details in her letter.”

Examples of bad thesis statements: “In this paper I will prove that Catullus was in love,” “This paper will show that Plato was a great philosopher.” Not only are these boring, but they also don’t really say anything.

Argumentation. This is the main part of your paper. You should explain, in a clear and

organized way, what your idea(s) is/are. Your argument must move from point to point, building a case to support your main argument. Avoid summarizing at all costs, except briefly and specifically in the introduction to set the context for your argument. Your paragraphs should flow both logically and elegantly from one to another.

Always support your ideas with quotations from the text. Include at least 10 direct quotations in each of your essays. Quotations should contribute to proving your thesis; don’t pile them on just for the sake of using them.

Remember: you should not use secondary sources to write your essay.

Conclusion, in which you explain briefly the outcome of your research.

The following manuals of style can be very helpful:

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Fifth Edition. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1999.

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Sixth Edition. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1996.

I also recommend that you take advantage of the help offered to students at the Writing Center

(Language and Literature, LL 340, Phone: 965-4272).

ESSAY GRADING

The Unsatisfactory (D or E) Paper

The D or E Paper either has no thesis or else it has one that is strikingly vague, broad, or uninteresting. There is little indication that the writer understands the material being presented. The paragraphs do not hold together; ideas do not develop from sentence to sentence. This paper usually repeats the same thoughts again and again, perhaps in slightly different language but often in the same words. The E paper is filled with mechanical faults, errors in grammar, and errors in spelling. A plot summary, the biography of an author or a summary of the author views receives an E.

The C Paper

The C paper has a thesis, but it is vague and broad, or else it is uninteresting and obvious. The C paper rarely uses evidence well; sometimes it does not use evidence at all. Even if it has a clear and interesting thesis, a paper with insufficient supporting evidence is a C paper. The C paper often has mechanical faults, errors in grammar and spelling, but please note: a paper without such flaws may still be a C paper.

The B Paper

The reader of a B paper knows exactly what the author wants to say. It is well organized, it presents a worthwhile and interesting idea, and the idea is supported by sound evidence presented in a neat and orderly way. Some of the sentences may not be elegant, but they are clear, and in them thought follows naturally on thought. The reader does not have to read a paragraph two or three times to get the thought that the writer is trying to convey.

The B paper is always mechanically correct. The spelling is good, and the punctuation is accurate. Above all, the paper makes sense throughout. It has a thesis that is limited and worth arguing. It does not contain unexpected digressions, and it ends by keeping the promise to argue and inform that the writer makes in the beginning.

The A Paper

The A paper has all the good qualities of the B paper, but in addition it is lively, well paced, interesting, even exciting. The paper has style. Everything in it seems to fit the thesis exactly. It may have a proofreading error or two, or even a misspelled word, but the reader feels that these errors are the consequence of the normal accidents all good writers encounter. Reading the paper, we can feel a mind at work. We are convinced that the writer cares for her or his ideas, and about the language that carries them.

(Adapted from Lewis Hyde’s list, ed. by Sue Lonoff)

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