To Begin the World Anew: Essay #2 - Due Tuesday, March 24

DUE TUES, MARCH 24 by 11:30 PM

Essay #2 (3-4 pages with an additional Works Cited page attached) is due VIA EMAIL on Tuesday, March 24, BY 11:30 PM. The paper may be submitted before that time. Late papers (those submitted with a Wednesday, 3/25 time-stamp) will receive a permanent 2-point deduction. Thus, do not wait until the last minute--that's when computer issues, Internet problems, etc., arise--it is your responsibility to have your work in on time. No "late" papers will be accepted after Friday, March 27. You will be given a week from the time your paper is returned to you to revise, if necessary. Otherwise, the original grade stands. There will be NO exceptions to this. 

Thus far, we have looked at several texts related to America’s colonial beginnings (religious, economic, and political) and the move toward nationhood.  English Enlightenment ideas, such as liberty, equality, religious freedom, and the natural “rights of man,” influenced many of the authors whose works we have read. Some, such as Jefferson, Equiano, and Paine, wrote about this topic explicitly.  The response of others (Wheatley, Rowlandson, Bradstreet, etc.) is expressed implicitly in their work.  I would ask that you review the concept of religious freedom and rights (for the common man, for women, for blacks, for Native Americans) as it is elucidated by the authors, and consider how these authors’ works reflected their understanding of these rights.

ENG 221 – Literary Analysis Essay #2

Choose ONE question from either one of these texts or from the poem and write an essay in response. You must include RELEVANT quotes from the primary text and from a CRITICAL SOURCE in this second essay. Again, you must include relevant quotes in your essay from the primary text and a secondary source to have the opportunity to earn full credit. You must also use proper MLA style, and include a properly formatted Works Cited page. Attached to the back of your syllabus are samples. In addition, scroll to the bottom of this post for another sample--you will lose points if your Works Cited page is not properly formatted.

1) Equiano concludes CHAPTER 2 of his Interesting Narrative with appeals to his readers in the form of rhetorical questions.  Discuss the ways that these questions work with the narrative to establish an argument against slavery. Be specific in your references. You must support your analysis with quotes from the primary text as well as from a critical essay on the primary text. BE SPECIFIC/ Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

2) Using the documents by Paine and/or Jefferson, explain two or three of the most fundamental rights that those who dwell in America are said to have.  How are these rights reflected in some of the other writings in the section (ex: Occom, Equiano, Jones, Tecumseh)? You don’t have to write about all of the authors noted as examples in the question, but CHOOSE at least TWO. You must support your analysis with quotes from the primary text as well as from a critical essay on the primary text. BE SPECIFIC/ Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

3) “Rip Van Winkle” has been viewed as a challenge to American values and the work ethic, especially that exemplified by Benjamin Franklin, selections of whose autobiography we have read. Does Rip himself represent anything positive? Respond by comparing Rip's behavior to the values elucidated by Benjamin Franklin. You must support your analysis with quotes from the primary text as well as from a critical essay on the primary text. BE SPECIFIC/ Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

4) Phillis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America” has been viewed as an example of dual cultural identity. It has been argued that images of light and dark and the ambiguity of the last two lines suggest that this poem isn’t as accepting of Western culture and the speaker’s position in it as it seems on a first reading. Do you agree? Why or why not?  You must support your analysis with quotes from the primary text as well as from a critical essay on the primary text. BE SPECIFIC/ Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

A NOTE ON PLAGIARISM 

YOU MAY NOT USE the following as sources, as they are NOT considered scholarly works: SparkNotes, CliffsNotes, ClassicNotes, Enotes, GradeSaver, Shmoop, Wikipedia, or any other student guides. If you do, you will automatically receive an “F” grade on the paper with NO possibility of revision. Plagiarism results in an “F” on the paper with NO POSSIBILITY of revision or “extra credit” make-up work. If you plagiarize, you have automatically lost the ability to earn any grade higher than a “B” grade for the course. If you plagiarize a second time, YOU AUTOMATICALLY FAIL THE COURSE. There are NO exceptions to the plagiarism policy. Copying and pasting from sources without acknowledging them is plagiarism. Use of ANY uncredited source constitutes plagiarism. It is your responsibility to your submit original work. I accept no excuses for plagiarism. 

VALE contains a number of excellent databases through which you can find good literature resources (Literature Resource Center is one). VALE contains a number of excellent databases through which you can find good literature resources—I suggest you use the Literature Resource Center for this assignment.

Criteria for Grading for Essay #2

In your essay, you must include support for your response from whichever primary text you have chosen, as well as from at least one critical essay (secondary source). Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation, including a Works Cited Page. The expectation is that you will write grammatically correct and coherent sentences, following standard composition form. 

Again, your short essays are evaluated using the following criteria: you have answered the question asked—meaning, you have written a clear thesis statement with supporting points and you have answered the question completely); you have cited adequately from the primary source reading as well as a secondary source (critical essay) using MLA style; and, you have demonstrated strength in your writing that is appropriate to a 200-level literature course (well-structured sentences and paragraphs, proper spelling, grammar, no run-on sentences or sentence fragments, proper punctuation, use of transitions, logical conclusion).

If you receive “NG”—meaning “Not Gradable”—due to numerous composition errors (ex: poor grammar, misspellings, lack of thesis, poor sentence structure, not MLA-compliant, etc.), you are strongly advised to take your paper to The Learning Center (2nd Floor) to work with a tutor for assistance in revising the essay for resubmission. VALE contains a number of excellent databases through which you can find good literature resources (ProQuest, Literature Resource Center, etc.). You must write well if you are to receive a good grade in my course. I do not “curve” grades—also, I do not pass students whose writing does not show that they have properly met the standards of what I consider acceptable. The Learning Center is open every day and evening and is available to you. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your papers are proof-read before you hand them in. Below is how I break down the points: 

Clear thesis statement, well-organized supporting points and conclusion: 5 points

Cited adequately and correctly from the texts (primary and secondary): 5 points

Demonstrated writing strength (sentence structure, spelling, grammar): 5 points

If you plagiarize, you have automatically lost 15 points.

Again, late papers (those submitted with a March 25 time-stamp) will have a permanent 2 point deduction. It is in your interest to EMAIL your paper early to avoid the penalty.