BIS 371

Twentieth-Century American Literature:

Drama

Spring 2007

David S. Goldstein, Ph.D.

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Essay Assignment

midquarter version due online in Blackboard no later than 1:05 p.m. on Thursday, April 26;
final version due online in Blackboard no later than 1:05 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29

The purpose of this essay is to help you use writing to deepen your understanding of a literary work that we have read, to develop empathy for a character, and to provide you the opportunity to develop further some ideas discussed in class.

Midquarter version of your essay:

Start by reading this "prompt" (the question that is intended to stimulate your ideas):

Part of what makes Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night a classic of American realism is the depth and complexity of the characters.  Each of the characters is neither completely monstrous nor completely saintly.  Each is deeply flawed but utterly human.  Which character most deserves the audience's sympathy, and why?

In a formal, argumentative essay of 1000 to 1250 words (according to the word count tool in Microsoft Word), respond to the prompt. To do this, develop a thesis (main argument) that answers the prompt. The rest of the essay will comprise your attempts to convince the reader of the veracity of your thesis. First-person ("I") statements are fine when appropriate.  Consider your audience to be a smart, educated person who has read, but is not an expert on, the play.  I expect you to use specific examples to illustrate the points you want to make.

Details:

The midquarter version of your essay is due Blackboard at 1:05 p.m. sharp on Thursday, April 26.

To submit the midquarter version of your essay:

Getting feedback on the midquarter version of your essay:

Final version of your essay :

If you like, you may revise your essay after getting your evaluated essay back if it was submitted by the original deadline. You will still adhere to the length and formatting requirements outlined above for your original paper. Remember to check the word count of the revision as you did for the original paper.

The final version of your essay is due Blackboard at 1:05 p.m. sharp on Tuesday, May 29.

To submit the final version of your essay:

Getting feedback on the final version of your essay:

Let me emphasize that I expect your best effort in this and every exercise. Your most serious work now will enable me to provide the most helpful comments, which in turn will improve your grade on later assignments. In other words, this assignment helps determine your grade in this course both directly (with the score it earns) and indirectly (with its capacity to teach you how to improve your writing), so it is worth the investment of your time and effort to do the best you can.

Some additional advice:


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This page last updated March 30, 2007.

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