For your convenience, here are the details of the essay assignment:
Your assignment:
- Use one of the formats we used last semester - either a single-text analytic essay, an inter-textual essay (linked to one of the books we read last semester), or a personal-hybrid essay.
- You can choose any one of these, and you will have the same set of choices for our next book.
- This will be an 8-page minimum essay - double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins.
- You will be submitting a question proposal (tomorrow in class) and an outline (weekend homework) before writing the actual essay.
What makes a great essay?
- The essay introduces a compelling claim about the novel
- A claim that is clearly arguable and interprets the text
- A claim that isn’t simply observation and presentation of facts
- The essay has a structure and organization carefully crafted to support the claim.
- There are different sections, each devoted to a topic / idea, not just an example
- The sections of the essay bring together evidence from different parts of the novel
- The essay uses evidence from different parts of the novel, and goes beyond the examples we discussed in class.
- The essay represents hard work and original thought. (pause for a brief discussion of plagiarism)
- An inter-textual essay brings an idea or character from Life of Pi into dialogue with an idea or character from one of the other texts we read this year.
- It explores similarities and differences in terms how how the texts relate to the thesis
- It brings evidence from both texts together into each paragraph, and does not simply explore the texts separately
- A personal-hybrid essay brings a personal connection into dialogue with Life of Pi in order to explore the ways in which understanding of one influences understanding of the other.
- It uses one specific example, selected by the author - a personal story, an outside connection, another text - and explored in detail
- It brings evidence from both texts together into each paragraph, and does not simply explore the texts separately
- Your work is spell-checked and proofread. It represents your best possible work in a professional presentation.
