Beginnings, Fall 2009

Essay #2 Assignment: Question-Driven Analysis

Essentials: Write a 3-5 page analytical essay on one of the following texts: Mike Rose, Paolo Freire, or Tim Wise.

Your essay should start from a question about the text – something you genuinely want to understand more deeply about the author’s ideas. Try asking what, why, or how questions about the text itself. (Questions about the author’s life or the world in general are not appropriate here.) The question should enable you to go more deeply into the text. For example:

-How does Rose convey the connection between social class and the education that kids receive?

-Why does Mike Rose combine personal memoir with teaching theory in this work?

-What connection does Freire find between problem-posing education and the notion of humanization?

-Why does Freire use such complicated language in a book about teaching?

-How does Wise show the connection between socialization and racism?

-According to Wise, why is it so hard for white people to notice white privilege?

Your question should give you a strategy to analyze specific details from the text, like passages, key ideas, and important words. You’ll work to unpack or explain the meaning of these details and how they relate to your starting question, and to the author’s purpose in writing the book. By the end of your paper, you should arrive at an answer to your question. State this answer in the form of a thesis in the conclusion of your paper.

Due Dates

CHOOSE which text you’re going to write about: Oct. 26. (Bring that text to class every day until you hand in the essay.)

Rough draft: Mon. Nov. 2 (bring FOUR copies to class)

Revised draft: Mon. Nov 9

FINAL: Mon Nov. 16

Format: Follow the usual formatting guidelines in the syllabus. A copy of each draft is required with the final essay, in a 2 pocket folder.

Narrow the Focus

This essay will be most successful if you focus on just one specific element of the text. The question should help you identify a key idea, concept, or stylistic move in the text that you want to fully understand and relate to the author’s purpose. You may choose to write about just one chapter or section of the text, if it helps you narrow the focus.

It’s better to fully understand a key part of the text than to make broad statements about the text as a whole. Use this assignment to practice close reading and examination of details: specific words, verb choices, repetitions, important passages. Writing a general summary or overview of the text will not fulfill this assignment.

Developing Questions: We’ll work in class on October 26 to develop effective questions.

Ending Thesis

Traditionally, academic essays begin with a thesis. We’re asking you to develop a thesis by the end of your essay, to capture your understanding in a single powerful statement. The closing thesis should be all of these:

  • An ASSERTION; not merely a topic or idea, but a statement of a specific point of view.
  • ARGUABLE; something you show evidence to support. Evidence comes mainly from the text itself, not from life, the world, or your general knowledge.
  • DEBATABLE; an idea that not everyone will agree with. It’s not just a statement of fact; it reflects a point of view, your own analysis of the text.
  • CLEAR; the sentence is not ambiguous, it’s direct and specific.
  • CONCISE; direct and to the point.
  • FOCUSED: on a key aspect of the text.
  • INTERESTING: your unique reading of the work.

Content, Strategies, Structure

  • Try some of the writing strategies from seminar papers as you work with the text – paraphrase, explanation, notice and focus. We’ll explore more of these in class.
  • Look closely at word choice, individual sentences, significant passages.
  • Your introduction should introduce the reader to the text, the author, and why you want to explore this particular text and question.
  • Use the PIE structure to organize the body paragraphs. We’ll talk about this in class; see handout on Paragraph Organization.
  • In your conclusion (one or two paragraphs), you might extend the argument to discuss how this concept or idea matters in our course, in society, or in the world.
  • Give your essay a unique title that highlights your central idea or insight.

Textual Citation and Works Cited

Cite all textual references in the body of your argument, using MLA style. Include a “works cited” note on the last page of your essay for the text you are writing about. Follow MLA style, including punctuation and italics:

Author Last name, First name. Title of Book. City, State: Publisher, Year.

Evaluation

This essay will be graded on the following criteria, and is worth 10% of your grade.

  • Does the essay meet the requirements of the assignment as described above?
  • Is the question focused and interesting – does it enable you to deeply explore the text?
  • Does the introduction include all the essential elements to orient the reader?
  • Does the essay show good understanding and critical thinking about the text?
  • Does the essay use textual evidence (illustration) effectively?
  • Does the essay use ample logical argument and explanation of the evidence?
  • Does the paper use effective paragraph structures (PIE)?
  • Does the closing thesis statement fulfill the criteria above?
  • Does the conclusion effectively wrap up your argument?
  • Has the essay been carefully edited for grammar, spelling, and punctuation?