Literature Assignment

Essay 2 is due this week. Write a 750-950 word essay on one of the following topics. Aim for a 5-paragraph essay structure ( introduction with thesis, three or more  body paragraphs, and a conclusion). The word count does not include the Works Cited page or formatting. 

• Write a critical analysis of one of the works from weeks 3 or 4. 

• Compare and contrast J. Alfred Prufrock and Nick. How are these men alike, different, and representative of the “Modern” man?

• Which author this week seems most representative of the Modern viewpoint as you understand it? Explain. Some research on Modernism might be required here! Be sure to identify at least 3 ‘reasons’ or points to explore in the body of your paper.  You might examine 3 qualities of Modernism and discuss how those qualities appear in the poetry of ee cummings, for example. 

Your essay should be formatted in MLA style, including double spacing throughout. All sources should be properly cited both in the text and on a works cited page. As with most academic writing, this essay should be written in third person. Please avoid both first person (I, we, our, etc.) and second person (you, your).

In the upper left-hand corner of the paper, place your name, the professor’s name, the course name, and the due date for the assignment on consecutive lines. Double space your information from your name onward, and don’t forget a title. All papers should be in Times New Roman font with 12-point type with one-inch margins all the way around your paper. All paragraph indentations should be indented five spaces (use the tab key) from the left margin. All work is to be left justified. When quoting lines in literature, please research the proper way to cite short stories, plays, or poems.You should use the online APUS library to look for scholarly sources. Be careful that you don’t create a “cut and paste” paper of information from your various sources. Your ideas are to be new and freshly constructed. Also, take great care not to plagiarize.

Whatever topic you choose you will need a debatable thesis. A thesis is not a fact, a quote, or a question. It is your position on the topic. The reader already knows the story; you are to offer him a new perspective based on your observations.

Since the reader is familiar with the story, summary is unnecessary. Rather than tell him what happened, tell him what specific portions of the story support your thesis. 

Essay Rubric

Submission Instructions: Please be sure to submit your assignment to the assignment section of the course.

Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin. Both you and your instructor will receive the results.

Readings from weeks 3 & 4: 

Stephen Crane: Author Bio

Stephen Crane: The Open BoatJack London: Author BioJack London: To Build a FireSarah Orne Jewett: Author BioSarah O. Jewett: A White HeronWilla Cather: Author Bio

Willa Cather, Paul’s Case

Ernest Hemingway: Author BioErnest Hemingway: Big Two-Hearted River: Part I and Part II

ee cummings: I carry your heart with me ( I carry it in my heart)

ee cummings:  Buffalo Bill’s defunct

ee cummings:  In just spring

T. S. Eliot: Author BioT. S. Eliot: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

TS Eliot:  The Hollow Men