Due 11/7: The Bell Jar Essay

November 4, 2016 By

We are starting 1984 and our discussion of Politics and the English Language  (Finish this essay by Tuesday. Be sure you are ready to discuss it in full.) in the new week. If you are buying your own copy, please have it with you starting on Tuesday.

1. The Bell Jar Essay–Completed First drafts are due on Monday. While you are expected to have an introduction and conclusion, I want you to focus most of your thought on development of the argument across the body of the essay. Remember, this essay should be 3-4 pages.

General Formatting:

  • Double-spaced; size 12 font; Times New Roman or similar
  • 1 inch margins on both left and right sides. Justify margin. Indentations– .5” or 1 tab space.
  • All pages beyond the first page should be numbered.  Page numbers should be placed at the bottom right of each page.
  • No Cover Page.  Include name, class, and date (Single space the heading)
  • Be sure TITLE reflects the theme of the essay (for instance, 1984: Hierarchical Hegemony)
  • Include Title, Author, and General Theme of work in first paragraph of essay…For Example—Jean Paul Sartre’s Nausea
  • Follow MLA guidelines

Order of Arrangement:

  • Final Draft on top. Staple.
  • 1st Draft—with significant corrections made + name and signature of reader

Avoid the Following:

  • Avoid Pronouns: I, it, you, me, we, us
  • Avoid Troublesome language. Do your best to avoid the following words: it, these, this, those, kind of, almost, seems, maybe, like, then, later, eventually, basically, so, many, a lot, things, due to the fact (or any variations of the fact that), in reality, very, really, forms of the verb “to be”
  • In the intro, nix all book-review commentary—i.e. “is fascinating, interesting…”
  • Avoid meaningless sentences–i.e. “Authors rely heavily on symbolism.”
  • Contractions
  • While I am not suggesting that you avoid all modifiers, you certainly should be conscious of how you are using them. Yet, definitely avoid the likes of really, basically, very, excellent, terrible, etc.
  • Avoid misspelling proper nouns!

Remember:

  • When writing about literature, write in the present tense.
  • Active voice should be your default voice and only use passive when you are CHOOSING to use passive voice.
  • Get comfortable writing in complex and compound sentences.
  • Introductions and conclusions are factored into the grading of this essay.
  • Read your essay aloud and you will hear many diction and syntax issues.

Keys to Good Writing:

  • Cohesion—Every sentence fits together; paragraphs flow smoothly.  Ensure that the entire discussion comes together as one unified discussion of your text and its context.
  • Concision—Less is more.  Use fewer words to explain yourself.  Begin fusing sentences by merging ideas into tightly knit phrases.
  • Precision—Accuracy.  Use words that accurately capture what you mean.  Don’t settle for words or expressions that come close.
  • Coherence—Does your essay make sense? Are your ideas organized in a logical sequence? Do you prove your thesis? Do the parts contain the essence of the whole?

Due 10/27: The Stranger Essay

October 26, 2016 By

1. The Stranger Essay–Final Drafts are due tomorrow. Remember, you must turn in the final draft and your edited first draft. Heading (Upper left hand corner):

Your Name
Existential Literature
10/27/16

General Formatting (Read Closely):

  • Double-spaced; size 12 font; Times New Roman or Arial
  • .75 margins on both left and right sides. Indentations– .5” or 1 tab space.
  • All pages beyond the first page should be numbered.  Page numbers should be placed at the bottom right of each page.
  • No Cover Page.  Include your name (i.e. Sean Leon), class (i.e. Leon, 12G), and date (Single space the heading). Place this heading in the upper left hand corner of your first page.
  • Be sure TITLE reflects the theme of the essay (for instance, 1984: Hierarchical Hegemony)
  • Include Title, Author, and General Theme of work in first paragraph of essay…For Example—Jean Paul Sartre’s Nausea
  • Follow MLA guidelines

Avoid the Following:

  • Avoid Pronouns: I, it, you, me, we, us
  • Avoid Troublesome language. Try to avoid using the following words: it, these, this, those, kind of, almost, seems, maybe, like, then, later, eventually, basically, so, many, a lot, things, due to the fact (or any variations of the fact that), in reality, very, really, forms of the verb “to be”
  • In the intro, nix all book-review commentary—i.e. “is fascinating, interesting…”
  • Be extremely careful with your use of all words…yet, for these words in particular, don’t think they are cheap: Truth, Beauty, Love, Nature, Reality
  • Avoid gross existential generalizations; remember, we learned early on that to come to a set definition of existentialism would be difficult if not impossible.  Remember, the various existential schools of thought—those whom we’ve covered (i.e. Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Sartre, Dostoyevsky) and those whom we have had briefly touched on in précis presentations (i.e. Jaspers, de Beauvoir, Heidegger, Camus, etc.).  These individuals help to define our context, so once again, avoid the generalizations.
  • While I am not suggesting that you avoid all modifiers, you certainly should be conscious of how you are using them. Yet, definitely avoid the likes of really, basically, very, excellent, terrible, etc.
  • Avoid misspelling proper nouns!

Remember:

  • Active voice should be your default voice and only use passive when you are CHOOSING to use passive voice.
  • Get comfortable writing in complex and compound sentences.
  • Introductions and conclusions are factored into the grading of this essay.
  • Read your essay aloud and you will hear many diction and syntax issues.

Keys to Good Writing:

  • Cohesion—Every sentence fits together; paragraphs flow smoothly.  Ensure that the entire discussion comes together as one unified discussion of your text and its context.
  • Concision—Less is more.  Use fewer words to explain yourself.  Begin fusing sentences by merging ideas into tightly knit phrases.
  • Precision—Accuracy.  Use words that accurately capture what you mean.  Don’t settle for words or expressions that come close.
  • Coherence—Does your essay make sense? Are your ideas organized in a logical sequence? Do you prove your thesis? Do the parts contain the essence of the whole?

HW due 6/8: PBA

June 7, 2016 By

1. PBA–First drafts are due tomorrow! This first draft will be graded for completion. So, if you have 5-7 pages, you will receive full credit. Guidelines for the Independent Research Paper! Be sure you follow the guidelines.

2. Index cards…One index card per student! Remember, do not write your name on the index card; only write the name of each student on the back. Class Lists:  [Read more…]

HW due 6/8: PBA and More

June 7, 2016 By

Wondering how to quote a play in your essay? Click this link!

1. First Drafts are due Tomorrow! These must be completed first drafts (4-5 pages) to receive full credit. Keep in mind, the better the first draft, the better the final draft (of course the reverse holds true as well) PBA–Keep in Mind: What is your frame of reference (This is the context within which you place the two things you plan to compare and contrast; it is the umbrella under which you have grouped them.)? What are your grounds for comparison (The rationale behind your choice of frame of reference)? What key literary element(s) do the authors use in order to convey the theme? How is the authors’ treatment of theme different/similar? How do the two novels compare/contrast in terms of how they convey the role of the individual in society? Why do they have similar and/or different views on this topic? In what light is society portrayed in both texts? How do the novels treat the theme of morality? How do the protagonists respond to their environments? How do the texts differ in their depiction of the human will to survive?

Possible Literary Elements (this is not an exhaustive list):
Setting
Motifs
Symbolism
Irony
Language (figurative language, dialect, etc.)
Character
Point of view
Cultural context (i.e., time period in which it was written, author’s background, etc.)

General Requirements:

  • 4-5 pages
  • Comparative or Critical Lens/Comparative

General Formatting:

  • Double-spaced; size 12 font; Times New Roman or similar
  • .75 margins on both left and right sides. Indentations– .5” or 1 tab space.
  • All pages beyond the first page should be numbered. Page numbers should be placed at the bottom right of each page.
  • No Cover Page. Include name, class/band, and date in upper left-hand corner of first page only
  • Be sure TITLE reflects the theme of the essay.
  • Include Title, Author, and General Theme of work in first paragraph of essay…For Example—Jean Paul Sartre’s No Exit
  • Follow MLA guidelines

Order of Arrangement:

  • Final Draft on top. Staple or fasten with a paperclip.
  • 1st Draft—with significant corrections made + name and signature of reader
  • Thesis and thesis process

Avoid the Following:

  • Avoid Pronouns: I, it, you, me, we, us
  • Avoid Troublesome language. DO NOT USE ANY of the following words: it, these, this, those, kind of, almost, seems, maybe, like, then, later, eventually, basically, so, many, a lot, things, due to the fact (or any variations of the fact that), in reality, very, really, forms of the verb “to be”
  • In the intro, nix all book-review commentary—i.e. “is fascinating, interesting…”
  • Be extremely careful with your use of all words…yet, for these words in particular, don’t think they are cheap: Truth, Beauty, Love, Nature, Reality

Keys to Good Writing:

  • Cohesion—Every sentence fits together; paragraphs flow smoothly. Ensure that the entire discussion comes together as one unified discussion of your text and its context.
  • Concision—Less is more. Use fewer words to explain yourself. Begin fusing sentences by merging ideas into tightly knit phrases.
  • Precision—Accuracy. Use words that accurately capture what you mean. Don’t settle for words or expressions that come close.
  • Coherence—Does your essay make sense? Are your ideas organized in a logical sequence? Do you prove your thesis? Do the parts contain the essence of the whole?

2. Index cards…One index card per student! Remember, do not write your name on the index card; only write the name of each student on the back. Class Lists:  [Read more…]

HW due 6/6: PBA

June 3, 2016 By

Index Cards–You will need at least 40 index cards. It is important that the index cards be exactly like the ones linked (i.e. White, lined, 3×5)

1. PBA–Keep in Mind: What is your frame of reference (This is the context within which you place the two things you plan to compare and contrast; it is the umbrella under which you have grouped them.)? What are your grounds for comparison (The rationale behind your choice of frame of reference)? What key literary element(s) do the authors use in order to convey the theme? How is the authors’ treatment of theme different/similar? How do the two novels compare/contrast in terms of how they convey the role of the individual in society? Why do they have similar and/or different views on this topic? In what light is society portrayed in both texts? How do the novels treat the theme of morality? How do the protagonists respond to their environments? How do the texts differ in their depiction of the human will to survive?

Possible Literary Elements (this is not an exhaustive list):
Setting
Motifs
Symbolism
Irony
Language (figurative language, dialect, etc.)
Character
Point of view
Cultural context (i.e., time period in which it was written, author’s background, etc.)

General Requirements:

  • 4-5 pages
  • Comparative or Critical Lens/Comparative

General Formatting:

  • Double-spaced; size 12 font; Times New Roman or similar
  • .75 margins on both left and right sides. Indentations– .5” or 1 tab space.
  • All pages beyond the first page should be numbered. Page numbers should be placed at the bottom right of each page.
  • No Cover Page. Include name, class/band, and date in upper left-hand corner of first page only
  • Be sure TITLE reflects the theme of the essay.
  • Include Title, Author, and General Theme of work in first paragraph of essay…For Example—Jean Paul Sartre’s No Exit
  • Follow MLA guidelines

Order of Arrangement:

  • Final Draft on top. Staple or fasten with a paperclip.
  • 1st Draft—with significant corrections made + name and signature of reader
  • Thesis and thesis process

Avoid the Following:

  • Avoid Pronouns: I, it, you, me, we, us
  • Avoid Troublesome language. DO NOT USE ANY of the following words: it, these, this, those, kind of, almost, seems, maybe, like, then, later, eventually, basically, so, many, a lot, things, due to the fact (or any variations of the fact that), in reality, very, really, forms of the verb “to be”
  • In the intro, nix all book-review commentary—i.e. “is fascinating, interesting…”
  • Be extremely careful with your use of all words…yet, for these words in particular, don’t think they are cheap: Truth, Beauty, Love, Nature, Reality

Keys to Good Writing:

  • Cohesion—Every sentence fits together; paragraphs flow smoothly. Ensure that the entire discussion comes together as one unified discussion of your text and its context.
  • Concision—Less is more. Use fewer words to explain yourself. Begin fusing sentences by merging ideas into tightly knit phrases.
  • Precision—Accuracy. Use words that accurately capture what you mean. Don’t settle for words or expressions that come close.
  • Coherence—Does your essay make sense? Are your ideas organized in a logical sequence? Do you prove your thesis? Do the parts contain the essence of the whole?
Next Page »