Writing Workshop

Due 10/24: The Stranger Essay

October 20, 2016 By Sean Leon

IMPORTANT: We are reading Jean Paul Sartre’s Nausea next. I will need a few folks (10) to buy their own copy, so please do so if you are able. We will begin reading over next weekend. Click the link for Nausea!

Also, thank you for a meaningful discussion today!

1. THE STRANGER ESSAY
First Draft due Monday, Oct. 24
Final Draft due Wednesday, Oct. 26
3-4 page literary/philosophical analysis of The Stranger. You are expected to use The Myth of Sisyphus as a complement to your discussion. Sisyphus is a philosophical commentary on The Stranger–Explore. How does Sisyphus help us to understand Camus’ philosophy as communicated through Meursault? IMPORTANT: While Sisyphus is used to give some form to the discussion (i.e. helping to shape the thesis), the discussion is focused on exploring Camus’ message and how he develops that message. While not necessary, I would encourage you to research Camus further to give you further context. Folks, I expect this essay to demonstrate great thematic/philosophical control of both texts. Waiting till the night before is probably not a good idea. Your reading responses and annotations should prove to be quite beneficial here. This should be typed in font size 12 (times new roman or arial). You should have a title!!! The title should reflect your thesis. If you have any questions, please email me.

General Formatting:

Double-spaced; size 12 font; Times New Roman or similar
.75 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

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 10/17: The Stranger

October 13, 2016 By Sean Leon

1. The Stranger–Read and annotate Chapters 3 and 4 of Part II. Complete the novel by Tuesday!

2. (Due 10/19) Class Forum–Remember, bring a printed copy of your response into class.

2. THE STRANGER ESSAY
First Draft due Monday, Oct. 24
Final Draft due Wednesday, Oct. 26
3-4 page literary/philosophical analysis of The Stranger. You are expected to use The Myth of Sisyphus as a complement to your discussion. Sisyphus is a philosophical commentary on The Stranger–Explore. How does Sisyphus help us to understand Camus’ philosophy as communicated through Meursault? IMPORTANT: While Sisyphus is used to give some form to the discussion (i.e. helping to shape the thesis), the discussion is focused on exploring Camus’ message and how he develops that message. While not necessary, I would encourage you to research Camus further to give you further context. Folks, I expect this essay to demonstrate great thematic/philosophical control of both texts. Waiting till the night before is probably not a good idea. Your reading responses and annotations should prove to be quite beneficial here. This should be typed in font size 12 (times new roman or arial). You should have a title!!! The title should reflect your thesis. If you have any questions, please email me.

Sample Intro (with thesis):

The Hour of Consciousness: Understanding God’s Judicial System

Albert Camus’ The Stranger juxtaposes the importance of God’s morality and the impact it has in the judicial system of an absurd reality, in which social code is rigid and behavior that strays from protocol is subject to scrutiny. In presenting this environment, Camus emphasizes a universal morality, swayed by God and superimposed over an individual’s unique perception of the world, such as Meursault, the protagonist. Others condemn this tragic hero to an unfortunate fate, validated by the belief that because an atheist is subordinate in the eyes of God, he must gradually come to understand the ubiquity of this singular morality. Much like Meursault, in Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, Sisyphus is condemned to a fate he cannot control due to the social constructs of an absurd reality. Only when Sisyphus has reached the top of the hill with his boulder does he amount to what Camus calls, “the hour of consciousness”: essentially, the understanding of the absurdity of life. Camus’ placement of biased judicial figures gradually strengthens Meursault’s understanding of absurdity, illuminating the importance of the “hour of consciousness” in both articulating and refuting God’s ubiquitous morality.

Due 9/22 (9/23 for 10B): Second Topic

September 21, 2016 By Sean Leon

Extra Credit Opportunity: If you are willing to submit your two topic sentences for whole-group critique, email both topics to me.

Tonight, you will write a topic sentence to complement the one you submitted on the class forum. For example:

In “Because I Could Not Stop For Death”, Dickinson uses the personification of death to contrast the common belief that death is simply a physical process, and not a state of being.

This student would have to think of a point of discussion that would either logically precede or follow the above topic. So, the student above argues that personifying death establishes death as a state of being as opposed to merely a physical process. An idea for a follow up paragraph: The personification of death is complemented by meditative images of the speaker’s life. Seems this imagery, so gentle in nature, captures the peace with which the speaker accepts her death, this state of being. This acceptance has allowed her to live fully. Of course, I would have to turn the above idea into one concise topic sentence. The idea here is that you would have two topic sentences representing two paragraphs working together.

Please have both topic sentences typed (on one page) and ready for class tomorrow.

Due 9/20: Poetry of Sexton and Plath; Topic Sentences

September 19, 2016 By Sean Leon

Tomorrow, we open with a brief discussion of This is Water! The goal of this discussion is understanding.

1. Reading–Read and annotate Her Kind by Anne Sexton and Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath. As we use these poems and those of Emily Dickinson to practice writing topic sentences, keep in mind that we are actually (and more importantly) laying the thematic foundation for our first unit. I remind you that this involves sensitive subjects such as depression and suicide.

2. Writing–Tonight, you will write a total of three topic sentences. The first will be a continuation of the one started in class today with a focus on one of Emily Dickinson’s poems. You should do the same for Sexton’s Her Kind and Plath’s Lady Lazarus. Keep in mind the template: topic=observation + opinion.

Remember, when choosing a point of analysis you are assigning value to that point. So, choosing to build a paragraph around Dickinson’s “loaded gun” is to suggest that that metaphor is IMPORTANT! It is critical to understanding the poem. If you have questions, email me.

3. Vocab Section–You should have your first five vocab words by the end of this week. Formatted like this:

Autonomy
The power of a country, group, etc. to govern itself; existing/acting separately from others.
Encouraging autonomy in the classroom, Mr. Johnson’s students developed a sense of self-reliance that benefitted them later in life.
Noun
Source: 1984, p. 146