Essay #2 Assignment

Write an analytical essay with a clear thesis on one the following topics*:

1. In Waiting for Godot, Didi and Gogo live a very precarious, uncertain existence. They are two tramps on the side of the road, waiting to meet a certain, mysterious Godot. What are they waiting for? Will this Godot save their souls in a spiritual or religious sense? Or will he simply provide them food and shelter? Will he take them into his service, be their master? Can we say anything about him, in the end, with certainty? Describe their strange predicament, as you see it. Your argument must be based on evidence from the text.
2. Choose one passage (no more than a paragraph/page or two) from one of the short stories that we have read, analyze it in depth, and show how it explains, reflects or typifies the style and content of the whole work. That is to say, do a close reading of the passage. Build an argument by connecting the keywords to the overall theme, while looking for figurative language, turning points, and a mot juste. You may choose to write about any one – but not more than one! – of the following:
   1. “A Simple Heart,” by Gustave Flaubert
   2. “Separate Ways,” or “Child’s Play,” by Higuchi Ichiyō
   3. “Clay,” by James Joyce
   4. “Zaabalawi,” by Naguib Mahfouz

* If you would like to propose an original topic, different from the two above, I’ll be happy to consider it. Make sure you mention this in your thesis proposal.

Due Dates and Details

1. Thesis proposal due Wednesday 4/19:
2. First draft due on Monday 4/24:
3. Second (final) draft, due on Friday 5/5:

5-6 pages/ 1500 – 1800 words. Double-spaced.

Each draft should have a Cover Letter attached. See below for details.

Your paper must follow the “Claims, Evidence, Analysis” style we have practiced.

You should use MLA formatting.

Thesis Proposal

Your thesis proposal is like a draft thesis paragraph. It should be a few sentences long, written in the style of an introduction. It must contain the main argument of your essay (or a first draft of the main argument).

Cover Letter

The essay cover letter is a chance for you to explain your creative process and your results, directly and informally. Each cover letter should be about a page, double-spaced. You may begin it, Dear Reader.

Questions to answer on your Cover Letter:

Draft #1

Describe what you were hoping to prove. What was the central thesis you arrived at? Where in the essay (on what page) did you best manage to make this main point? How did your ideas develop or unfold? What do you think you need to work on as you revise?

Draft #2

Describe your revision process. What advice did you get from others that you tried to follow? Point to specific places in your draft where you followed someone else’s advice. Was there advice you didn’t follow? Why? Where do you feel your revision succeeded? Where did it fail? What would you have liked to continue working on?