Rationale
I used this once in fall 2015 for a course themed around race. It was the second assignment for the term and went quite well. I’d do something similar again, and actually think this kind of more focused assignment is better for 2100 than the more advanced and open-ended RA my students are doing right now in 2100 and that I’ve used a couple times in 2150. I like this assignment, the theme, and the texts.
ENG 2100: Writing I
Section STRB • Fall 2015 • Blankenship
Paper 2 Assignment: Critical Analysis Essay
The readings, speeches, and texts we’ve focused on in the second part of the class (Toni Morrison, Robert G. Lee, William Buckley, Martin Luther King, Jr., James Baldwin, and Te-Nehisi Coates) have wrestled in some way with the relationship between race and what has come to be known as “the American Dream.”
In this second major assignment I’ll ask you to compare two of these writers/thinkers and how they have considered this relationship. An analysis asks you to go beyond summary and to think about various elements that make up a text: the argument or message, how the writer or speaker crafts that message (evidence, stories, metaphors), the audience, the purpose, the political and historical context for the text, and the conclusions you can draw from these.
As you approach these two texts, consider the following: what arguments do the writers/speakers make about the role of race in the construction of the American Dream, how do they support these arguments, who are their audiences, and what was their purpose in writing the text or giving the speech? These elements will help you develop your own argument (analysis) about the significance of the two texts on which you’ll focus.
For example, if you compare how Martin Luther King, Jr., and Te-Nehisi Coates speak about the American Dream, you could focus on the differences in the time periods of the two and the purposes for each of their messages. If you compare James Baldwin’s “A Letter to My Nephew” and Te-Nehisi Coates’s “Letter to My Son” (an excerpt from his book Between the World and Me), you could think about the similarities of the two stylistically and topically but also the differences in the messages of the two and the ways each of them counsels his audience to think about and deal with racism in America.
Regardless of which two texts you choose to compare, I’ll expect you to use references to other readings from the semester to help support your analysis.
Grading criteria
- Thesis/Focus (40%): How well have you informed your readers about the various rhetorical aspects of the two texts (message/argument, audience, purpose, historic and political context, writing style, metaphors) and drawn conclusions about the differences between these two texts and the significance of these rhetorical elements (the “so what” that you offer to your readers)?
- Support (30%): How well do you support your analysis with examples from the two texts, as well as other texts we’ve read this semester? How well do you integrate direct quotes from the texts (without “padding” your paper with too many long quotes)?
- Organization (20%): How well do you organize the piece? Is the organization logical and coherent?
- Style, Grammar, and Editing (10%): How well have you edited and proofread so that no grammatical or spelling errors detract from the message and your credibility as a writer?
Paper specs
- 1,800-2,100 words / ~ 6-7 double-spaced pages
- 20% of course grade
Important dates
- Tues, Oct 13: In-class invention work for your paper
- Tues, Oct 20: Peer and instructor review of draft 1 + writer’s reflective letter describing your choices, process, and thinking about your piece so far, and instructions for readers to help them give you feedback
- Tues, Oct 27: Final revised essay + writer’s reflective cover letter due
Image source: “Millions March NYC,” used with permission under Creative Commons licensing