ENG102 Essay 1

Directions

Review two of the stories we have read so far and reflect on what you've learned about human values, relationships, or character.
Compose an essay examining a common theme or analyzing characters who face related problems. Your purpose is to explain what you've learned from the stories based on your own careful reading and our interpretations in class. You may use an appropriate question from the question handout to begin drafting your interpretation.
Include at least four specific quoted passages or references to the stories, each followed by a parenthetical citation. The citation is simply the author's last name followed by the page number: (Oates 300). Omit the name if you've identified the writer in introducing the quoted passage or reference. Integrate the quotations appropriately within the text of your essay; that means you must avoid dropped quotations.
Identify titles and authors in the opening section of the essay.
Audience: someone who's read the stories but needs a better understanding of theme and/or character. This means you don't have to summarize the plot; your purpose is to interpret.

Font & Margins: Use Calibri, 12 point, one-inch margins, and set line spacing at 1.5 (in MS Word, see Paragraph menu).
Heading: at the top of your first page, list your name, the course title and section, instructor’s name, and date submitted. Center the title below the heading and begin your essay on the first page.
Page Numbers: Use the header (View menu>Header/footer) to insert page numbers in the upper right of each page.
Your title reflects your thesis or controlling idea.
Your bibliography, titled Works Cited, lists the short stories you've analyzed; an example follows:

Works Cited

Carver, Raymond. "Cathedral." Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Ed. R. S. Gwynn. New York: Longman, 2009. 265-279.

Erdlich, Louise. "The Red Convertible." Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Ed. R. S. Gwynn. New York: Longman, 2009. 367-376.

Masiki, Trent. "With Myth and Fire." Callaloo 25.2 (2002): 407-415.

Vonnegut, Kurt. "Harrison Bergeron." 1961. Web. 5 Feb. 2010.

clear controlling idea or thesis (main point)
sufficient evidence (supporting details)
effective organization and transitions as needed
proper grammar and style (sentence structure and variety); correct spelling and word usage
correct documentation of sources (according to MLA)
thoroughness in analyzing and following directions of assignment