Can you write a 900 word essay?

by

Humanities

Unit 8 Writing Assignment – Final Researched Essay

As you prepare this and subsequent essays, please review the Writing About Literature and Writing Assignments and Plagiarism Notice documents in Unit 1. You may also want to review various sections of your college composition course handbook that deal with organizing and composing effective essays.

Your essay should present a clear, insightful central idea, should have a clear sense of order and logic, should be well developed with specific details to support your assertions, and should use effective language that is free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Avoid plot summaries and provide quotations from the text to support your ideas. Also, it is suggested that you spend ample time writing and revising your essay.

Your Assignment:

Choose one of the following prompts:

  • Compare and contrast two or more works we have studied this term that explore the emotional impact of war. How are the literary works similar and/or different? Be sure to include direct quotes from the works to support your analysis.
  • Compare and contrast narrators from two or more works we have studied this term that have “dystopian” themes or settings.
  • Compare and contrast narrators or characters from several works we have studied this term that can be considered “martyrs.”

Note: For the final paper, at least one work must be a work you have not written about before

For the research you complete, you must include at least two sources on each literary work. Do not simply repeat what someone else has concluded; instead, offer your own commentary or insight on what you have learned from your outside sources. You must also properly quote or paraphrase, including citations in MLA form.

Formatting:

  • MLA. Access the Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style guide
  • Typed/printed, double-spaced, 1″ margins. Change them in “Page Setup” on the “File” menu.

  • Paragraphs indented 5 spaces at left; do not separate paragraphs by extra blank lines.

  • Quotations of 10 words or less should be integrated into the text; longer quotations should be indented 5 spaces at left and right margins, single spaced, and set off from the text of the essay by a blank line before and after the quotation. Be sure to include verse numbers or line numbers
  • All sources must be cited. Avoid citing college dictionaries, Wikipedia, or basic references such as the OED, Encyclopedia Britannica, etc. Instead, use the text, discussion postings, lesson notes, and any sources accessed from GALILEO for outside reference.
  • Your essay should have an original title – one that suggests what is the most interesting or important about what you have to say. It’s worth taking a little thought over the title, not only because it creates the first impression of your essay; coming up with a phrase which encapsulates your argument can help in focusing that argument. One popular strategy is to use a key phrase from the text followed by another phrase of clarification.

Aim for 900+ words.

Be sure to save the assignment in .doc, .docx, or RTF format.Save your file with your last name, first initial and “FINAL” (i.e., JonesP-FINAL.doc)

Submit the essay as an attachment through the Assignment tool by the date indicated in the Calendar Events.