I expect you to compose a sophisticated and careful essay of 17-20 pages that takes into account the critical history of the topic and text you are examining. To that end you should expect to put in a significant amount of research time prior to composition. You may, of course, take as a starting point one of your presentations and short essays. I will certainly be available to help you to develop a thesis and to guide you in your research. Due on May 10th at 11:00AM.
I am asking students to participate in an essay-writing workshop on Wednesday, April 27th (our final day of class).
Prior to class you’ll prepare a document suitable for circulation that outlines your essay ideas in a form that will lead to productive discussion with your classmates. I am thinking here of 1) a 2-3 paragraph proposal 2) a very detailed outline or 3) perhaps sections of a drafted essay (numbering no more than 3 pages). You may do all three of these options or just one.
Upon receiving your materials, I’ll make up small groups and circulate materials between you. I’ll need your material by Monday, April 25th and you’ll receive your group’s materials no later than Tuesday, April 26th, one day in advance of class. Please come into class with specific questions and suggestions for your group members, both about their papers and about your own.
It should go without saying that all of your final material should be formatted according to MLA guidelines. If you will be drawing upon movies or other visual materials, please follow the guidelines for citing such material. There are also guidelines for citing blog posts, tweets, TikToks, etc. etc. in academic writing.