This week’s assignment is to write a rough draft of Essay 2 and complete two peer reviews. The draft is due Tuesday at 10 pm; the peer reviews become available after Tuesday at 10 pm and are due Friday at 10 pm. Directions are in video and print form below.
Directions:
Respond to ONE of the suggested prompts below with evidence drawn from 1) a book on the author and 2) a published scholarly article. Include a thesis (usually 1-2 sentences) that states the main argument of your paper. You may build on your work in Essay 1 or select a new story, but you are expected to go deeper here by adding research. The thesis should be clear, specific, and not already obvious to the casual reader.
Discuss the idea of blindness and self-awareness in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral.” How do characters and symbolism in the story reveal its main idea?
What story seems to be told both through and about music in either “Sonny’s Blues” or the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice? (You can consider any version of this myth.)
Analyze the role of empathy in “The Street Sweep.” Who has it, who doesn’t, and how does empathy impact the characters?
Why and how does “The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Eréndira and Her Heartless Grandmother” complicate the themes of family and love in unexpected ways?
In “I’d Love You to Want Me,” what makes the main character noble? How does her humble spousal devotion complicate society’s notion of romantic love?
What does “The Birthmark” suggest about romantic relationships, toxic perfectionism, and/or shallowness?
Length: 5-6 pages, MLA format plus a Works Cited pageLinks to an external site.. If you need a refresher on MLA format, check out this sample essay.Links to an external site. (You only need to pay attention to the blue boxes.)
Where to Find Scholarship:
Not sure where to start? This video walks you through the research process:
Possible Sources:
Books (enter your author’s name in the search box on the library’s homepage)
ProQuest (this is a database in our Saddleback Library). To get there, go to Saddleback’s website > scroll all the way to the bottom and click Library > Library Homepage > Library Databases (under Research Help) > You’ll see ProQuest in the right hand side under Popular Databases.
JSTOR (this is a database in our Saddleback Library). To get there, go to Saddleback’s website > scroll all the way to the bottom and click Library > Library Homepage > Library Databases (under Research Help) > You’ll see JSTOR in the right hand side under Popular Databases.
Google Scholar
Library Homepage > Research Help (in right-hand drop down menu) > ENG 24 (not a typo; this class works for our purposes) > Books OR Databases
Research Support By An Actual Human: https://www.saddleback.edu/library/asklib
Submission
All drafts will be submitted via Canvas.
Canvas will assign each student two papers to review. You will read each paper and give it a rubric score using the same rubric I use to grade your final papers. If you need help with peer review, check here first: How Do I Submit a Peer Review Assignment?
Grading
Rough drafts are graded credit/no credit. To earn credit, the draft must be at least half as long as the final paper. So, in this case you’d need to write about 3 pages.
The grading rubric below for peer reviewing essays will show you exactly what I’m looking for in the final product.
I typically grade drafts within a week of receipt.
I recommend getting extra feedback by using Saddleback’s free online tutoring program.
Rubric
Rubric for Students to Use When Peer Reviewing Each Others’ Essays
Rubric for Students to Use When Peer Reviewing Each Others’ Essays
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIdeas
Excels in responding to assignment.
Interesting, demonstrates
sophistication of thought. Central
idea/thesis is clearly communicated,
worth developing; limited enough to
be manageable. Paper recognizes
some complexity of its thesis: may
acknowledge its contradictions,
qualifications, or limits and follow
out their logical implications.
Understands and critically evaluates
its sources, appropriately limits and
defines terms.
5 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOrganization
Uses a logical structure appropriate
to paper’s subject, purpose, audience,
thesis, and disciplinary field.
Sophisticated transitional sentences
often develop one idea from the
previous one or identify their logical
relations. It guides the reader
through the chain of reasoning or
progression of ideas.
5 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSupport
Uses evidence appropriately and
effectively, providing sufficient
evidence and explanation to
convince.
5 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeStyle
Chooses words for their precise
meaning and uses an appropriate
level of specificity. Sentence style
fits paper’s audience and purpose.
Sentences are varied, yet clearly
structured and carefully focused, not
long and rambling.
5 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMechanics
Almost entirely free of spelling,
punctuation, and grammatical errors.
5 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
5 pts
Total Points: 25
This week’s assignment is to write a rough draft of Essay 2 and complete two peer reviews. The draft is due Tuesday at 10 pm; the peer reviews become available after Tuesday at 10 pm and are due Friday at 10 pm. Directions are in video and print form below.
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