Summary

ESSAY # 1 (Must be minimum of 800 words) ENG102 Instructor – Nilo A Bermeo

Submission Process:

Email Essay # 1 to me as an attachment. My GMAIL address: nilo.eng.lagcc@gmail.com

Checklist:

 Heading is single spaced (your name is on first line, course on second line, date on third line, essay #1 on fourth line, followed by option #)
 Must have proper title (connected to your central thesis/argument – It cannot simply be named Essay 1 or named after the title of one of the articles)
 All papers must be typed and double spaced / Use Times New Roman 12-point font.
 At end of paper – type # of words (not counting heading and title)
 Must include Works Cited page

Primary sources to choose from and common conflict each share:

In “Kid Dynamite,” “Karintha,” “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman,” and “The Mortal Immortal,” the main characters clash with society.

Prompt: Picking TWO of the above-mentioned stories, craft an essay that examines how the main characters are treated by society AND what each character seeks out to be satisfied or happy.

Remember our discussion on FRAMING. The way the prompt is framed will determine the parameters of what can and cannot be researched and written. Here the prompt reveals that the thesis will consist of two parts that will need to be proven in the body paragraphs. The thesis will specify exactly how each main character is treated by their society and then it will specify what each main character wants to be satisfied or happy.

Keep in Mind: Within any given assignment, you need to decipher what is being asked for. Look at the following segments taken from the prompt.

“How the main characters are treated by society” is broadly stated. You must determine and prove if the society in question was physically abusive, or verbally abusive, or psychologically abusive, or indifferent, or ignorant, or helpful, or caring, or if they treated the characters in some other unnamed fashion, or through a combination of methods.

“What each character seeks out to be satisfied or happy” is also broadly stated. You must define and prove what satisfaction means to the character and / or what does happiness mean to the character. What does each character desire or strive to obtain?

Additional questions that can be used to help generate ideas and / or to help with your notes or draft of the essay:

- In what ways does society try to harm the main characters or prevent them from achieving their goals?
- Is what each character desires attainable or impossible to get?
- Is one character more successful by story’s end, or are both equally successful, or could it be that they both equally fail?

Though this is not a compare and contrast essay, if you feel you would rather tackle the subject matter by comparing and contrasting the works, then go ahead and do so.

To strengthen your thesis and body paragraphs, you will be required to find and incorporate two secondary sources. These sources may discuss the specific work, topic of interest, or specific critical lens learned in class.

Keep in mind: A secondary source is not meant to be at the same level as the primary source and to be used as often as a primary source. A secondary source is meant to add support to your claims in the body paragraphs.

There are also different types of secondary sources.

A secondary source that discusses a specific work is one in which there is an engagement / critique of one of the primary sources you will use for your essay. For example, if you pick “Karintha” as a primary source, a secondary source can be one that examines the short story, “Karintha.” Now, please be careful. A source that simply summarizes what happens in the story is not a good candidate for a secondary source. Simply quoting from such a source will result in the essay repeating the plot. That is not going to help. The type of secondary source you want is one that delves into the themes and issues of the story, and / or examines the varied interpretations, and / or works through the story using a critical lens. For example, a solid secondary source could be one that examines how the titular character, Karintha, remains virtually silent throughout the whole story. This author examines what that silence means in relation not just to those Karintha interact with, but also how that silence is concrete evidence of the objectification of not only Karintha, but other women as well.

A secondary source that focuses on a topic of interest is a source that while not specifically about a primary source, it is focused on an important issue and / or theme that is present in the primary source. For example, imagine the primary source you use is “The Mortal Immortal.” You want to examine classism in that short story. You search online or in the library for articles that define and explain classism. You find an article that examines how change in class status often leads to a change in a person’s personality. You think of Winzy and Bertha from “The Mortal Immortal” and see how you can compare and contrast this article about classism with those characters.

A secondary source that focuses on a specific critical lens is a source that may examine a primary source through a specific angle (viewpoint) and / or a source that elaborates on the critical lens itself. A secondary source that examines a primary source through a specific angle could be an article that focuses on racism during the time period of “Karintha,” showing how during the Segregation era and long before the Feminist movement, an African American woman living in a small town would have very limited options to better herself. This type of examination would be considered using a historical critical lens. Another type of secondary source here would be one in which the source does not focus on the primary source, but it is focused on the critical lens. Going back to “Karintha,” you find an article that talks about the history of segregation in America. It offers a detailed examination of what segregation was and how that affected those in power and those with little to no power. While this source does not talk about “Karintha” at all, it does talk about the exact time period the story is told from. This would also be considered using a historical critical lens.

NOTE – You must not only find the most effective way to blend the secondary sources to the rest of your argument, you must also clearly contextualize both secondary sources and provide sufficient quoting and analysis. I will not accept just a random quote from an article with no contextualization and very little critique. I want to see that you have thoroughly read the secondary sources and found the best means of using them in your paper.

Contextualization consists of two parts:

- When you introduce a secondary source in a body paragraph, make sure to fully name the author and then briefly summarize the secondary source. If the author’s credentials may be important, briefly mention this too. For example, if the secondary source author is a Mary Shelley expert who has written a lot about Shelley’s works, and if you are using “The Mortal Immortal” as a primary source, you should state this person is a Shelley expert in the body paragraph.
- Keep in mind that when you quote from any source (primary or secondary), the reader may not have read that source. This means that you may need to elaborate on the situation behind the quote. For example, if you quote a character crying and yelling to another character, before you analyze the quote, you should explain to the reader that the reason this person is crying and yelling is because they have just realized they are going to lose their job.

Reminders of what to include in your essay:

- You will choose TWO of the following works - “Kid Dynamite,” “Karintha,” “‘Repent,
Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman,” and “The Mortal Immortal”
- You will find two additional secondary sources
- You will quote multiple times from the primary works chosen
- You will quote multiple times from the two secondary sources (at least two each)
- You will incorporate at least two literary terms into your paper. Make sure to highlight these terms.
- You will provide a complete Works Cited page for all sources used

Note – You must also show your ability to incorporate literary devices / terminology such as narrator function, characterization, setting, imagery, conflict, round vs flat character, etc. Please make sure you properly label the type of jargon you are using when analyzing. Also, DO NOT just pick two terms and haphazardly stick them into your paper. You must find a way to interweave these terms with your overall argument in your body paragraphs.

Learning Objectives for Essay 1:

- Understanding of primary source(s) used
- Engagement
o Personal Engagement
o Textual Engagement
o Comparative Engagement
o Critical Lens Engagement
- Analysis
o Deep level analysis over surface level analysis
o Ability to use literary terms (jargon) and are applied in an organic manner
o Ability to raise questions and answer them through textual support and problem-solving
- Standard Essay Model
o Introduction
 Hook
 Proper introduction of author(s) and text(s)
 Summary of text(s)
 Specific thesis
o Body Paragraphs
 Topic sentence
 Explain / expand on topic sentence
 Evidence / support
 Analysis
 Concluding or transition sentence
o Conclusion
 Offer advice, warning, predictions, etc.
- Works Cited page
o Follow latest MLA conventions

Remember to follow the college’s policy on Academic Integrity