Dear Students–Here are the Instructions for Essay 1, due on Friday, June 13. Later today I will post a separate announcement containing an example of a previous student essay that you can use as a model. The essay comes from another class I teach here at U of L, but the essay follows the same instructions as stated below. Tomorrow I will post a video taking you through the steps for research necessary to complete the assignment.
Length: 4-5 type-written pages
Assignment: Summarize and critique a scholarly article from an academic journal dealing with one of the works of American literature, film and culture we have covered during the first part of the semester. The first half of your essay should present a concise, objective summary of the author’s thesis, major supporting points and evidence, along with a clear understanding of the topic’s overall importance to the reader. The second half of the essay should present a detailed evaluation, assessing the validity of the author’s thesis, examining the implications of the argument as it relates to topics we have been discussing in class, and offering your own insight into the issues raised in the original article backed by evidence from your own research into primary source material.
Note: Be sure to choose an article by a modern scholar writing within the last 60 years. The article must examine directly a film or work of literature we are covering in class. Your essay must choose a scholar article as the basis for your summary and critique. Do not merely summarize and critique one of the works of literature we have been reading. Instead, choose a scholarly article that examines one of the films or works of literature we have been discussing.
Journal articles can be accessed from a variety of search engines available through the U of L libraries homepage. Please choose an article that runs at least 8-12 pages. A link to a copy of the original article must accompany the essay. Direct quotes from the article, as well as paraphrases and specific references to key concepts and arguments should be cited in your essay.
Be sure to include MLA-style citations for all quotes and other direct references taken from your research sources, and include complete bibliographic references on a works cited page at the conclusion.