This Assignment Requires Students To Further Research One Of
This Assignment Requires Students To Further Research One Of The Topic
This assignment requires students to further research one of the topics covered during the semester and write an essay arguing a particular interpretation of the literature surrounding that issue and social movement. Please see the attached document for details and guidelines on this assignment. American Protest Literature - Literary Analysis Argument Essay Assignment Description Whether it looks backward in order to move America forward, builds connections across movements, demands empathy from readers, transforms its creators, crafts a politics of form, appropriates the master’s tools, or makes words into weapons, American protest literature tries to remake “a world beautiful,†as London puts it.
The protest cycle beats on, boats against the current. – Zoe Trodd xxviii Trodd’s anthology American Protest Literature sets a variety of texts and protest art forms in conversation with each other. She describes these as falling into several “politics†for change. These are: The Politics of Connection The Politics of Form The Politics of Appropriation The Politics of Memory For this project, you will write a four-to-five-page essay that analyzes and interprets four works and finds a unifying theme among them. You may use writings from the textbook itself (whether they were among the selected course readings or not) or you may explore other outside texts provided they are published sources that were written or created as a part of the social movements studied in the course.
You will need at least five total sources of outside research for your essay documented in your Works Cited page. You may do this assignment one of two ways: You may choose a social movement and describe how each of the four works you select contributes to the movement using the “politics†Zoe Trodd explains in her introduction to the text. How does each depict aspects of the movement and what strategies, tactics, or techniques does it use to influence the movement for change? Analyze and interpret each work using key quotes, paraphrases, and summaries as you compare it to the other works and how each contributes to the literature of protest within that movement. Choose at least four pieces of protest literature from the entire range of movements in the course, or you may introduce texts you have researched that also contributed to these historical social movements.
Find a unifying “politic†or strategy (for example: politics of memory or form) for all of them and discuss how that strategy or tactic uniquely contributed to the individual movements for which they were created. How does their unifying technique contribute to the body of protest literature that brought social change? Analyze and interpret each work using key quotes, paraphrases, and summaries as you compare it to the other works and how each contributes to the literature of protest within that movement. Your work is to interpret the works to find unifying themes or tactics among them and then argue for their unique contribution to their related social movement. Do not focus too much on summarizing; instead, interpret and explain to your reader how the strategies are expressed in the work and how the works intersect with one another.
Bring Trodd’s “politics†to the surface through your interpretation of each work. Use textual evidence to back up your analysis and support your thesis statement. However, don’t list an entire stanza or paragraph and then explain its meaning. Instead, break down large chunks of text into small pieces and explain what the words mean in relation to your claim. Compare words, actions, or ideas from each work to the other to illuminate how they connect and promote the movement or movements you choose throughout.
Look for patterns or symbols to help you decide on an interpretation. Also, consider language or context. For help with ways to begin your analysis, see the handouts on eCampus entitled “How to Analyze Poetry and Songs†and “Ten Tips for a Successful Literary Analysis.†When writing, focus on the TELL, SHOW, SHARE method for paragraph development. First, TELL the reader what your argument is, your thesis or topic sentences. Then, SHOW the reader your evidence.
Evidence begins with text from the works; it might also include the author’s biography or historical context. Finally, SHARE and explain what it means. Share something significant about your findings. Explain the “So what? Who cares?†aspect of the section you are writing about.
How does it relate to the larger social movement and to the “politics†Trodd suggests thrive in protest literature? Why does it matter? Minimum Requirements Length: Four-to-five pages, 1,200-1,500 words, not including the Works Cited page. Style: Essay needs to conform to MLA standards, including double spacing in Times New Roman font, and must include a Works Cited page with correct in-text (parenthetical) citations for all quotes, paraphrases, and/or summaries. Sources: 5 (five) sources minimum.
Works may be from our readings and credible academic outside sources. IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, YOU CANNOT EARN HIGHER THAN A 60%. Due Dates First Draft/Peer Review One: One typed working draft to your small group - see syllabus for dates Final Draft: Submitted through Safe Assign on eCampus by 11:59 PM - see syllabus for dates Purpose and Learning Objectives The purpose of this assignment is to bring everything we have worked on over the course of the semester together. These skills you will use in your college career and into your chosen jobs. Writing, research, and eloquent written expression are vital for a successful future.
You will express these in this assignment. Your literary analysis should demonstrate the following learning objectives: Ability to recognize themes and connections across genres of literature Ability to think critically and analyze Ability to use analysis to form an interpretation Ability to integrate and synthesize sources Ability to craft an argument with different types of relevant, credible, and detailed support Ability to research and identify academic sources Ability to summarize, paraphrase, and quote Ability to cite correctly in MLA to avoid plagiarism Process of Completion Choose an organizing idea and select four works to explore and that exemplify your concept. Carefully Reread or review the stories, poems, or essays you will use and make notes and annotations.
Then read over this assignment carefully before beginning! Complete the proposal and outline as assigned in the Unit Assignments For more information and help with close readings visit Purdue OWL Draw connections between each work to show how they are similar and how they support your central thesis and claim. Is a similar technique used, for example appropriation? Come up with a thesis that represents your theme and claim. See Purdue OWL’s link on literary analysis thesis statements for more help Remember that a thesis is not a question, your personal opinion, your personal belief (like religion), or a fact (like a summary of the action/plot).
Create an outline to help organize your ideas. See the handout in English Corner Handouts “Creating an Outline†for more help. Pick out the quotes or sections of the works that you want to use in your essay. See handouts on eCampus for more help with integrating your quotes and sources. Write your rough draft using the Tell, Show, Share Method of paragraph development.
See handout on “The Tell, Show, Share Method†in Handouts for more help. You may request tutoring assistance through the English Corner in revising or expanding your ideas. Participate in your small group peer reviews by posting your draft and peer feedback. Review carefully your peers’ comments and your instructor’s. Edit and revise your essays based on the feedback you receive.
Reread your essay one last time, perhaps out loud, and make any final edits or changes before turning in your final! Plagiarism Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism includes failing to cite a direct quote with quotation marks and an in-text citation, borrowing someone else's work without a correct citation, bad paraphrasing (Safe Assign will not identify a good or fair paraphrase), purchasing a paper, having someone else write your essay, or turning in the same paper to two different classes. Any paper with plagiarism, even accidental ( I forgot to cite that! ), will receive a zero as a final grade. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite correctly. See both MLA citation PPTs on eCampus or visit Purdue OWL for more help
Paper For Above instruction
The assignment tasks students with conducting in-depth research on a specific topic covered during the semester, culminating in a four-to-five-page analytical essay. The core goal is to interpret, analyze, and connect four works of protest literature within a selected social movement or theme, as framed by Zoe Trodd's “politics” of protest literature—namely, Connection, Form, Appropriation, and Memory. This essay aims to identify a unifying tactic or strategy across these works and demonstrate how this tactic contributed uniquely to their respective social movements and the broader landscape of protest literature aimed at social change.
To approach this assignment, students must select four relevant pieces of protest literature from movements discussed during the course or from credible outside sources. The selected texts should exemplify a specific political or stylistic technique, such as appropriation or memory, which Trodd emphasizes. The student's task is to analyze how each work employs this technique—using quotations, paraphrases, and contextual evidence—and how these employed strategies underpin social change. The analysis should include comparing these strategies across the texts while explaining their significance in advancing movement objectives.
The essay should not merely summarize but should interpret how each work expresses its activism through language, form, or content, revealing patterns or symbols that underscore their shared political message. The paper should articulate how the unifying strategy works stylistically and substantively to influence audiences, build memory, or foster connection—depending on the identified “politic.” Critical analysis must be supported by textual evidence, including close readings of key quotes, and should contextualize each piece historically or authorially where relevant.
Organizationally, the paper must feature a clear thesis statement that encapsulates the unifying strategy or theme, supported by an outline that maps the connection between the works. It should employ the “Tell, Show, Share” paragraph structure: first stating the point, then illustrating with textual evidence, and finally explaining its significance to the larger movement or to the technique’s role in protest literature. Integration of sources should conform to MLA standards, with in-text citations and a properly formatted Works Cited page containing at least five credible sources.
Throughout the process, students are encouraged to plan, draft, engage in peer review, and revise their essays meticulously, emphasizing clarity, analysis, and proper attribution to avoid plagiarism. The final submission must adhere to MLA formatting, include a strong thesis, and demonstrate an understanding of how protest literature uses specific tactics to effect social change.