Close reading essay
Instructions: This essay should be 3-4 pages, excluding the Works Cited page, focusing on the assigned readings from the course. It is due by 11:55 pm ET on Sunday of Week 6.
This should be a close reading essay, and should use as evidence primarily passages from the text or texts that you discuss. Please do not use ANY outside sources with this essay.
The essay should be in MLA essay format (see the attached sample essay below), and use MLA citations. A Works Cited entry and in-text citations for each text discussed are required.
Analytical essays should be focused on making a debatable claim about the text in question. Informational essays or essays consisting of summary are not appropriate for either type of essay. The essay grading rubric can be found here for the analytical choices.
DISCLAIMER: Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin. Both you and your instructor will receive the results.
Choose 1 of the following topics. For the analytical choices, be sure to write a thesis-driven essay in response to the topic.
Analytical Choices
Defining the Sacred: choose 2 sacred texts that we have read, 1 from the two Abrahamic faiths (Islam and Christianity) and 1 from the Eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism) and make an argument about what similarities they have, and what those similarities can tell us about what it means for a text to be “sacred.” Remember to quote and cite the texts in the essay body paragraphs to prove and illustrate points on them.
Tragedy Across the Mediterranean: Consider “The Tale of Sohrab” from the Shahnameh in comparison to Sophocles’ drama Oedipus Tyrannus from the Week 2 readings. Make an argument about whether the two texts are more alike or different and why. Focus your thesis on one particular aspect of the two texts such as protagonists, themes, central conflicts, or other another element that you see as important. Remember to quote and cite the texts in the essay body paragraphs to prove and illustrate points on them.
Make your own topic: create your own critical question to answer in your essay. If you choose this topic you must contact me for approval by Thursday of Week 6. Essay submissions with unapproved topics will be returned.
Writing Format: All essays should be written in Times New Roman 12 point plain font. Essays are double spaced, include indented paragraphs with no extra space between paragraphs, and 1 inch margins on all (4) sides. Essays should be MLA formatted and submitted as MS Word documents/attachments. Write in the third person objective voice, and prove/illustrate points with quotes and paraphrases from your primary and secondary sources, followed by the corresponding in-text and Works Cited citation. Avoid the first and second person “I” and “you” subjective voice in college level scholarly writing. As a rule, keep quotes to 2-3 lines maximum in these relatively short papers, and no more than 10-15% of the total paper.
Technical Errors: Late papers will be penalized, as will papers with technical errors, superficial and/or careless grammatical or content errors. Technical errors (e.g., typographical mistakes, misspellings, sloppiness, sentence fragments, etc.) will result in grade penalties that become more severe as their frequency increases.
File Names: Please label and save all MS Word file attachments in the following manner: Your last name_Assignment Title (i.e., Smith_Paper # 1).
For MLA formatting see the Purdue OWL:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Beginning the essay early in the week is recommended, as last-minute inquiries may not be answered until after the due date.
