My Last Duchess
Instructions for Writing Assignment 1The first writing assignment we have is abbreviated on your syllabus as WA1. Here’s what you should do: Write a two-page essay on your choice of the stories we have read so far in the course. Only those on the syllabus are to be used.
I am not calling for a full-blown MLA research paper with citations and works cited pages, just a short paper or two pages wherein you are expressing your opinion of your choice of story. What can you write about? Hey, don’t you have a bunch of heuristics that are designed to point you in the direction of thinking, analyzing, and commenting on these works?
Use them! In any essay, the most important part is your thesis, which should appear in a sentence (fairly early on) called a thesis statement. In this sentence you are making the point of the paper. That is the reason you writeto express this opinion. Your job in any essay is to demonstrate what your opinion is and show how it is reasonable and drawn from the evidence available (from the work). Don’t talk about you.
No I think that or in my opinion, . Of course you think that, because you are saying it! That’s clear,Captain Obvious! Don’t tell us about you, tell us about the work and what you are discussing about it. Write objectively in the third person and focus on the work itself. When you say I chose to write about The Storm, you are focusing on you. (Who cares what you chose we care what you SAY ABOUT IT).
You are wasting valuable space whenever you deviate from talking about the work. So, no you talk.The thesis must always be a statement of opinion, not mere fact. When you say that George is the husband of the un-named wife in Cat in the Raiyou are telling us a fact. (Cannot stand as a thesis statement.) When you say George is a disgusting, insensitive, poor excuse for a husband in Hemingway’s Cat in the Rain,you are stating an opinion. See the difference?
One you can support with argument, one you cant because it is merely fact. No more can be said.While this is not a full research paper, we still need to follow expected essay format that is a part of MLA.Double space everywhere in paper.
No Exceptions!Top of page 1 should look like this:Student NameENG 102 Section 27WDate (of submission)All text in Times New Roman font (no exceptions)All text in 12-point type size (no exceptions)No bold face type (no exceptions)No underliningA title is centered in the first line of the essay (It is NOT THE TITLE of the story) YOU choose your own title, follow title case rules (Caps on 1st letter of 1st word and 1st letter of all important words onlyTitles of stories are designated with quotation marks titles of Books by italic type fontThe student last name, followed by a single space, flowed by the page number appears at the top right of all pages.
Like this:Jones 2Make sure the page number is in the correct font and face (TNR, normal, 12-pt)Note: some word processors will make page numbers for you automatically, BUT THEY DO IT IN THE WRONG SIZE AND FONT. You might have to go in an change it!All text is justified left, meaning the text goes out to the left margin, but not the right.
TURN full justify OFF.One-inch margins all around (Your text editor might not do this automatically, so again, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!PRINT ON FRONT of page ONLY. No duplex printing (BCC printers default to doing it the wrong way, so a word to the wise! You will be submitting the papers by email attachment AS PDF FORMAT FILES ONLY!
