English IV: Time Out
October, 2013
Essay assignment: Beloved
Assignment: Write an essay of approximately three pages
typed (800 – 1000 words, approximately, using one of the following prompts or
creating one of your own. (For practical reasons, check with me if you wish to
pursue the “one of your own” option.) I will look especially for the following
items: 1) specific analytical sentences (thesis, commentary, paragraph
conclusions); 2) clear, unencumbered, accurate sentences; 3) precise
vocabulary; 4) relevant textual evidence, in bite-size pieces, fully integrated
with ideas; 5) mechanical correctness.
Caveat: There is undoubtedly much information available on
the interweb. Reading it will probably taint your mind. Steer clear.
Suggestions:
Beloved is, among
other things, a novel about relationships. Choose two of the main characters
and explore the relationship between them as deeply as you can in the space
available.
Beloved is
definitely a novel of the past. Choose a flashback or memory scene and explore,
in some detail, its relationship to the context in which it is “remembered.”
Compare, in as much detail as possible, the two scenes in
which white men come into the yard of 124 Bluestone Road. Look at Sethe’s state
of mind, her actions, the behavior of the white men, possible ironies of
situation, etc.
Look back at your notecards or journal entries for a seed
which can be grown into a thesis statement and supported with evidence from the
novel.
Schedule:
10/28 & 10/29—Introduce assignment
11/4 & 11/5—complete, typed drafts due in class for peer
review
11/6 & 11/7—revised essays due at beginning of class,
both hard copy and turnitin (assignment title: Beloved 2013)
Notes on format and heading available via separate link
