Methods of Reading
Autumn 2017
1,000 Word Essay
Due Friday May 5th at 4pm
Submit a hard copy to the appropriate Assignment Box on the campus where you are enrolled. Submit a soft copy to Turnitin (link provided from the Methods of Reading vUWS site). Both the hard copy and soft copy are due by 4pm on May 5th. Assessment Checklist You should: 1) Choose one of the two topics listed below. 2) Engage with relevant themes and ideas from the lectures and tutorial discussions. 3) Cite your sources by employing either Harvard, MLA, or Chicago documentation style. Additional research, beyond the relevant chapters from Bennett and Royle, is not required but optional. If you do undertake additional research, this could include further readings from the “Readings and Resources” section of vUWS or scholarly research of your own. If you quote from a lecture verbatim or paraphrase substantial passages from a lecture, then you must cite it. 4) Organize the analysis around a central argument or “thesis” and provide textual evidence to support its claims. 5) Employ an appropriate writing style with minimal spelling, grammatical, or other errors. 6) Include a completed assignment cover sheet (hard copy submissions only) The quotations given before each question below are only there to guide you; you do not need to employ them if they are not relevant to your argument. You must use additional textual examples to support your claims. Topic 1 “Some things go. Pass on. Some things just stay. I used to think it was my rememory. You know. Some things you forget. Other things you never do. But it’s not. Places, places are still there. If a house burns down, it’s gone, but the place—the picture of it—stays, and not just in my rememory, but out there, in the world. What I remember is a picture floating around out there outside my head. I mean, even if I don’t think it, even if I die, the picture of what I did, or knew, or saw is still out there. Right in the place where it happened” (43). “As long as the ghost showed out from its ghostly place shaking stuff, crying, smashing and such—Ella respected it. But if it took flesh and came
Autumn 2017 1,000 Word Essay Due Friday May 5th at 4pm Submit a hard copy to the appropriate Assignment Box on the campus where you are enrolled. Submit a soft copy to Turnitin (link provided from the Methods of Reading vUWS site). Both the hard copy and soft copy are due by 4pm on May 5th. Assessment Checklist You should: 1) Choose one of the two topics listed below. 2) Engage with relevant themes and ideas from the lectures and tutorial discussions. 3) Cite your sources by employing either Harvard, MLA, or Chicago documentation style. Additional research, beyond the relevant chapters from Bennett and Royle, is not required but optional. If you do undertake additional research, this could include further readings from the “Readings and Resources” section of vUWS or scholarly research of your own. If you quote from a lecture verbatim or paraphrase substantial passages from a lecture, then you must cite it. 4) Organize the analysis around a central argument or “thesis” and provide textual evidence to support its claims. 5) Employ an appropriate writing style with minimal spelling, grammatical, or other errors. 6) Include a completed assignment cover sheet (hard copy submissions only) The quotations given before each question below are only there to guide you; you do not need to employ them if they are not relevant to your argument. You must use additional textual examples to support your claims. Topic 1 “Some things go. Pass on. Some things just stay. I used to think it was my rememory. You know. Some things you forget. Other things you never do. But it’s not. Places, places are still there. If a house burns down, it’s gone, but the place—the picture of it—stays, and not just in my rememory, but out there, in the world. What I remember is a picture floating around out there outside my head. I mean, even if I don’t think it, even if I die, the picture of what I did, or knew, or saw is still out there. Right in the place where it happened” (43). “As long as the ghost showed out from its ghostly place shaking stuff, crying, smashing and such—Ella respected it. But if it took flesh and came in her world, well, the shoe was on the other foot. She didn’t mind a little communication between the two worlds, but this was an invasion” (302). Engage with relevant ideas from one or two of the following chapters from Bennett and Royle: “Racial Difference,” “Ghosts,” “The Uncanny.” Answer the following question: What is the significance of how Beloved is represented as a tangible, fleshly ghost? Topic 2 “So, in the end, they forgot her too. Remembering seemed unwise” (324). “This is not a story to pass on” (324). Engage with relevant ideas from one or two of the following chapters from Bennett and Royle: “History, “Racial Difference,” “Ghosts.” Focusing on 2-3 characters, answer the following question: What does Beloved suggest about the characters’ responsibility to remember the past? Instructions on Constructing a Thesis for your Essay: Your Thesis/Argument should be a disputable claim. This means that other people can potentially disagree with it. If no one can disagree with your argument, then it is not a real argument. An academic thesis or argument is not quite the same as an “argument” that you might have with a friend. An academic argument does not need to involve an angry, heated exchange between two people. However, an argument in the everyday sense of the term shares with an academic argument the common characteristic of being disputable and debatable. Bad Thesis: Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is phallocentric. This assertion is too general and does not supply any justification for the writer’s interpretation. Better Thesis: Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is phallocentric because Portia must follow her father’s guidelines for choosing a suitor. This is better because you can imagine some readers disagreeing and it provides a clear justification (“because”) for the writer’s position. It is a bit simplistic, however, because it completely disregards how Portia guides Bassanio toward choosing her, the masculine role she assumes in the trial, etc.. Good Thesis: Portia may be constrained by the phallocentric rules of her father, but the play itself is not phallocentric because it allows Portia to employ some amount of female agency. This is much more specific than the previous example and more thoughtful. It makes a clear distinction between the phallocentrism of a character (Portia’s father) and that of a play. It implies that a text has agency, that it can reinforce or challenge existing norms. In order to prove this thesis, the writer would need to give specific examples that illustrate Portia’s female agency. Marking Criteria CRITERIA UNSATISFACTORY (0-49) SATISFACTORY (50-64) GOOD (65-74) VERY GOOD (75-100) Quality of written expression Does not meet minimum literary standards. ALL ESSAYS IN THIS CATEGORY WILL FAIL Reasonably well written but some problems with grammar/structure/ clarity; and/or numerous spelling or typographical errors Well written and structured; few grammatical, spelling or typographical errors Very well written; logically structured; few or no grammatical, spelling or typographical errors Comprehension of, and response to, the set question and reading material Does not reflect a sufficiently strong grasp of the key concept and/or its application to the novel; or the response is unclear/incoherent Reflects a reasonable understanding of the concept and/or its application to the novel but there may be some limitations in terms of coverage of the topic or clarity of approach Demonstrates a good understanding of the concept in relation to the novel and the response is clear and well organised Provides a sophisticated, detailed and informed reading of the novel in relation to the set concept Quality of argument No coherent or convincing argument presented A sound argument but may be lacking in clarity, consistency or textual support A good, consistent and well-supported argument is presented Very clear and well-supported; shows independent thought and insight Referencing and citation Failure to consistently acknowledge sources Some references or sources have not been properly cited; or inaccurate/inappropriate referencing system applied All primary and secondary sources cited; some minor inaccuracies in referencing style All primary and secondary sources accurately acknowledged Assignment Cover Sheet School of Humanities and Communication Arts Student name: Student number: Unit name and number: Tutorial day and time: Tutor’s Name: Title of assignment: Length: Date due: Date submitted: Extension Granted Yes/No (circle) New Due Date: Special Consideration Granted Yes/No (circle) New Due Date: Campus enrolment: Declaration: q I hold a copy of this assignment if the original is lost or damaged. q I hereby certify that no part of this assignment or product has been copied from any other student’s work or from any other source except where due acknowledgement is made in the assignment. q No part of the assignment/product has been written / produced for me by any other person except where collaboration has been authorised by the subject lecturer/tutor concerned q I am aware that this work will be reproduced and submitted to plagiarism detection software programs for the purpose of detecting possible plagiarism (which may retain a copy on its database for future plagiarism checking) Signature:______________________________________ Note: An examiner or lecturer/tutor has the right to not mark this assignment if the above declaration has not been signed.
