Essay Guidelines
Topic
Imagine that you are the member of a book club that includes Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and Clarence Ayres. The four of you have met to discuss Kamala Markandaya’s novel Nectar in a Sieve. How does the novel relate to your respective visions and understandings of capitalism and development? Using specific examples, explain how the novel supports or challenges your respective perspectives. Are there themes that some of agree upon? Do you disagree on others? Describe your conversation.
Note: I am primarily interested in your ability to analyze the novel through different theoretical lenses. You needn’t conduct additional research on Smith, Marx, and/or Ayres. The course lectures and readings should provide you with sufficient understanding of their respective perspectives.
Format
Your essay should be 5 – 8 pages long (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font, standard 0ne-inch margins). You are welcome to structure your paper as a traditional academic essay or as a dialog among the four of you. In either case, be sure to offer an introduction and conclusion. If you draw upon a text other than Nectar in a Sieve, be sure to provide a proper citation. If you directly quote any source, including Nectar in a Sieve, be sure to use quotation marks and provide a page number. You are welcome to use the citation style of your choice.
Grading Criteria
Your essay will be evaluated on the following criteria: (1) your demonstrated knowledge of the perspectives of Smith, Marx, and Ayres (at least to the extent that their ideas are described in the course materials); (2) your demonstrated familiarity with Nectar in a Sieve; (3) your ability to relate the material in the novel to the theorists’ perspectives on capitalism and development; (4) how clearly you articulate and relate your own thoughts on Markandaya’s book to the likely perspectives of Smith, Marx, and Ayres; and (5) the quality and coherence of your writing (so please proofread your essays and do your best to make sure that they “flow”).
IMPORTANT: Due Date and Submission Instructions
Please submit your essay through Quercus. You should also turn-in a printed paper copy of the essay at the beginning of class on Thursday, November 22. Although the course syllabus states otherwise, there is no need to submit the essay through Turnitin.com.
A Note on Quotations
You are welcome to include quotations in your essay, but you should not rely upon them to write your essay for you. In general, when you include a quotation you should say something about it, perhaps explaining why it is relevant to the point that you are trying to make. You should not assume that quotations and facts will speak for themselves or that the reader will interpret them in the same way that you do.
