For your final paper, write 3 pages of clear prose that explores an issue (of your choosing) and how it’s handled by two writers from the semester. You will need to use two authors: one from weeks 1—8 and Travels with Charley. Do NOT do any outside research for this paper beyond your two works.
You will need to submit a final draft on the due date; papers are submitted directly to Canvas (they will be run through TurnItIn which checks for plagiarism). Although you will only submit the final draft, you should be sure to go through a process of sorts: use an organizer to help brainstorm and focus your thoughts, draft an outline, write a rough draft, and then revise. Writers who go through these steps usually end up with a more coherent final draft than those writers who simply open up a blank Word document and wing it.
Use the following guide to help with your paper:
P1:This paragraph provides the author and title of the two works you will be citing. It should touch very broadly on the works’ content and what issue connects the works. End the introduction with your own statement (the main idea of your paper).
P2: Discuss how a work from weeks 1—8 addresses a certain issue. (For example, what does a Bradstreet poem say about the role of women in early America? Or, what does 12 Years a Slave illustrate about the cruelty of slavery? Or, what does Thoreau say about the environment?)
Be certain to choose an issue there are many more besides the role of women, slavery, or the environment that genuinely interests you. Weave in a line or two from the selected weeks 1—8 reading to help make your point.
P3:Discuss how Steinbeck addresses the issue in Travels with Charley. (In other words, if paragraph two deals with the role of women, then so will paragraph 3.) Weave in a line or two from Steinbeck to help make your point.
P4:Discuss how you think this issue continues to play out in modern America. (Is the role of women still narrowly defined? What is the current racial climate in the U.S.? Do Americans seem concerned about the environment? Etc.)
This paragraph should also cite a line or two from one of the assigned readings, either from the weeks 1—8 work used in paragraph 2 or Steinbeck.
P5: a conclusion. The final paragraph wraps up your paper; while it should reiterate your statement, try not to just repeat your statement and topic sentences word for word. Perhaps speculate on what you hope will happen in the future regarding the issue.
