In roughly 1000-1250 words, you will connect one of the primary texts that we have read to at least one of the major themes in the course: Authority, Knowledge, Liberty, Consumption, and/or Progress.These writing assignments should offer a specific thesis statement that articulates a clear argument and use well-integrated and properly cited quotations to substantiate your claims.

Questions that you may ask as you brainstorm a topic include:

• In what specific way does this text engage with one of the major course themes?
• Does the text offer an exemplar of the theme? For example, “this is the best way to exert authority, according to this work.”
• Does the work propose or reinforce a specific way of understanding one of the themes, or are there several ways of understanding the theme present in the text? For example, is there an argument in the text that liberty should be universal, or are limitations necessary in order for society to function?
• Does the work assert the value or significance of a particular way of thinking about one of the course themes? For example, is there just one “right” way of understanding the concept of “knowledge,” or are various types of knowledge valued within the text?

You will have an opportunity to propose thesis statements in advance of the Essay due dates. If you’re having difficulty developing a thesis statement, I recommend that you schedule a time to speak with me so that we can brainstorm together.

The most successful Writing Assignments do the following:

• Meet the assignment prompt by engaging meaningfully with the chosen text and the course themes.
• Offer a focused thesis statement that articulates the point of the essay that is neither too broad nor too narrow.
• Organize ideas in focused paragraphs that offer clear claims in the form of topic sentences.
• Thoughtfully integrate quotations from the chosen work and/or textbook to effectively substantiate claims.
• Offer meaningful (but limited!) summary or history when necessary to contextualize analysis.
• Cite all sources correctly according to MLA style.