The second essay of the course is a research assignment. Using the research and argument skills you developed in 102, I’d like you to develop and present an analysis of the novel you read

May 29, 2019

ESSAY TWO: RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT
The second essay of the course is a research assignment. Using the research and argument
skills you developed in 102, I’d like you to develop and present an analysis of the novel you
read.
This is, as always, an assignment concerned with ANALYSIS and PERSUASION rather than
summary or comparing/contrasting; simply recounting the events or characteristics of the story
and tacking on a few interesting outside quotes will not be sufficient for this assignment. Your
essay must have something to say to a reader about either the novel or the ideas raised by the
prompt. This requires a debatable thesis statement and serious, consistent work to convince a
reader of its validity.
Unlike the previous assignment, this essay requires you to incorporate outside research. You
must incorporate at least three scholarly sources into your essay to support, contextualize, or
justify your analysis.
Below, you will find some prompts to help kick-start your analysis. These are not specific
questions with right or wrong answers—they are places to focus your thoughts and generate
your own ideas about the texts in question. Ultimately, your thesis is entirely up to you.
Requirements
• Your essay must be between 1200 and 1,250 words.
o Anything shorter will automatically fail, and anything longer will not be read
beyond the 1,250th word.
o Word count includes everything (outside of the headers) in the document you
submit.
• Your essay must deal with only one of the novels.
• Your essay must be an analysis.
• Your thesis must be debatable.
• Your essay must quote from the story that you’re writing about.
• Your essay must cite at least three peer-reviewed journal articles.
o Peer-reviewed articles are the only acceptable scholarly sources, unless you have
specific approval from me.
o Other sources, even non-peer-reviewed ones, can be used above and beyond
these three.
o Essays which do not meet the minimum number of sources will automatically
fail.
• This essay must follow MLA formatting requirements in both layout and citation.
Skeffington/ENGL103 Rev. Winter 2019
o The MacEwan Library has some very nice style guides at
http://bit.ly/2wsIKKA.
o Failure to follow MLA formatting requirements will cap the grade possible for
this assignment at a C- regardless of how good the actual essay is.
Guidelines
o Proper citation is particularly important to this essay because you’ll be juggling a
number of sources. Double check everything.
o Quotes don’t prove anything by themselves; they are just the raw material for you to
build arguments with. Be sure all quotes are integrated. Be sure that anything you
quote is analyzed, explained, or contextualized.
o This requires specific care in a research essay—your essay needs to make sure
that it doesn’t just step out of the way to let experts do all the talking. You cite
things to LET YOU say better or newer things.
o In general, if you quote something, you should be able to say at least that much
about the quote, and hopefully more. (That is, if you quote a sentence, you
should have a sentence or more to say about that quote.)
o Nor should your essay just be you rattling on endlessly with three small
sentences plugged in at almost random points. Strive for balance.
o I will not read your rough drafts as a sort of bonus pre-marking task. I WILL, however,
answer any specific and detailed writing questions that you have. Email me.
o Budget your time and leave room in your schedule for revision and polishing. This is a
formal academic essay..
o Think through the logical consequences of your claims and arguments. Don’t just argue
something that sounds good in the moment.
o Following MLA guidelines refers to more than just citation—it guides the way the
document is formatted, too.
o These things are critical because they signal professionalism and effort.
o They are easy to do—just copy what the writer’s handbook you bought for
ENGL102 tells you to do.

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The second essay of the course is a research assignment. Using the research and argument skills you developed in 102, I’d like you to develop and present an analysis of the novel you read