Huck Finn Week Two: Addressing Racism and Stereotyping

 Homework Due Dec. 17

1.  Independent Reading Project #2.  Be prepared to share with class.

2.  Read the article below, from "Culture Shock, Born to Trouble: The Adventures of Huck Finn," pbs.org.

3. Complete activities #1-3 below the article 

Since its publication, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been under fire as objectionable, not always for the same reasons. some objections have stemmed from the overt violence and cruelty present in the text; some have originated in the companionship of a black slave and a white teenager; some have been offended that southerners have been depicted as ignorant or backwater; but most frequently in the modern period, objections to racist words found in the text have led schools to suppress reading of the novel. 

Culture Shock.  Born to Trouble: The Adventures of Huck Finn

To many, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the world's greatest novels -- and a national icon. Twain's satirical attack on slavery, hypocrisy, and prejudice in antebellum America compels readers to look not only at slavery and racism, but also at the whole tradition of American democracy. It is the story of a white outcast boy, Huck, and his adult friend Jim, a runaway slave, who flee from Missouri together in search of freedom on a raft down the Mississippi River in the 1840s. Most critics agree that Huck's moral awakening to the injustice of slavery is among the most powerful statements against racism in American literature. As writer and Twain expert David Bradley sees it, "You can't arbitrarily say this book is trouble, we're not going to teach it, because a book like Huckleberry Finn is part of American literature. You can't get around it." In Hannibal, Missouri, Twain's hometown and the inspiration for Huck Finn, residents celebrate National Tom Sawyer Days around every Fourth of July honoring the author by reenacting some of Twain's local activities. Yet according to one Hannibal resident quoted in the film, very few of the African American residents choose to participate in the festivities because Huck Finn"degrades them." "Hannibal presents a selective version of what Mark Twain was about," says Twain scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin. "It ignores the fact that Hannibal was a slave-holding town. It ignores the role that slavery played in shaping Mark Twain's imagination and in shaping the work of Mark Twain." While many praise the book, there are others who find it offensive. No American novel has been attacked by the public as long and as continuously as Huck Finn. Born to Trouble transports viewers back to the end of the Victorian era when Twain's then new novel was banned from the Concord, Massachusetts public library after members of the Library's committee called the book "trash." Other critics of the time followed suit, denouncing Twain for threatening public morality, childhood innocence, and the purity of the English language. The author's response was typically acerbic: "Those idiots in Concord are not a court of last resort and I am not disturbed by their moral gymnastics," wrote Twain. Although writers and critics elevated the novel to the canon of classic literature in the 1930s, the controversy surrounding Huck Finn was far from over. In 1957, as the Civil Rights movement started to gain momentum, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) charged that Huck Finncontained "racial slurs" and "belittling racial designations." While they didn't advocate censorship, the book was nevertheless removed from the New York City school system. Since then, the book has been called "racist" for both the use of the word "nigger" and a portrayal of blacks that some consider stereotypical and demeaning. It has been removed from reading lists in schools from Texas to Pennsylvania. Born to Trouble chronicles one such school system's battle: Kathy Monteiro, a Tempe, Arizona mother, recently launched a crusade to have the book removed from her teenage daughter's high school curriculum. "I'm wondering as a teacher and as a mother, how you can ask kids to go home and read the word 'nigger' 200-something times in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and then expect kids to come back to school and not use the word," observes Monteiro in the film. In 1985, the nation marked the centennial of the publication of Huck Finn and the 150th anniversary of Twain's birth with celebrations around the country. Although Twain could no longer respond to his critics -- he died in 1910 -- he had no shortage of supporters. President Ronald Reagan, seen in archival footage in the film, commends the author's legacy. "In the decades to come, may our schools give to our children the skills to navigate through life as gracefully as Huck navigated the Mississippi. And may they teach our students the same hatred of bigotry and love of their fellow men that Huck showed on every page, and especially in his love for his big friend Jim," praised Reagan. Beloved or banned, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, with nearly 700 foreign editions printed, is one of the best known American novels across the globe, which would undoubtedly please the author. "I have never tried to help cultivate the cultivated classes. I was not equipped for it, either by native gifts or training. And I never had any ambition in that direction, but always hunted for bigger game -- the masses," wrote Twain.

Activity #1. Respond to the following statements, rating each statement using the following guide:
         4 beside a statement with which you strongly agree
         3 if you agree somewhat
         2 if you disagree
         1 if you disagree strongly

1. some words are so offensive that they should never be used to tell a story.
   
2. The names we use for others are not important.
   
3. The saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones,
   but words will never hurt me” is true.
   
4. Members of an ethnic group can refer to themselves in
   language that would be inappropriate for others to use.
   

Activity #2. Choose one of the statements with which you agree or disagree the most, and free write about your point of view and why you believe as you do.  Try to give concrete examples about why you feel as you do.

Activity #3. Explain the meaning of stereotype, as you would define it, and then list some common stereotypes that are used to describe teens/young adults like you.  Sort the list into three categories: positive, neutral, and negative labels. What do you notice about these labels? In what situations are they used? What impact do these labels have on the students? Why do you like or dislike these labels? 

Honors Students: 
Read Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “Declaration of Sentiments” from History of Woman Suffrage (Seneca Falls Convention on Women’s Rights, 1848) and Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I a Woman?” (from her speech at a woman’s rights convention in Akron, Ohio in 1852), both readily available on the web. While both works deal with the women’s movement in the United States, Truth’s status as a slave complicates the issue. 
Write a short essay (1 1/2- 2 pages) in which you discuss: 
If Truth’s argument results in her being treated as a woman, then enslaved males must be accorded status as men. How will this recognition confront existing laws? Considering that women in Huck Finn are widowed, spinsters, or unmarried—women who introduce troubled boys to religion, education, and civilization— describe the role of women during the reform movements and in the novel.  
 Also consider how fictional writing can arouse sympathies toward political and social action. Do modern novels have this effect? Name short stories, novels, or films that have brought about or contributed to social movements. To assist with this, consult the Best Timeline of American Literature and Events (1880-1889): www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/1880.htm. 

Huck Finn: Pre-Reading Project

Due December 10

In a small group, with a partner, or by yourself, research your chosen topic from the list below.  Be prepared to present your findings to the class on Dec. 10.  Your presentation should be about 10 mins in length and will be graded based on your  thoroughness, preparedness & quality of information.  Remember, you are teaching your fellow students- they are relying on you to do a good job!

While every piece of writing can be read in isolation and may well stand on its own merits, readers become more informed and competent by acquiring an understanding of the period during which the writer lives and the events that precede and influence an author.

Group #1:  The Culture of the River:  Your goal is to make sure the class understands something of the pre-Civil War slavery controversy, free and slave states, and the Mississippi River’s division of East from West and North from south, a primary conduit for people and goods.  

• Print or draw a map of the United states, preferably one of the early 1830‘s
• Label which states are slave and Free,
• Label which states border the Mississippi River
• Teach the class about the positions of states along the Mississippi regarding slavery and why these states might argue the need for slavery or for abolition
• What are bounty hunters? Freedmen?
• Discuss the “business” & economicsof slavery.

• You can find suitable maps at these web sites: www.sonofthesouth. net/slavery/slave-maps/map-free-slave-states.htm and http://www.learner.org/ biographyofamerica/prog10/maps/.

Group #2: Slavery in America: Use  the websites below, and your history texts to research these issues of American slavery: 

• the effect of enslavement on Africans and their descendants
• how slaves sustained a sense of selfhood and cultural identity in slave- master relationships
• how slavery affected white people, even non-slave-owning
• how slave laws changed over time, especially just before the Civil War
• how a free or slave state was determined.  

• You might find these websites helpful:

National Humanities Center’s Toolbox Library: Primary Resources in US History and Literature: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/index.htm

NHC’s TeacherServe, Freedom’s Story, links to 19th Century Issues:

www.nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen.htm

Timeline of African-American History:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aap/timeline.html

History Matters, archives and narratives:

http://historymatters.gmu.edu

North American Slave Narratives and Images:

http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/

The Slave Narrative:

http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/slave.htm

GROUP #3: Mark Twain’s Biography

• You can read Twain’s biography at: http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/twain. htm 
• Share your knowledge of Mark Twain with the class
• Since writers write about what they know, often incorporating parts of their own lives into the characters, setting, and plot of their novels, after reading this short biography, anticipate which of Twain’s life events and habits of character might also be used in his character Huck Finn. 
• William Dean Howells to call Twain “the Lincoln of our literature.”  What has Twain freed if he is “the Lincoln of our literature”?
• Ernest Hemingway to write, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.”  Why do you think Hemingway says this?

Group #4: 19th century reforms.  Research and present to the class the goals and outcomes of each reform:

• abolition
• women’s suffrage
• utopian societies
• prison and asylum reform
• educational reform
• political reform. 

• Links to works, writers, and reforms can be found on Brief Timelines of American Literature and Events: http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/1840.htm

Group 5: Literary Movements of the 19th Century 

The struggle between ideals and realities helped shape American intellectual life and literature in many periods. The political, scientific, social reforms of the 19th century resulted in changes in the vision with which writers created literature and art as well. The early part of the century saw Rationalism give way to Romanticism and its offshoot, Transcendent-alism; the latter part of the century, especially during and after the Civil War, saw a rise in Realism and Regionalism, when writers examined life as it was actually lived and to record what they saw around them.

• How did each of these reform movements use, and therefore contribute to, changes in literature and the arts? 
• Use the following websites to chart the tenets of each literary movement (Rationalism, Romanticism, Realism, Regionalism). 
• During your reading of the novel, you will use these charts to distinguish elements of each movement within the work (In Huck Finn, elements of all three literary and intellectual movements can be found).

Romanticism in American Literature: “Gothic, Novel, and Romance”

http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/novel.htm

Realism in American Literature

http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm

Regionalism and Local Color Fiction 1865-1895

http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/lcolor.html

The Expository Essay & The Descriptive Narrative

The Expository Essay

Due Dates

• Global Studies Class: The Expository Essay Due November 20.  The Descriptive Narrative Due Nov. 25
• Block Classes: The Expository Essay AND The Descriptive Narrative  Due Dec. 3
• Expository Essay- approx. 2 pages in length
• Descriptive Narrative- 2-3 pages

Sample Expository Essay: http://teacherweb.com/ca/vannuyshighschool/tovarsenglishclass/sampleexpository.pdf

What is an Expository Essay?
An expository essay explains a concept, investigates an idea, or presents evidence for an opinion. According to Purdue's Online Writing Lab, in-class writing assignments and exams frequently instruct students to use an expository essay format. Expository essays can be developed using several different organizational patterns, depending upon the assignment, writing prompt or topic.

Read more about Expository Essays here:https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/

Structure of an Expository Essay: http://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/files/wl/downloads/StructureofaGeneralExpositoryEssay.pdf

Prompts: EXPOSITORY ESSAY

Write an essay to explain one of the following:

• 􏰀  Think of an invention that has been especially helpful (or harmful) to people. Write an essay to explain why. 
• 􏰀  Think of the most valuable thing you own that was not bought in a store. Explain why it is valuable to you.
• 􏰀  Describe a teenage fad, and why, in your opinion, it became popular 
• 􏰀  Explain how climate dictates lifestyle 
• 􏰀  Many students have personal goals, such as making the honor roll, playing a musical instrument, or being the top sorer in a video game. To be successful in reaching goals, it helps to have certain qualities. Some of these might include se;lf- discipline, determination or a positive attitude. Think about a goal that you would like to achieve. In a well-developed composition, state your goal. Describe at least two qualities you will need to reach your goal, and explain why each quality is important to be successful.
• 􏰀  Age has a funny way of making changes. It is probably easy for you to look back and see that you and your friends have make some major changes since you left middle school. Your teachers and friends may be different; your school is different, and some of your interests are probably different. Think back to sixth grade and describe how school has changed for you as a ninth or tenth grader. 
• 􏰀  “’Cheating is on the rise,’ reports expert Donald McCabe, a professor at Rutgers University. His surveys show that school dishonesty is a growing problem in every part of the country.” His and other studies report that 73 % to 80% of high school students cheat. “What is the big deal about cheating? It’s only wrong if you get caught.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement. What should we do about cheating in the schools? 

The Descriptive Narrative Essay- A Combination of Two Essay Styles: The Descriptive Essay and The Narrative Essay

• Typed, MLA format, 2-3 pages
• Topic: Tell a story about something that has happened to you, your opinions, your ideas, or your response to something.   You may tell the story form the first person (I)  point of view.
• Topic Ideas:


• When I Got Lost
• If I Could Change One Thing About Me
• If I Could Be Somebody Else for a Day
• My Hero
• The Most Beautiful Thing in the World
• My Greatest Accomplishment
• The Hardest Thing I Ever Had to Do
• The Best News I Ever Received
• Include descriptive writing that appeals to the five senses: smell, taste, hearing, sight, touch.
• Use descriptive language to make the reader really feel as if they are there - what does it look like, smell like, feel like.

What is a descriptive essay?

The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student’s ability to create a written account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader).

One might benefit from keeping in mind this simple maxim: If the reader is unable to clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try, try again!

What is a narrative essay?

When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often anecdotal, experiential, and personal—allowing students to express themselves in a creative and, quite often, moving ways.

Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay.

• If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story.

This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion.

• The essay should be written from a clear point of view.

It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author; however, this is not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays often times manifests itself in the form of authorial perspective.

• Use clear and concise language throughout the essay.

Much like the descriptive essay, narrative essays are effective when the language is carefully, particularly, and artfully chosen. Use specific language to evoke specific emotions and senses in the reader.

• The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is welcomed.

Do not abuse this guideline! Though it is welcomed it is not necessary—nor should it be overused for lack of clearer diction.

• As always, be organized!

Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the remainder of the essay. Do not leave the reader guessing about the purpose of your narrative. Remember, you are in control of the essay, so guide it where you desire (just make sure your audience can follow your lead).

Here are some guidelines for writing a Narrative Descriptive essay.

• Take time to brainstorm

If your instructor asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one.

• Use clear and concise language.

This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation to that which you are intending to describe.

• Choose vivid language.

Why use horse when you can choose stallion? Why not use tempestuous instead of violent? Or why not miserly in place of cheap? Such choices form a firmer image in the mind of the reader and often times offer nuanced meanings that serve better one’s purpose.

• Use your senses!

Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked. Embellish the moment with senses.

• What were you thinking?!

If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild complacency. Tap into this emotional reservoir in order to achieve your full descriptive potential.

• Leave the reader with a clear impression.

One of your goals is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation in the reader. If your reader can walk away from the essay craving the very pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive essays.

• Be organized!

It is easy to fall into an incoherent rambling of emotions and senses when writing a descriptive essay. However, you must strive to present an organized and logical description if the reader is to come away from the essay with a cogent sense of what it is you are attempting to describe.

The Persuasive Essay

This week you will write a 3-5 page Persuasive Essay.

This is the handout we will use as a basis for the essay: 
http://www2.waterforduhs.k12.wi.us/staffweb/sereno/mainpages/InfoLit/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Writing%20the%20Persuasive%20Essay.pdf 
Please print this handout and refer to it as you write your essay.

TOPIC IDEAS:

Writing Situation: Many eighteen year olds who are old enough to vote, choose not to register, not participating in elections. Do you think it is important to register and exercise your right to vote?
Consider the reasons one would want to register and participate in elections.
Directions for Writing: Now write a persuasive essay stating whether or not eighteen year old should register and participate in elections. Give reasons to support your position. Argue in such a convincing manner that others will agree with you.

Writing Situation: Some of the parents at your school have started a campaign to limit the homework that teachers can assign to students. Teachers at your school have argued that the homework is necessary.
What is your position? Do you think homework should be limited?
Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

Writing Situation: Your local public library has come under criticism for allowing patrons under the age of 18 to check out books that some consider unacceptable. The books are either inappropriate, describe graphic violence, or use questionable language. As parents have complained, the town council has considered removing all questionable books from the library
Consider the advantages and/or disadvantages of this action. What is your position on this issue?
Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

Writing Situation: The state department of education has provided funding for an experimental online school. All the classes will take place on the Internet, using email, online chat, and the world wide web. The students taking classes at this new online school will never meet each other face-to-face. They will only interact online with each other and with their teachers.
Consider the advantages and/or disadvantages of an online school. What is your position on this issue?
Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.

Writing Situation: Current research suggests that because teenagers have different sleep patterns, they would benefit from beginning the school day at a later time. Suppose your Board of Education has proposed that all high school schedules begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.
Do you agree or disagree that this later schedule would be beneficial?
Directions for Writing: Now write an essay in which you persuade the Board of Education to agree with your opinion. Support your position with reasons and examples.

Writing the Persuasive Essay

What is a persuasive/argument essay?

In persuasive writing, a writer takes a position FOR or AGAINST an issue and writes to convince the reader to believe or do something

Persuasive writing, also known as the argument essay, utilizes logic and reason to show that one idea is more legitimate than another idea. It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action. 

The argument must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts.

When planning a persuasive essay, follow these steps

1. Choose your position. Which side of the issue or problem are you going to write about, and what solution will you offer? Know the purpose of your essay.
   
2. Analyze your audience. Decide if your audience agrees with you, is neutral, or disagrees with your position.
   
3. Research your topic. A persuasive essay must provide specific and convincing evidence. Often it is necessary to go beyond your own knowledge and experience. You might need to go to the library or interview people who are experts on your topic.
   
4. Structure your essay. Figure out what evidence you will include and in what order you will present the evidence. Remember to consider your purpose, your audience, and your topic.
   

The following criteria are essential to produce an effective argument

• Be well informed about your topic. To add to your knowledge of a topic, read thoroughly about it, using legitimate sources. Take notes.
  
  
• Test your thesis. Your thesis, i.e., argument, must have two sides. It must be debatable. If you can write down a thesis statement directly opposing your own, you will ensure that your own argument is debatable.
  
  
• Disprove the opposing argument. Understand the opposite viewpoint of your position and then counter it by providing contrasting evidence or by finding mistakes and inconsistencies in the logic of the opposing argument.
  
  
• Support your position with evidence. Remember that your evidence must appeal to reason. 

Parts of the Persuasive Essay

1. The Introduction

• Includes a hook- something to grab the reader's attention
• Contains a thesis: your statement of purpose. The thesis/hypothesis should be one sentence in length. This is the foundation of your essay and it will serve to guide you in writing the entire paper. 

2. The Body

Hints for successful body paragraphs:

• Clarify your position in your topic sentence – state your argument or reason that supports your position (thesis), think about what needs to be explained, and then think about how you can elaborate.

•  Include Concession Statements (address opposing viewpoints!): 
• concession: If you're writing a persuasive piece, you might consider beginning with a concession--that is, by beginning with an acknowledgement of part of your opponent's argument as being valid. 
• Remember that a concession is not a form of weakness. In fact a concession is a strength as it finds common ground with your opponent and establishes your ethical appeal: you are a reasonable person willing to listen to/acknowledge that there are more sides to an issue than yours.
• **You can’t ignore compelling opposing evidence. You must address strong arguments on the other side; if you don’t, it looks like you are not well prepared and have not looked at the issue you are writing about from all perspectives.**

example: "True, gun control legislation in Canada needs to be tightened to prevent the United States from becoming as violent as its neighbors to the south. The proposal that has been submitted, however, does not go far enough. Instead,...[now writer begins building his side of argument, showing how it is stronger than the opposing side’s!] 

The Persuasive Essay requires research!

You must become somewhat of an expert on your topic.  Use reliable sources!

The following are different ways to support your argument:

Facts - A powerful means of convincing, facts can come from your reading, observation, or personal experience.
            Note: Do not confuse facts with truths. A "truth" is an idea believed by many people, but it cannot be proven.

Statistics - These can provide excellent support. Be sure your statistics come from responsible sources. Always cite your sources.

Quotes - Direct quotes from leading experts that support your position are invaluable.

Examples - Examples enhance your meaning and make your ideas concrete. They are the proof. 


3. Conclusion

• Restate your thesis or focus statement.
• Summarize the main points: The conclusion enables your reader to recall the main points of your position. In order to do this you can paraphrase the main points of your argument.
• Write a personal comment or call for action. 

DUE NEXT WEEK:

1. Outline: Use outline format from this handout: http://www2.waterforduhs.k12.wi.us/staffweb/sereno/mainpages/InfoLit/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Writing%20the%20Persuasive%20Essay.pdf

2.  Persuasive Essay with Works Cited and parenthetical documentation in MLA format

Research Paper: Transcendentalism

For this Research Paper, you will research Transcendentalism: An American Literary Movement of the 1830s-1860s.

In your essay, you will:

• Define Transcendentalism- including the core beliefs of this literary, religious and philosophical movement
• Explore how the Transcendentalist movement shaped American culture and ideals, and continues to shape it still (Historical research!)
• Identify the "key players" in the movement.  Use examples from their writings to reinforce your statements about what transcendentalism is and why it is important to American literary culture.
• Quote at least two works by  two authors and explore how these quotes exemplify what transcendentalism is all about.

Before you begin writing your essay, you should:

• Read at least two works by two different authors that were important to the movement
• Conduct research to find out what Transcendentalism is, what makes it an important part of American Literature, and how it affects our past and present view of what it means to be an American.
• Write your thesis statement
• Make an outline- including your main points and documentation to support your claims
• WRite down your citations for your Works Cited

 Formatting:

• Your paper should be written in MLA format using parenthetical documentation. 
• Beside the two works by two different authors (in the fourth bullet, above), you must cite a minimum of three additional sources as part of your historical research- for a total of five sources.
• Include a Works Cited page with a minimum of five sources
• 5 pages in length

 Before you turn in your essay, you should:

• Edit, edit, edit: check for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors
• Check for understanding: do your sentences make sense?  Have you included transitions to improve the flow between paragraphs?  Have you supported your thesis with direct quotes, paraphrasing, and documentation?
• Have you included a Works Cited that list all five of the sources you cited within the body of your text?

MLA FORMAT WEBSITE:

 https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/

Formal Writing Unit

Literary Analysis Essay (Analytical Essay)

For this unit, we will be using sections from this comprehensive writing guide:

http://www.natomas.k12.ca.us/152220814185937340/lib/152220814185937340/_files/NHS_Writing_Guide_Final.pdf

The rubric I will use to grade this essay is on pages 12- 13 :
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/glencoewriting/HighSchoolRubrics_876544.indd.pdf

We will use this peer edit sheet in class on Oct. 29.  IF you are absent, please have a friend or parent complete this for you:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxtc2thbnRlcnNwYWdlfGd4OjdkYTQ0NDAzMTQ5ZjhhNzc

For this essay, you will be analyzing your chosen text on the inferential and evaluative levels of meaning:

3-Levels of Meaning (literal, inferential, evaluative)

Literal Level: What the text says: the things that actually happen in the story. You can point to the text to show the literal meaning. If the text says, "Sally walked around the new Corvette, got behind the steering wheel, and smiled at herself in the review mirror of her most recent purchase," the literal meaning is that Sally just bought a new car.
A. identifying the order of events or a specific event from a sequence of events.
B. identifying a statement or sentence that best indicates the main idea of the selection.
C. identifying directly-stated facts (e.g., actions or events; names of characters, places or things in the selection; special circumstances relevant to the story).
D. identifying directly-stated opinions.
Inferential Level: What the text means: the meanings drawn from the literal level. If the text says that Sally got in her new sports car, we can infer that Sally likes to be sporty and has money to spend on a car.
A. identifying implicit relationships (relationships not directly stated) such as cause and effect, sequence-time relationships, comparisons, classifications and generalizations.
B. predicting probable future outcomes or actions.
C. inferring an author’s unstated meaning by drawing conclusions based on specific facts, events, images, patterns or symbols found in selected readings.
D. inferring the main idea of a selection when it is not explicitly stated.
E. identifying unstated reasons for actions or beliefs based on explicitly stated information.
Evaluative Level: What the text tells us about our world and how the author conveys this information: the ideas that you can draw about the world outside of the story, identifying the theme/themes of the story and what strategies the author uses to convey the theme. For example in the story about Sally's car, we can make the connection that people like new things, or we can conclude that the author is making the point that women like sports cars as much as men do. When the reader is examining the stylistic elements of the writing and examining the effect of those elements, the reader is in the evaluative level.
A. drawing conclusions about the author’s motivation or purpose for writing a passage or story based on evidence in the selection.
B. determining whether the information used by the author to support a conclusion is accurate and/or credible. C. drawing conclusions about the characteristics, values, and habits of human beings. 

You will be writing this essay using the rhetorical modes of example, definition, and casual analysis.  Honors students will also use comparison and contrast.  

RHETORICAL MODES

Following are listed seven rhetorical modes of communication. Some of these you are do doubt familiar with. We will not specifically address each, but you are expected to be able to recognize the form. Please note that the following are not definitions. They are examples.

1. Narration: "I was seven years old when I first became aware of the terrible power of guilt. For piling our toys into a box, Mother rewarded my brother and me with five shiny pennies. If I had ten pennies instead of five, I could have bought a gingerbread man with raisin eyes and sugar-frosted hair."
   
2. Description: Never before had Pedro experienced such a depth of despair and such a sense of isolation. he began to avoid those nearest to him, returning their friendly greetings with rough and indifferent replies. Often he sat in his room staring vacantly into space with hollow eyes. His hands were cold and clammy most of the time; yet his forehead burned hot with a mysterious fever.
   
3. Example: Seneca once said, "Every guilty person is his own hangman." The truth of this observation can be illustrated by the lives of countless villains. Once such is Macbeth, from Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name. At the instigation of his wife, Macbeth kills the king of Scotland and usurps his throne - an act of treachery for which Macbeth and his wife suffer torments of guilt.
   
4. Definition: Guilt is the remorse that comes from an awareness of having done something wrong. The origin of guilt is psychological. From childhood, we have all been conditioned by family and society to act within defined standards of reasonableness and decency.
   
5. Comparison and Contrast: Although the first two words may seem to share some connotations, guilt is not a synonym for blame. Guilt must be felt; blame must be assessed. Guilt implies self-reproach that comes from an internal consciousness of wrong. Blame hints at fault that has been externally assessed.
   
6. Division and Classification: The Bible identifies three kinds of guilt: guilt of the unpardonable sin, redeemable guilt, and guilt of innocence. First, the guilt of the unpardonable sin...Second, redeemable guilt is guilt that can be erased...Finally, the guilt of innocence is the guilt that Jesus bore...
   
7. Causal Analysis: Guilt is caused by the failure of the will. The human mind, according to Freudian theory, is delicately balanced between the drive for instant gratification that comes for the id, and the desire for regulation and postponement that originates in the superego, which is sometimes identified with what we call he conscience.
   

ACADEMIC WRITING: THE ESSAY

Rationale: Throughout your high school and college career and across curricula, you will be required to write numerous essays and research papers. The essay you are about to write represents a model for many papers that will be assigned in the future.
Academic Voice: Most academic papers should be written in academic voice. Academic voice tends to suppress the natural voice of the author in an effort to focus the reader on the material instead of the author's persona. Therefore, you write most academic papers in third person. If you write in first person (I, we, etc.), the reader tends to focus on the author. If you write in second person (you), the reader tends to focus on her/himself. I wrote this handout in second person because I am addressing you, telling you to do something. You want your reader to focus on the material about which you are writing; therefore, your paper should be written in third person (him, her, they, etc.) unless the prompt requires that you add a personal component. 

Other general rules for academic writing:

1. Avoid weak language (maybe, possibly, might); act like you know what you are talking about (even if you do not). Never use the passive where you can use the active.
2. When providing a personal component, state your points decisively by avoiding weak language "I think"; "I feel"; "I believe"; etc.
3. Avoid slang.
4. When writing about the action in literature, use present tense.
5. State your opinion as fact.
6. Avoid rhetorical questions.
7. Never start a paper with, "This paper is going to be about..." or anything similar to
that. Never refer to your paper.
8. Not all of these rules are set in stone. An occasion may arise where you have to
stretch one.

TYPES OF ESSAYS

Each of the four types of essays has a different purpose and will be organized in a different way. Teachers generally prefer to read typed, double-spaced essays printed in an easy-to-read font. One-inch margins allow teachers room to write comments or suggest revisions. Handwritten essays are often acceptable, and should be legibly written using blue or black ink and double- spaced. Your teachers will let you know their preferences and requirement about assignments. Always ask questions if you are unclear about the instructions.
The elements of focus, support, and organization are necessary in each type of essay. Note the things that make the essays different, and practice using them. Always assume that your audience has never heard of your subject. You must lead them to your main idea carefully and give them plenty of supporting details.

1. Expository Essay
An expository essay gives information with supporting statements for each main point. This essay may even look like a report and is often the basis for a business letter. Explaining what qualities make a good teacher or describing the most important theme in a piece of literature are examples of expository writing.
2. Persuasive Essay
A persuasive essay takes a side in an argument and shows why that side is correct. The prompt may ask you to write a letter or a speech instead of an essay. An essay urging students to recycle pop cans would be a persuasive essay.
3. Narrative Essay
A narrative essay tells a story. An essay that describes your most embarrassing moment would be a narrative essay. 

WRITING AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY

You write an expository essay to explain. You could be writing to tell differences and similarities, to give results or facts, or to define. When you prepare a literary analysis piece, a report on a project, or compare and contrast elements, you are writing an expository essay. Words that may clue you that you need to be doing an expository essay are as follows: trace, analyze, respond to, clarify, discuss, classify, compare, contrast, define, explain, or summarize. Parts of the expository essay are as follows:

• The introductory paragraph should begin with a hook. A good writer will hook the reader into reading the essay by grabbing his or her attention. You can grab the reader’s attention at the beginning of the essay by stating a shocking fact or statistic, or by using humor. You might begin by asking a question or giving a quotation. You then should include your thesis statement.
  
• The body consists of one paragraph for each main point. Supporting statements in the body paragraphs should have good solid facts, including supporting quotations.
  

The concluding paragraph restates your focus. Do not use the same words you used in the first paragraph. Reword your focus. The last paragraph is not the place to put new ideas.

THE EXPOSITORY RESPONSE TO LITERATURE ESSAY—UP CLOSE

Sample topic: "The Characterization of Dragons in the Works of Tolkien"

In the literary essay, you are exploring the meaning and construction of a piece of literature. This task is more complicated than reviewing, though the two are similarly evaluative. In a review you are discussing the overall effect and validity of written work, while in a literary essay you are paying more attention to specifics.

A literary essay focuses on such elements as structure, character, theme, style, tone, and subtext. You are taking a piece of writing and trying to discover how and why it is put together the way it is. You must adopt a viewpoint on the work in question and show how the details of the work support your viewpoint.

A literary essay may be your own interpretation, based only on your reading of the piece, or it may be a mixture of your opinions and references to the criticism of others, much like a research paper. Again, be wary of plagiarism and of letting the opinions of more experienced writers swamp your own response to the work. If you are going to consult the critics, you should reread the literary work you are discussing and make some notes on it before looking at any criticism.

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ESSAY (RESPONSE TO LITERATURE EXAMPLE)

The Thesis: The thesis is the central idea of the essay. If you were to ask yourself, "What is the main point of this paper?" or "What am I writing about?" your answer, a declarative sentence, should resemble your thesis statement.
The Focus: An important feature of a good essay is that it is focused. You might want to ask yourself, "What specifically do I want to prove in this essay?" You do not want your thesis statement to be too general. For example:
Too general: "Mark Twain frequently uses symbolism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to create meaning."
Revised: "Although a paradox, the physically confining raft symbolizes freedom in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Coherence: Okay, prove it! Your paper should be concrete; that is, you support your thesis with facts and examples from the novel. Using the example above, you should strengthen your analysis with details and quotes from the novel supporting your contention. Huck states, "Other places do seem so clamped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft" (88). Note how I cite the page number.
Organization: The best method of organization is outlining. You will find that your paper is much easier to write if you use an outline as your guide. Your paper should contain:

1. Introductory paragraph including thesis statement;
   
2. Body paragraphs supporting and explaining your thesis statement;
   
3. Concluding paragraph not only restating your thesis but also explaining the significance of
   

your essay.

Whether it is a simple essay, major research paper or a doctoral dissertation, most academic writing projects follow this model, so you might as well learn it now. Each body paragraph should have a topic sentence containing the point(s) the paragraph reveals. Your body paragraphs should be organized so that you make your most important point in your final body paragraph and your least significant point in your middle paragraph(s). Each paragraph should go from one example or fact to another, explaining how they are related. The paragraphs should be linked with transitional devices.

Vocabulary: You should use a sophisticated vocabulary directed to an academic audience. Be careful not to "over-Thesaurize" you paper - use big words improperly. Don't get me wrong. It is recommended that you use a Thesaurus to expand your vocabulary and avoid repetition of certain words; however, make sure you use the words correctly.

Mechanics (Grammar and Spelling): Your paper must be mechanically sound. Use spell check! Some great papers can be marred by grammatical and spelling errors. They can hinder the meaning of the paper. Have someone proofread your paper, and then edit it. Once you master mechanics, then you can focus on refining the ideas you are expressing in the paper. 

THE JANE SCHAFFER MULTI-PARAGRAPH ESSAY/TERMINOLOGY

ESSAY	A piece of writing that gives your thoughts (commentary) about a subject. Most essays will consist of at least 4 paragraphs: an introduction, 2-4 body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.
Introduction	The first paragraph of an essay, usually comprised of an attention- grabbing opener at the beginning, and a thesis statement at the end.
Body Paragraph	A middle paragraph in an essay. It develops your point and supports your thesis. All essays include at least two body paragraphs.
Conclusion	The last paragraph in your essay. It may sum up your ideas, reflect on what you have said, make connections to the world around you, or give more commentary about your subject.
Thesis	A sentence with a subject and an opinion (also called commentary). The thesis statement is essentially your argument. It must be stated in your introduction, usually as the last sentence. Sample thesis: Jesse Howl is a character who is irresponsible, yet he has the best of intentions. (Here, the subject is underlined once, and the opinion is underlined twice).
Pre-Writing	The process of getting your ideas down on paper before you organize your essay into paragraphs. Any of the following may be used: web, bubble clusters, spider diagrams, or outlines.
Topic Sentence (TS)	The first sentence in a body paragraph. This must have a subject and an opinion. The main idea of the body paragraph is set up through the topic sentence.
Concrete Detail (CD)	Concrete details provide the backbone of your body paragraphs. Synonyms for CD include facts, specifics, examples, support, proof, evidence, quotations, paraphrasing, or plot references.
Commentary (CM)	Your opinion or comment about something. Synonyms for CM include opinion, insight analysis, interpretation, inference, personal response, feelings, evaluation, explication, and reflection.
Concluding Sentence (CS)	The last sentence of a body paragraph. It may be a combination of CD and CM. This final sentence gives a finished feeling to the paragraph.
Chunk	One sentence of concrete detail and two sentences of commentary.
	A skill involving the combining of a CD and a CM within a body paragraph, or varying the order of CDs and CMs. Weaving is considered a more advanced skill, and will come with mastery of the format TRANSITION WORDS FOR PARAGRAPHS CD: Concrete Detail for example for instance thus in particular in this manner in addition furthermore moreover equally important too also similarly again further finally lastly at last first, second, etc. likewise in like manner CM: Commentary indeed truly again to repeat in fact granted that although though even though while it may be true in spite of no doubt to be sure it is true that but however yet still nevertheless on the other hand for all of that on the contrary conversely in contrast to at the same time notwithstanding CS: Concluding Sentence as a result accordingly thus hence consequently therefore then in summary in conclusion finally that is in other words in short in brief to conclude to sum up