EN11M: Texts & Contexts I

First Essay Assignment

A draft of the first essay is due at the beginning of class on Monday, September 27. The paper should be 4-5 pages long and you should bring three copies of the draft to class. Here are some suggested topics:

• Compare and contrast any two of the essays we have read on education, rhetoric, and language. Develop a precise thesis that describes the greatest similarities and most significant differences between the two texts on a specific topic.
• Apply at least two of the essays we have read to make your own case about what education is or ideally should be.
• Analyze the Fairfield University Mission Statement or the university’s Core Mission Statement in light of any of the educational theories espoused by the authors we have been reading, including John Henry Newman.
• It is election season, and political ads are everywhere. Select one current political ad, print or electronic (the TV ads should be available on-line), and analyze it in terms of the rhetorical theories we have studied, such as Aristotle’s views on persuasive language and political speech. Or, compare the ads for two competing candidates.
• Gloria Anzaldúa writes about coming from a mixed linguistic background. Do you have any similar kind of experience? Write an essay about your own language background, and what it suggests about language, community, and culture.

You may explore other ideas related to the readings we have been discussing in class, including any of those offered in the questions headed “Writing about the Text” at the end of each essay. Please consult with me before settling on any other topic.

Please also note these dates:

• On Thursday, September 23, come to class with a thesis for your first essay. This thesis should be typed and should be stated as a single, complete sentence. The thesis of the essay is the one, central idea that you want to convince the reader of. A good thesis is one that can be proven (that is, you can cite evidence to support it) and that needs to be proven (that is, it is not obvious or self-evident). A thesis does not have to be a single sentence, but it is a good exercise to write it as a complete sentence since it forces you to articulate the single, coherent idea that drives the essay as a whole. We will workshop our theses in this class.
• On Monday, September 27, we will workshop our drafts in class.
• On Wednesday, September 29 and Thursday, September 30, instead of our regular class meetings, I will meet with each student individually in my office to discuss the drafts of the essay.
• On Monday, October 4, the final draft of the essay is due at the beginning of class.