A-plus writer

Length

four pages, double-spaced, plus a Works Cited page

Task

Stefan Fatsis’s Word Freak is a work of creative non-fiction.  Fatsis focuses on a relatively small group of Scrabble fans/fanatics, using their emotions and qualities (the “Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession” appearing in the book’s subtitle) to engage his readers.  Fatsis’s shaping of his reporting has the effect of turning real-life people into literary characters.  In this essay you analyze one of these individuals as a character.  First, summarize and analyze the qualities of the character.  What about them makes them distinctive and memorable?  Next, describe their relationship to the game.  Do they have interests and a life outside of Scrabble?  Then, offer your analysis of how the character functions within the text.  What larger concepts do they represent?

Audience

For this essay, assume you are writing to someone who has read the essays in question, but may need their memory refreshed (that is, they do not need to be told everything about the essays).

Elements to include

• An introduction that draws the reader in and keeps him or her interested
• A summary and analysis of the character’s qualities. 
• A description of the character’s relationship to the game
• An analysis of how the character functions in the text
• A conclusion, summing up the essay
• A Works Cited page done in MLA format