3.15

3/15/23, 12:14 PM 3.15 Essay Outline

https://canvas.pasadena.edu/courses/1131891/assignments/9544978?module_item_id=15153965 1/4

3.15 Essay Outline

Due Mar 25 by 11:59pm Points 25 Submitting an external tool

Essay 4 Outline The best way to construct a solid paper is to write a detailed outline. It helps you see the structure of your argument and what's missing. By knowing what's missing you can go hunting for the information and evidence that you need. Not used to writing an outline? Check out this basic outline of a paper (https://academics.umw.edu/writing-fredericksburg/files/2011/09/Basic-Outlines.pdf) example to help you out. You'll need to add to this basic outline and manipulate it for this assignment, but this will get you going.

Choosing one of the prompts below, construct a very detailed outline for Essay 4. In your outline make sure to include the following elements:

A working thesis statement for your essay

3/15/23, 12:14 PM 3.15 Essay Outline

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Topic sentences for each paragraph you plan to write. Make sure these sentences tie to your thesis. Evidence (meaning quotes) and analysis to support each topic sentence for each paragraph.

For this, I expect to see exact quotes with citations followed by analysis of your quotes. Analysis may appear in bullet points.

Transitions between pieces of evidence Transitions between paragraphs A concluding thesis (what we will have learned by reading your text)

Essay 4 Prompt

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood presents a dystopian society, post United States, in which women's rights are largely squashed in the service of procreation after near complete environmental collapse. Atwood's novel questions the morality used to justify authoritarian, theocratic governments. Most importantly, all that Atwood includes has basis in history and it has occurred at one point in time or another. Atwood's critique presents if the most "moral" government as completely inept at dealing with crises of environmental disaster. Significantly, Atwood's text was written post World War II and during the Cold War but before COVID 19 so the work is informed by the atrocities of the Holocaust without knowledge of how a global pandemic could actually damage society.

For this Assignment

We have yet to discuss the presence of religion and belief/ideology in examining this text and what that theme holds for how we understand Atwood's commentary on contemporary society, our society. For your essay, I would like you to examine how Atwood use of religion/belief/ideology combines with one of the other themes we have discus so far. For example, you might discuss religion/belief/ideology as used to justify a handmaid's sexual exploitation, or you might examine religion/belief/ideology as tied to the creation of a handmaid's identity, a subservient woman. I leave the interpretations up to you so long as you can provide evidence from the text. Word of warning, only choose one theme. You'll need to focus your essay.

Second, consider that Atwood's use of religion/belief/ideology is similar to disease; it is a cancerous agent running loose in society, and it is used to oppress women in many ways. How does Atwood's epidemic of religion/belief/ideology

3/15/23, 12:14 PM 3.15 Essay Outline

https://canvas.pasadena.edu/courses/1131891/assignments/9544978?module_item_id=15153965 3/4

change the way in which characters understand their world, their idenity? In a world like Gilead, how is change possible? In what existential ways does Offred experience change? What about Serena, Nick, the Commander?

Finally, as you prepare to write your essay, do not lose sight of the themes we have worked with so far in the text:

Identity Good vs. Evil Morality and Moral Conscience Sexual exploitation and personal power Ideology and theocracy

While you do not need to incorporate all of these themes in your essay, using one or two of them to help you explain the larger context of religion/belief/ideology. Each of these themes provides a perspective on Gilead's society.

To help you get started, please do some research regarding Atwood's text. I would like to see you include at least two scholarly sources in this essay in order to ground your ideas in current scholarship. I strongly encourage you to use the library databases (https://libguides.pasadena.edu/az.php) for your research. I would encourage use of Academic One File, Project Muse, or JStor databases for your research. PCC Librarians have also put together a Literature and Literary Criticism Research Guide (https://libguides.pasadena.edu/litcrit) with helpful links, video tutorials, and other information.

Expectations Essays should be thesis driven with introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs. Supporting evidence in the form of textual analysis, meaning quotes, and visual analysis of graphic elements of the text is expected. In addition to the text, students should conduct outside research and use reliable sources, preferably scholarly, to support their arguments. Two outside sources are expected. Essays should be written in MLA format with Times New Roman 12pt. font. A works cited page is required. Essays should be five pages in total. (I stop reading after page five.)

Due Dates

3/15/23, 12:14 PM 3.15 Essay Outline

https://canvas.pasadena.edu/courses/1131891/assignments/9544978?module_item_id=15153965 4/4

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Essay 2 Outline: Mar. 25

Essay 2 Rough Draft: Mar. 27; Peer Review Apr. 1

Essay 2 Final Draft: Apr. 8th-ish