essay about Wuthering Heights or Pride and Prejudice

ESSAY #2: TOPICS and REQUIREMENTS

THE RULES:

· All papers are due on Wednesday, April 1st at 1pm via email to me. Each day or portion of a day that a paper is late will reduce its grade by three points; no papers will be accepted after Tuesday, April 7th. Nonsubmission earns zero points. Any problems with delivery are the student’s responsibility.

· Papers should be between 4 and 6 pages (1100-1650 words); much longer or shorter papers will be penalized. Margins should be one inch, font should be 12 point, and spacing should be double. All papers must be proofread; excessive misspellings, missing words, and formatting errors will result in a markdown of five points. Give a title that suggests your argument.

· Essays should be about Pride and Prejudice or Wuthering Heights. If you want to write about a topic not listed below or would like feedback on an essay in progress, please communicate with me in person or via email. If my office hours are not convenient, we can schedule an appointment. Topics not on this sheet must be submitted for approval by Friday, March 31st.

GRADING: Your performance on this assignment will be evaluated based on the criteria detailed on essay assignment #1. The breakdown this time will be as follows: This essay is worth 180 points. Your performance will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

· Argument: 60 POINTS

· Evidence: 60 POINTS

· Logic and organization: 30 POINTS

· Diction and Tone: 20 POINTS

· Title: 10 POINTS

CHECK POINT: While we will not have another in-class workshop, I encourage submission of thesis statements early! I’ll read and respond to any draft or portion of a draft I receive by 12pm on March 30th.

TOPICS:  There’s no need to answer every question in the topic you select; rather, use these ideas as jumping-off points to formulate your own argumentative thesis. Write about only ONE text. I’d emphatically recommend narrowing to a specific character, theme, or scene. Make sure to avoid any thesis that does not force you to close read, make reference to a text’s goals, or otherwise push past plot summary.

1. Investigate the way letters function. Who sends letters, how are they conveyed to us, and what makes them different from other forms of narration? What larger judgments about privacy, sincerity, or dialogism are conveyed? You may want to focus on one letter, or on one letter writer.

2. Discuss some aspect of economic inequality in your chosen novel. You might think about what the novel naturalizes or critiques through its distribution of wealth. Are there metaphorical or symbolic analogies to inequality? 

3. Both novels are very interested in eyes. Choose in ONE novel 3-4 passages that talk about eyes and close read them. What assumptions about human nature motivate these passages? What is the importance of a gaze? How is nonverbal communication significant?

GOOD LUCK!