Write My Assignment#1

JPerham Eng 101 Essay # 4--50 points

Humor as Argument: Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Essay 3 asked you to analyze a photograph for its visual rhetoric in order to understand the

photographer's purpose. Essay 4 will examine how humor/hyperbole can also be used as a rhetorical

strategy. Unlike bell hooks and other authors we have read this semester, Sherman Alexie uses humor

as a way to point out the unfair way Native Americans have been treated. The consequences of such

inequities include poverty, racism, classism, sexism, alcoholism, homophobia, violence, and

exploitation. Part of this discussion includes issues regarding emotional literacy brought up by Olson.

For this essay, you will explore a theme in the novel then go beyond the novel to discuss your in a larger

context, supported by research from MSJC’s library databases ONLY.

For essay 4, you will:

part 1) Discuss how Alexie develops the theme in the novel. Pick one theme from the list above. Use

details from the text to develop/support your discussion. Support your claim with hooks and 1

supplemental reading. Important--do not give a summary of the novel. Do not spend a lot of time on

summary. Focus instead on HOW the examples you choose support YOUR claims.

part 2) Explore source information to discover more about your topic and explain why this issue is

important. What can readers learn? What specific claims do the writers make? All research must come

from MSJC’s library databases.

What I'm looking for in this 5 full page essay:

__________Introduction/Effective thesis statement (5 points). In your thesis/forecast, indicate the

theme you will analyze and how these details connect to hooks & other texts & and why it matters. Do

not introduce hooks or supplemental reading authors in your introduction.

__________Body Paragraphs (30 points). In this section, you will develop your ideas with support from

research. How do your sources inform/argue/move the reader to action? Explain. need 3 Ebscohost

sources. (hooks/supp readings can be used but not in place of Ebscohost sources in part 2)

__________Conclusion--answer the "so what?" (5 points). Summarize your main points. End the essay

with a sense of closure regarding the issues Alexie brings up and how they connect and/or are

complicated by your research. Why are these topics important in the novel, in particular communities,

and beyond the scope of the novel? Avoid use of I, you, me, us, we, our, and society. Do not confuse

Alexie the author with Junior, the character.

__________Formatting--basic MLA format--1" margins, Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-

spaced + Works Cited Page. Left justified/ ragged right margins. Watch paragraph lengths—no page-long

or diminutive paragraphs. No bullet points or outlines accepted. (5 points)

__________Style/Proofreading--does your writing hold the reader's attention? Is your writing free from

grammatical errors and spelling issues? No floating or crammed punctuation. (5 points)

__________work often with live NetTutor tutors