essay assignment - the beautiful struggle

Spring  2019:  History  173  –  Essay  Assignment:  The  Beautiful  Struggle     Ta-­‐Nehisi  Coates’  memoir,  The  Beautiful  Struggle,  tells  a  story  of  two  young  black  men  growing  up  in  West   Baltimore  during  the  1970s-­‐1980s.  This  memoir  has  been  called  both  a  narrative  of  the  challenges  of  African   Americans  in  contemporary  America  as  well  as  a  story  of  achieving  the  “American  Dream.”     Purpose:  This  essay  assignment  is  not  simply  a  book  review.  It  asks  you  to  evaluate  the  book  and  integrate  the   knowledge  you  have  gained  from  the  course  as  a  whole  into  a  well-­‐argued  essay.  The  assignment  allows  you  to   demonstrate  your  achievement  of  these  three  course  outcomes:    

•   Identify  critical  themes  and  events  in  United  States  history  since  1865  (SLO  1)   •   Apply  historical  knowledge  and  historical  thinking  skills  to  contemporary  events  (SLO  5)   •   Express  ideas  clearly  and  cogently  in  writing  (SLO  7)  

  Task:  Read  the  book  and  take  notes  about  important  themes  related  to  the  course  that  are  raised  in  the  book.   This  essay  has  four  requirements  that  should  be  incorporated  into  a  single  essay.  Your  essay  should  have  an   argument  –  a  thesis  in  which  you  provide  your  analysis  of  the  book  and  its  meaning.  Be  sure  to  use  evidence   (examples,  properly  cited  in  footnotes  or  endnotes)  from  the  book  to  support  your  argument.  The  following   provides  a  general  guide  to  this  assignment.  The  questions  are  not  inclusive,  so  you  may  choose  to  address  some   or  all  of  them,  as  well  as  add  your  own.  But  be  sure  that  you  integrate  course  content  into  your  essay  about  the   book!    

•   Summarize  the  book:  What  is  the  memoir  about?  Who  is  the  author  and  what  was  his  life  like  growing  up   in  West  Baltimore?  Provide  an  overview  of  the  author’s  experiences  and  insights.  

•   Analyze  the  book:  Explain  what  this  book  tells  you  about  America  in  the  1970s  and  1980s.  What  were  the   historical  factors  that  created  a  neighborhood  like  West  Baltimore?  Who  lived  there?  What  was  life  like   then?  What  kinds  of  social,  economic,  and  cultural  forces  were  at  play  in  creating  the  neighborhood  that   Coates  describes?  How  does  this  neighborhood  and  its  social  life,  as  Coates  describes  it,  reflect  themes   and  events  in  the  history  of  the  U.S.?  Is  the  book  a  story  of  achieving  the  “American  Dream”  and  can   anyone  achieve  it?  Be  sure  to  reference  other  course  materials.  

•   Contextualize  the  book:  Choose  at  least  five  passages  from  the  book  that  address  events,  issues,  or   controversies  of  importance  to  the  United  States  during  the  1970s  and  1980s.  Summarize  the  passages  (or   quote  sparingly).  Explain  why  you’ve  chosen  these  passages  and  include  references  to  other  course   materials.  

•   Assess  the  book:  How  effective  is  Coates’  memoir  in  helping  you  understand  the  U.S  after  the  turbulent   decade  of  the  1960s?  Explain  your  reasoning.  

  Criteria:    

•   Your  essay  should  be  a  minimum  of  1,200  words  (five  pages).  List  the  word  count  on  your  last  page.   •   Be  sure  you  use  (and  properly  cite)  examples  from  the  memoir,  our  textbook,  and  other  readings  and  

activities.  Format  your  citations  using  the  Chicago  Manual  of  Style,  available  here:   https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/  

•   Your  essay  should  be  in  12-­‐point  font,  with  one-­‐inch  margins,  double-­‐spaced.     •   Please  submit  your  essay  in  a  Word  file  (.doc,  .docx),  or  as  an  .rtf  text  file,  to  the  dropbox  on  BeachBoard  

by  11:59  PM  on  Friday,  May  3.   •   A  grading  rubric  is  in  the  Assignments  folder.   •   For  general  guidance  on  book  reviews,  see:  https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-­‐and-­‐tools/book-­‐reviews/   •   The  History  Department  offers  Writing  Tutors  available  to  assist  you  with  basic  writing  tasks.  They  are  

located  in  FO2-­‐101A  Mondays-­‐Thursdays  during  business  hours.  I  expect  all  students  to  visit  the  writing   tutors.  You  must  have  a  draft  of  your  paper  completed  and  bring  this  assignment  with  you  when  you  seek   their  services.