European History Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay #1: Building a Paper Block-by-Block EUH 2030 – Spring 2018

Professor Peterson Assignment: Write an original paper that answers one of the two prompts below. Instead of writing the paper as an organic whole, however, we want you to break it into its component ‘building blocks’: summary, analysis, and argument. Your paper should include the following sections in this order:

Summary: Explain the most important or relevant ideas from each of the texts you choose in turn in your own words.

Analysis: Contextualize the texts and explain how they relate to one another. Where do they share similar themes or critiques, and where do they differ?

Argument: First, make a claim that answers the prompt in the form of a thesis. Then explain what evidence you would draw from the texts to support that claim. If you wanted to argue that two texts on very different topics actually shared a common complaint, for example, what might you point to in those texts to support your claim?

Clarification: In essence, the first two sections repeat what you did on the first and second papers; the only difference here is that you are focused on summarizing and analyzing the texts in relation to the prompt. The third section is new: it asks you to weigh in on the readings and offer your own claim about the texts. Prompts: Choose one of the two following questions to answer:

1. What criticisms of European civilization emerge from Black Man’s Burden, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Goddamn This War!? Do these criticisms share a common theme?

2. The period from 1789 to 1918 witnessed a profound debate over the role of government

in society – a debate you know as the ‘Social Question.’ Using three texts from this class (for example, Siéyès, Mill, Tristan, Nightingale, etc.) argue why you think this became such a central concern for European thinkers during this period.

Purpose: In this assignment, you will learn to lay the ‘building blocks’ for an argumentative essay or persuasive paper. In order to make an effective argument, you have to understand the works you are engaging, put them in dialogue, and use them strategically for evidence that supports your own assertions. You will be doing each step separately, so that you can get a sense of what each ‘building block’ looks like before you put them all together.

When to submit: Thursday, March 22nd How to submit: You must submit the paper both online through Blackboard (there is a link posted), and in person in class on 2/13. Requirements and Guidelines: Your paper should be 1,000-1,250 words. In this course, all writing project should be formatted according to Chicago style: 12pt Times New Roman font, double spaced with one-inch margins. Please include your name and a short title at the top of the page. Grading Criteria: When we grade your analysis, we will look for you to:

 Introduce the topic/debate at hand in one or two sentences

 Summarize briefly the most relevant ideas from the assigned texts

 Contextualize the texts and draw comparisons and contrasts between each author

 Make a claim about the texts that answers the prompt and takes the form of a two-part

thesis statement

 Support your claim with a few key examples from the texts

 Explain how that evidence supports your claim

 Write clearly in a way that conveys your message effectively

 Write concisely – i.e. explain the main ideas without too much supporting detail