3-4 pages essay on George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia
C16784
WeekThreePowerPoint1.pptx
Essay 1
How does Orwell – as an outsider – navigate the ideas and realities of war in Spain? Does his perspective provide any unique insights into the character of the Spanish Civil War? And finally why, according to Orwell, does fascism triumph?
The Thesis Statement= CSC
Context
Subject
Claim
What, or who is the primary subject of this essay?
What is the context?
What is your claim?
While this essay will feature summarization, its success will hinge on your critical interpretation/argument.
The Thesis Statement, cont.
Writing is thinking.
Consider writing your thesis statement last.
Use an outline of your ideas to arrange your writing.
Example: Find the context, subject, and claim
The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII signaled to the USSR that the U.S. was the dominant military force on the planet.
In the post-WWII decades, “white flight” from American cities into the suburbs was underwritten by racially tinged zoning practices and federal lending programs that favored white consumers.
The Introductory Paragraph
The basic points in your essay should be found in the introductory paragraph.
Your thesis should be included in the introduction, usually near the end of the paragraph.
For this essay, you want to get to your argument/arguments quickly. Three-to-four pages is very short. Avoid long, flowery intro and/or over summarization
Structure
Use topic sentences to arrange your paragraphs
Each of the body paragraphs should further the claims made in your thesis.
Paragraphs should be joined by transition statements
Conclusion
For this essay, you need to provide a brief final paragraph that reiterates your thesis and the points made in your essay .
The conclusion should provide a “take away” for the reader
Revision
Avoid starting your essay the night before it is due.
Revise and edit your essay carefully. I will grade on grammar and punctuation as well as critical content.
Consider reading your essay aloud and revising accordingly before submitting it.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism will result in a zero on your essay.
Plagiarism cases will be turned over to the SCAIP (Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Programs).
According to the SCAIP website, plagiarism is:
The appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit. This includes the copying of language, structure, or ideas of another and attributing (explicitly or implicitly) the work to one's own efforts. Plagiarism means using another's work without giving credit (https://conduct.ucr.edu/policies/academic-integrity-policies-and-procedures#plagiarism)
Citation
For this essay, citation is straightforward. All you need is a copy of Homage to Catalonia.
Use parenthetical citation (MLA format). See: MLA parenthetical citation at: https://owl.purdue.edu/
Paraphrase or direct citation
Paraphrase Example
After several months in Spain, Orwell learned that there was a rift between the anarchists and the communists (Orwell 98).
Direct citation example
Even as the Spanish Civil War was still raging, Orwell realized that it was difficult to “write accurately” about political events because of the “lack of non-propagandist documents”(231).
Works Cited Page
Please note which copy you are using (first edition, 2016 edition, etc.) in a works cited page. This will help me to track down direct quotes or paraphrasing while assessing your essay.
If you use any outside sources, these need to be included in your works cited page.
Format
Name and Course #
Post paper to Safe Assignment
Use 12-point font
Times New Roman
Double Spaced
Provide a title
One-Inch margins
Note: I will be out of town on Thursday, Jan. 30. Please put your printed paper in my mailbox (LUCE) anytime before four P.M. on Thursday. I will have a colleague collect the papers on Friday morning. If you cannot get to my mailbox, slide your essay under my office door at HMNSS 2304.
Group Activity
Working in groups of 2-4, discuss the differences between the ideas and the realities that Orwell observed in Spain. Be specific. It might be useful to consider the following:
What was the complicated political situation that Orwell recorded upon his return to Barcelona in May 1937?
What was the function of propaganda and how did it differ from the actual aims of various groups on the ground.
Terms to consider: Anarchist, Socialist, Communist, Proletariat, Bourgeoise, Stalinist, Trotskyist
