In these middle weeks of the semester, we ask you to write your longest and most ambitious critical essay for First Year Seminar (7-8 pages). As a result, this paper is weighted more than the others, and counts for 35% of the final grade. Writing in First Year Seminar is all about growth, and about developing your own critical voice in response to the books we are reading.
The paper builds on the thesis-driven approach of spring assignment #1. In addition, it asks you to write about more than one text, considering how a single idea, question, or theme is treated differently in these different works. Thus, we hope that you will develop your ability to synthesize ideas as well as to control and sustain an argument over a longer paper. Focusing your argument on 2-3 texts, and on a question that is as specific as possible, is the right approach for the paper of this length.
This assignment asks you to come up with your own question to ask about the texts. Dont worry — we will work together on framing and refining your question before you start writing the paper! We hope this assignment gives you the opportunity to write about something you are truly interested in and want to think more about.
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