- Give a succinct synopsis of the article (or articles) in the first paragraph or so. In the most concise and descriptive terms possible, tell me the author's thesis and main points.
- Following the synopsis, you need to articulate your own thesis: one that demonstrates your close engagement with the text. You need to critique specific points and/or raise thoughtful questions about the essay...avoid generalities.
- Stay away from using evaluative language if you do not provide an accompanying explanation, for example: "I liked this" or "I hated the way ____ says this." Instead, tell me what the author is doing or not doing, why their argument works or doesn't work. The point here is to understand, critique and apply concepts from the class. So while you may like or dislike certain concepts, you need to explain your position rather than just telling me how an author makes you feel.
- The paper should be 1-2 single-spaced pages (your name should go in the header) with standard margins and 12pt font. I expect you to turn in all papers via email, sending them as Word documents (.doc are preferable to .docx) files.
Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns about these two assignments.
