PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT
This assignment is designed to help you focus on a topic from the literature we have read in Units 4 and 5 and develop an argument about that topic based upon one of the questions provided for you below. You only have to choose one of the questions for this assignment, but you will want to read through all of them to determine which question fits your understanding and knowledge the best, as well as your personal interest in the material. These questions are designed to help you identify in writing the major objectives of Units 4 and 5 and the Content Knowledge associated with the Course Objectives.
SKILLS TO ACQUIRE
This assignment will help you master several important skills necessary to performing writing tasks in college and engaging with ideas and values that are foundational to a well-rounded university education.
Identify literary genres, major writers, and important schools of thought in American literature from the pre-colonial era to the mid-19th century.
Summarize, interpret, and analyze literary texts in relation to a specific argumentative thesis.
Utilize and extend the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills developed in ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102.
Identify the cultural factors that shaped American literature and define the common concerns and values of humanity as expressed through literature.
TASKS TO COMPLETE
Choose one of the questions below to answer for this assignment. Please remember to copy/paste the question with your response and analysis. You should choose a question that you find interesting and believe you can answer in an engaging manner. You will want to support your response not only with good logic and explanations on your part but also with pertinent passages (short quotations are best) from the texts that pertain to the question you have chosen. Keep your response focused on answering the question; avoid plot summary.
Your response should be in the form of a typical essay (probably four to six paragraphs), with a short introduction, thesis statement, and supporting paragraphs with a conclusion.
Your essay should total at least 500 words. Use current MLA format guidelines.
This assignment will count 12% of your total grade for the course.
QUESTION FOR RESPONSE:
How and why does Harriet Beecher Stowe use sentimentality in the excerpt of Uncle Tom’s Cabin to show the brutal effects of slavery?