Critical Analysis
Specifications: Analyze and write on one of the works on the
reading list
5 pages (not
including the title page or Works Cited page), 12 pt. Times New Roman, 1 inch
Margins, Double Space.
Include a title page and a Works Cited Page; leave the paper flat, but do not staple it.
Include
references to the work you are analyzing; in addition, cite at least 3
secondary sources.
Follow MLA
citation procedures.
Penalties: 20% per page; 10% per day.
Criteria used to evaluate your essay:
1. Ability
to follow directions.
2. Observance
of the standard conventions of modern edited English. *
3. Adequate
development of a clearly stated thesis through the use of specific examples and
details from the text plus quotations from scholars and critics.
4. Organization
of the topics and subtopics in clear and logical paragraphs to present a
unified essay.
5. Originality
of thought and expression, and the avoidance of blather—the vague, the trite,
and the abstract.
6. Use
of appropriate diction.
Plagiarism: A
student who knowingly or through ignorance of the rules of citation submits for
evaluation the work of others disguised
as his own has committed an act of plagiarism.
If a student plagiarizes, he will receive a "0" for the submitted work, and this
act of dishonesty may warrant the total
loss of credit for the course. See
the Department’s Policy on Plagiarism if you do not
understand what plagiarism is.
*Minimum Performance Standards: The standard conventions of modern edited English involve both substantive matters that block or hinder effective communication and simple, agreed upon rules in such areas as capitalization and punctuation. The following penalties will be assessed for failure to abide by certain minimum requirements of standard English.
A. Five points will be deducted from your essay grade each time I must mark one of the following major errors:
1. Confused Sentence (Cf).
2. Sentence Fragment (Fr).
3. Comma Splice or Fused Sentence (Cs, Fus).
4. Agreement: Subject-Verb or Pronoun-Antecedent (Ag).
B. However,
any paper with 5 or more of the above errors will automatically receive an
"F."
C. Five points will also be deducted from your essay grade each time I must mark one of the following:
1. Failure to follow required format.
2. Use of second person (you).
3. Confusing the following word pairs:
a. its and it's
b. there and their
c. to and too
d. woman and women
e. a lot (not alot)