Second Essay Assignment

Choose one of the five topics listed below. Write an argumentative, analytical essay that responds to the topic. Your essay should have a thesis, a theory or statement you want to prove or defend in the essay. The thesis should be stated clearly in the introductory paragraph. The whole essay should contribute to proving or supporting the thesis.

The essay should be between three full pages and five full pages: do not submit an essay that is shorter than three full pages, and do not submit an essay that is longer than five full pages. Use a 12-point Times New Roman font. Use double-spaced lineation. Do not add extra lines between paragraphs (other than the one blank line). Use one-inch margins on all four sides of the page. (Caution to Microsoft Word users: make sure the margins are correct.) Use left-alignment justification only (no full justification). Do not include a separate title page. Follow the MLA essay presentation and citation guidelines.

Document your sources, including the primary texts you use, properly in a Works Cited page (which does not count as part of the length of the essay). For this assignment, you may use references sources, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and the Bible, but you should stay away from other secondary material. As always, clearly document your use of all sources.

Include your seminar instructor’s name at the top of the first page (where you put your teacher’s name), along with your section number.

The due date of the essay depends on which topic you choose. The due dates are listed with the topics. Late essays will be penalized according to the lateness policy included on the course syllabus.

Essays need to be submitted to TurnItIn.com prior to being submitted to the instructors. We do not need the receipt from the web site.

Topic 1a: due March 14
Choose one of the following two chapters from Emma: volume III chapter II (the Crown Inn ball) or volume III chapter VII (the Box Hill picnic). Examine the way the novel describes a “principle of separation” (289) at either get-together and the way this separation is maintained or overcome. How have the characters changed by the end of the chapter?

Topic 1b: due March 14
Examine the use of word games (including riddles and charades) in Emma. How are these used: how do they contribute to the plot and characters? How do they contribute symbolic meaning to the novel?

Topic 2: due March 14
Examine the use of mud, filth, and unpleasantness (including unpleasant morality) in She Stoops to Conquer. How does the play use these? To what extent is the play able to banish unpleasantness?

Topic 3: due March 21
Using one or both of “Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight” and “Eppie Morrie,” examine the ballad-like characteristics of “Porphyria’s Lover” (which is not a ballad). How does our perception of Browning’s poem change when we read it alongside the ballads?

Topic 4: due March 21
Argue that the ending of Hedda Gabler represents Hedda’s triumph. You will need to argue this carefully, including giving reasons for why she does what she chooses to do. What exactly does she triumph against?