RESPONSE ESSAY

This term, we read several stories by authors from a variety of outer-circle countries. These are countries where English remains a vital language even after independence from colonizers. We learned a lot about their cultures and how English is used in their countries. 

Now we invite you to choose two stories and read them again carefully. Think about how they are connected or related. What do you notice? What is interesting to you? Then write a short essay according to the outline below. 

This assignment promotes careful reading and critical thinking. It asks you to think about our cultural (and language) diversity and our common humanity. In other words, what's different? And what is the same? To be successful, you must think deeply, not superficially, and you must support your ideas with evidence from the stories themselves.  

Stories

Choose two stories:

• • Seventeenth Floor

  • Four Poems 

  • The Skeleton Lock and The Epistemology of Shadows

  • Spin

  • Among Strangers

  • I Am Not My Skin

  • The Wailers

  • Mr Brown, Mrs White and Ms Black

Outline

1. In the first paragraph, write an introduction to your essay. Introduce the authors and the stories you have chosen. Explain why you chose these pieces. Include your thesis (the central theme or main idea) about the connections you see between the two stories and why that connection is meaningful.

2. In the second paragraph, summarize the first story. Identify the main characters. Describe the setting (time and place). Explain what happens in the plot and what the theme of the story is. Note important aspects of the author's writing style, such as voice, point of view, vocabulary, etc.

3. In the third paragraph, summarize the second story. Identify the main characters. Describe the setting (time and place). Explain what happens in the plot and what the theme of the story is. Note important aspects of the author's writing style, such as voice, point of view, vocabulary, etc. 

4. In the fourth paragraph, identify connections between the two stories. How does one story explain, inform, or support the other story? Present your ideas thoroughly. Use details from each story as evidence. 

5. In the fifth paragraph, write a conclusion. Restate your thesis and offer some point of evaluation. Were these authors successful in communicating a message? Why or why not? Why should we care about what they have to say? It doesn’t matter if you offer a positive or negative view; the important thing is that you support your opinion with information from the stories. 

Format

• Your essay is due on the last day of our class.  Because this is the end of the course, no late work can be accepted.

• Share your Google Doc with your instructor or send it to them by email. 

• Your essay must follow the outline above. The exact number of words does not matter. You should use as many words as you need to explain your ideas.

• Give your essay an interesting title (think of a Facebook headline that you want readers to click on). Capitalize the first letter of each major word except articles, conjunctions, and prepositions (unless they are the first word). Use the CENTER button on the toolbar to put your title in the center of the page.

• Indent the first sentence of each paragraph. Use the TAB key on your computer to do this consistently.

• This is your personal response, so you may write in the first person (I, me, my, we, us, ours). 

• Write a clear topic sentence for each paragraph and use numerous supporting details. Use information from the stories to support your ideas, such as examples, definitions, descriptions, details, etc. When describing the stories, you should paraphrase (use your own words) as much as possible. If you must use a specific phrase or sentence from a story, then add “quotation marks” to show that it is from another author and not your own words.

• Start a new page at the end of your document. Title it “Works Cited”. Add MLA citations for the two stories that you selected. You may use MyBib.com to make this for you.  A citation is the one thing that is OK to copy and paste without worrying about plagiarism. If you use information from any other source, you must add a citation for that source, too.

• Remember to edit, proofread, and revise carefully. Pay attention to grammar and mechanics. This is a reading class, but you want your work to look as good as possible. Confusing grammar or mechanics can hide your great ideas.

• Do your own work. Use your own ideas. Do not copy from the internet or other students. Copying the work of others is plagiarism. If this happens, you will need to rewrite your essay from the beginning. That means more work for you and your teacher. 

• This essay must be typed on a computer. Use a regular font such as Times Roman 12. Use 1-inch margins on all sides. Double-space (skip a line) the text.  If you do not have a computer at home, you can visit a computer lab on campus.

• Include your full name, the name of our class, and the date at the top left of page 1 like this:

Ordelia Halsey

Reading 8 

December 1, 2022

Grading 

Required Parts 

This is how your instructor will score your work. You should use the same checklist to review your work before you turn it in:

• • The introduction accurately identifies the authors and titles of the two stories. It includes a clear and complete thesis statement about the relationship between the two stories. 

  • The second paragraph includes clear and complete descriptions of setting, main characters, plot, theme, and writing style of the first story. 

  • The third paragraph includes clear and complete descriptions of setting, main characters, plot, theme, and writing style of the second story. 

  • The fourth paragraph identifies and explains connection(s) between the two stories. 

  • The conclusion restates the thesis and summarizes the main points. It offers a final thought to wrap things up. 

  • The student includes a “Works Cited” page with an appropriate MLA citation for each story. 

  • The vocabulary of the essay is accurate and appropriate. 

  • The grammar of the essay is not confusing and does not distract from or impede understanding of the student’s ideas.

  • The mechanics of the essay (spelling, punctuation, capitalization, formatting) are not confusing and do not distract or impede understanding of the student's ideas. 

Optional Extra Credit (1 point)

If you would like help getting started or feedback on a draft, you can visit a college tutor or Reading/Writing Center. When you do this, you also receive one extra credit point. This is not required, but it is recommended. Visit the college tutoring web page for more information and schedule. Ask the tutor to send your instructor an email to confirm your visit (or you can send your instructor a copy of your appointment confirmation email).  

TIP: Don’t just give them your paper and ask “Is this OK?” or ask them to check your grammar. The tutors are not there to proofread your work. That’s your job. Instead, ask questions about the stories or areas of your writing that concern you. Remember to bring or share:

1. These assignment instructions (this page)

2. The two stories you are writing about (share links or print out copies of the stories themselves, not just the page on this website)

3. The draft of your essay (if you have it ready) and questions you have about the stories or your writing