ENG 203 Online: Introduction to World Literature WRITING ASSIGNMENT #2: Critical Essay TOPIC & OVERVIEW All works of literature involve transformation. As we’ve seen in our course readings, transf
ENG 203 Online: Introduction to World Literature WRITING ASSIGNMENT #2: Critical Essay Due Date: Sunday, October 16 at 11:59 p.m. TOPIC & OVERVIEW All works of literature involve transformation. As we’ve seen in our course readings, transformations—changes—take place in characters, settings, environments, objects and technologies, and even styles and genres. Transformations can happen quickly or slowly, unexpectedly or expectedly; transformations can be desirable or undesirable, permanent or temporary, and cause a range of different emotions and responses. These transformations can be physical, external, internal, emotional, psychological, cultural, or stylistic, touching on different dimensions and themes of the human experience. In this assignment, you will analyze two instances of transformation in two texts (one instance of transformation per text) and make an argument about how and why these transformations are thematically significant. How does a particular example of transformation give meaning to a text? In what ways are transformations different, leading to different themes and meanings? To be clear, in your essay, do NOT simply summarize the transformations that happen in two texts; rather, your task is to analyze, interpret, and compare two specific examples of transformation in literature, making an argument about how the process of transformation can be used to express themes in different ways. In this respect, think of your essay as a comparative analysis of how two texts represent and use transformation for different thematic purposes. Choose 2 texts from the following choices: Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis Matsuo Bashō, Narrow Road to the Deep North REQUIRED ESSAY COMPONENTS 1) Introduction & Thesis Statement: Your essay must begin with an introduction (1 paragraph) in which you introduce your two texts, your specific instances of transformation, and your specific thesis statement. Your thesis statement can be more than one sentence; indeed, sometimes two sentences are needed to articulate and flesh out your argument: in this case, how and why transformation is thematically significant in two different texts. Your thesis statement should be stated in the first paragraph and should be easy to identify by readers. Note on thesis and argument: When constructing your argument, you should think about the differences in how your two texts represent processes of transformation. Remember that all of these texts involve different genres, styles, cultures, historical periods, and geographical regions. As you analyze their differences, remember that change and transformation—while universal—also take shape in different ways that reflect a work’s genre, geography, and cultural and historical context. 2) Analysis & Close Reading: Your essay should include several body paragraphs on each of your chosen texts. Use these paragraphs to analyze how each text incorporates transformation to explore specific themes. You can also include a paragraph that directly contrasts how the two texts utilize or represent transformation. In these body paragraphs, make sure to close read and analyze your textual evidence. Pay attention to specific words and details in your quotes and explain how they illustrate your claims. 3) Textual Evidence: Make sure to support your argument about transformation with evidence from both of your chosen texts. Evidence will include quotations from the text to demonstrate your argument, but also to provide you with passages to close read and analyze. When quoting a passage, be sure that you properly introduce it, cite it, and analyze it. Quotations should not be used for summary; they should be used as textual evidence and as an occasion for close reading and supporting your argument. 4) Engagement with Social and Cultural Context: Make sure that your argument and close readings demonstrate an awareness of the texts’ historical and social context. While we don’t expect you to be experts on any historical culture, we do require that you demonstrate a familiarity with the material covered in the lecture videos and that you engage with the historical, cultural, social, generic, and geographical specificity of each text. Commenting on cultural and historical context is a requirement (see category 4 in the Writing Assignment #2 Rubric). OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR ESSAY GRADING & RUBRIC All essays will be graded based on a rubric. The rubric evaluates four learning outcomes: thesis and topic development; language and conventions; engagement with social and cultural context; and close reading and interpretation (see Writing Assignment #2 Rubric for details). The rubric is available on Canvas and students are encouraged to look it over carefully during the composition of their essay. Each of the four categories will be graded on a 5-point scale (half points are possible), for a total of 20 points. REQUIRED LENGTH Essay must be a minimum of 1250 words in length, not including the heading/title and works cited page. We also request that essays be no longer than 1500 words in length. Any essay that does not meet the minimum length requirement (1250 words) will receive the following penalty: 1 point will be deducted for any essay just under the length requirement (1000 – 1250 words), and 2 points will be deducted for any essay more than 250 words under the requirement (1000 words or under). Please note that short essays also will likely lose points in other rubric categories; for example, papers under 1250 words typically will not be as strong in thesis and topic development as essays that are within the required word-count range. FORMAT & SUBMISSION Essay must be typed, double-spaced, written in 12-point Times, Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial font, and formatted according to standard MLA style (please review the MLA handout in the week 8 module). All essays must include a Works Cited page that includes the two texts you discuss, along with any additional sources cited or consulted. Secondary sources are not required for this assignment, but if you decide to consult or incorporate outside sources, you must cite them both in the text and in the works cited to avoid plagiarism. All essays will be submitted to and analyzed by Turnitin, a plagiarism detection software used by the University to help identify plagiarism and to ensure academic honesty. To receive credit for the essay, students must submit the essay through the correct submission link in the Canvas modules (not as a comment). The student is solely responsible to make sure their essay has been submitted correctly. Students should keep a receipt of their essay submission by taking a screenshot of the “submission submitted” page as receipt of correct submission. DUE DATE & LATE WORK This essay is due on Sunday, October 16 at 11:59 p.m. By this date and time, your essay needs to be submitted via the submission link in the Week 8 Module folder. To be graded and receive credit, every essay must follow the guidelines and requirements outlined in this assignment. Please read the guidelines carefully before submitting. Late essays will be accepted only for 72 hours immediately following the due date and time. All late assignments will receive a 1-point deduction for lateness. SUPPORT & EXTRA CREDIT If you have questions about this assignment, you can ask them in the designated Q & A Forum in the Week 8 Module in Canvas. Remember that you can earn extra credit by attending a Writing Center appointment to work on this assignment. Remember to have the Writing Center email the course coordinator, Ms. Marisa Mills, a record of your appointment. GETTING STARTED: QUESTIONS & IDEAS FOR SPECIFIC TEXTS Please note: These are simply meant to kickstart your thinking. Feel free to ask other questions and write about other issues not listed here, so long as they address the prompt. Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis How might you interpret Gregor Samsa’s transformation into an insect as metaphorical? What details in his daily life suggest that he resembles a bug, and/or that he lives like a bug does? What is significant about this metaphorical transformation? How does being an insect lead Gregor to experience internal (emotional or psychological) transformations? What relationship does the text establish between external and internal qualities and experiences? What connections can you make between the physical and emotional or psychological transformations that Gregor undergoes, and how are these connections significant? Turning into a bug causes all sorts of trouble for Gregor. For example, his family treats him very differently than they used to. How, then, is his family in some ways responsible for the transformations he undergoes? Conversely, how do members of Gregor’s family change in response to his new bug-like condition? Expanding on Dr. Jordan’s lecture, consider how Gregor’s father transforms seemingly into a different person. What is the significance of this change? How do changes in point of view relate to the other transformations that we encounter in this text? When the point of view shifts from Gregor’s to his family’s in the final scene, what conclusion do you draw about how changing one’s perspective also changes your understanding of a situation, story, etc.? Also, how does the final shift in perspective transform the reader’s understanding of Gregor Samsa? How do changes in the setting relate to character transformation in this text? Consider how most of the story occurs inside the Samsa apartment. In the final paragraph of the story, what does the text imply, then, about how environment or setting affects character? Matsuo Bashō, Narrow Road to the Deep North With Bashō’s text, the most obvious transformations are the physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological transformations undergone by Basho during his travels. His journey involves transformations to his physical body, his mental state, and his emotional and psychological well-being. Any of these could be analyzed in detail, with helpful context from the lectures. How is enlightenment itself a transformation? Drawing on Dr. Carey’s lecture on Zen Buddhism, you could analyze how awareness, meditation, poetry, or other moments of enlightenment involve spiritual and mental transformation. Where in the text does Bashō describe these moments? And how do they occur—indirectly, through his relationship with people and objects, and/or through language? How does the form of haiku and/or haibun transform language and human experience? For Bashō, how does haiku create its own transformations? In what way does the haiku form transform language, poetry, or human experience into a vehicle of awareness and enlightenment? Movement, change, and transformations are everywhere in Narrow Road to the Deep North, but they often involve states of awareness, emotions, and language. Think about the ways that Bashō uses language to both create and represent the process of change. This is a great text to analyze when thinking about how specific forms (haiku, haibun, travel writing) are themselves vehicles of transformation.
ENG 203 Online: Introduction to World Literature WRITING ASSIGNMENT #2: Critical Essay TOPIC & OVERVIEW All works of literature involve transformation. As we’ve seen in our course readings, transf
ENG 203 ASSESSMENT SCORING MATRIX w/GEC outcomes  Learning Outcomes 5 (Exceptional) 4 (Good) 3 (Average) 2 (Needs Improvement) 1 (Unacceptable) 1. Thesis & Topic Development [GEC 1] SCORE_______ The writer displays excellent focus, presents well-developed content pertaining to the focus, and shows strong control over the organization of the essay. The topic itself is effectively narrowed and clearly defined. The organization demonstrates a clear, well-considered plan throughout that effectively supports the aims of the paper and the assignment. The beginning of the paper clearly and effectively sets up the discussion to follow, and the ending brings the paper to an appropriate close. Paragraphs are coherent, well developed, appropriately divided, and clearly related to other parts of the essay. The writer shows good control over the focus, content, and organization of the essay. The topic is clearly defined. The essay is clear and easy to follow: the beginning and ending are effective and transitions within and between paragraphs are clearly signaled. The organization of the essay is adequate, but the focus of the essay may be less obvious (or buried). The topic may be unoriginal, but the author makes attempts to fulfill the assignment and focus the essay. The essay has a beginning, body, and end. The overall structure is coherent, and the writer makes use of mechanical, but appropriate, transitions. Paragraphs may not be in the best order. The writing seems lacking in focus and organization and may include repetition and generalizations. The topic is poorly defined. Beginnings or endings are not always clearly marked or functional. Paragraphs are not coherently developed, logically ordered, or linked to each other. The arrangement of material within paragraphs is sometimes confusing. The writing is lacking in clear focus and structure and may include significant repetition. There is no clear purpose or central point. The organization is very difficult to follow. Sentences may not be appropriately grouped into paragraphs, or paragraphs may not be arranged logically. Transitions are not present or are inappropriate. 2. Conventions [GEC 2] SCORE________ The expression is very clear, accessible, concrete—at times even eloquent. It displays ease with idiom and a broad range of diction. It shows facility with a great variety of sentence options and the punctuation and subordinate structures that these require. It has few errors, none of which seriously undermine the effectiveness of the paper for its intended readers. The expression is competent, but stylistically, lacking in sophistication. The paper has few errors, especially serious sentence errors such as those with punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Sentences show some variety in length, structure, and complexity; diction is precise and varied. The expression is generally clear, although it may show little competence with sentence variety (in length and structure) and emphasis. The paper is generally free of major sentence and grammar errors. Writing may exhibit errors, but the errors are rarely serious enough to interfere with the reader’s comprehension. Expression demonstrates a very limited range of stylistic awareness, and it is marred by numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The syntax or diction is flawed in some places to the extent that comprehension may be difficult. The number and seriousness of errors—in grammar, spelling, punctuation, diction or syntax—and/or stylistic choices obstruct comprehension. 3. Engagement with social/cultural issues [GEC 7] SCORE_______ -Clearly, consistently, and effectively engages with social issues and concerns in the text.-Offers significant and specific insight into the social and cultural context of the text -Consistently supported throughout paper -Clearly engages with social issues and concerns in the text.-Offers specific insight into the social and cultural context of the text -Consistently supported throughout paper -Somewhat clearly engaged and aware of social issues and concerns -Offers general insight into the social and cultural context of the text -Supported throughout paper with some exceptions -Unclear or minimal engagement with or concern for social concerns.-Offers little or no insight into the social or cultural context of the text-Is not supported throughout paper -No awareness or engagement in social concerns or issues-Lacks insight into the social and cultural context of the text -Is not cohesively supported throughout paper 4. Engagement with text(s) and close reading [GEC 8] SCORE________ -Incorporates relevant textual evidence, including quotations from the text -Clear, strong, persuasive, and detailed close readings of texts -Close readings display sophistication and even inventiveness with their approach to language and form-Well-developed, well-structured analysis of texts – Incorporates relevant textual evidence, including quotations from the text -Clear, strong close readings of texts-Well-developed analysis of texts – Mostly some relevant textual evidence, including quotations from the text -Close readings are adequate, but less detailed, convincing, or persuasive than they could have been-Adequately developed analysis of texts -Incorporates less relevant or insufficient textual evidence -Abrupt, unclear, or unconvincing close readings-Undeveloped and unstructured analysis of texts -Lacks textual evidence and sufficient quotations from the texts-Lacks close readings-Undeveloped and unstructured analysis of texts
ENG 203 Online: Introduction to World Literature WRITING ASSIGNMENT #2: Critical Essay TOPIC & OVERVIEW All works of literature involve transformation. As we’ve seen in our course readings, transf
Final Essay Citation and General Info: Hello ENG 203, I have collected several citations that may prove useful for you as you create your Works Cited for your Final Essay. Remember to use MLA 8 (or MLA 9) format for your essays and citations, which includes double spacing, alphabetizing, hanging indent, etc. Please see below for citation models: Bashō, Matsuo. The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches. Penguin, 1967. Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Translated by Ian Johnston. Ebook, Malaspina University-College Nanaimo, BC, 1999. Liu, Cixin. “The Poetry Cloud.” Translated by Chi-yin Ip and Cheuk Wong. Renditions, no. 77 & 78, Spring & Autumn 2012, pp. 87-113.  Moreno-Garcia, Silvia. Mexican Gothic. Del Rey, 2020. Note: You will want to double-space the above citations in your paper, should you use them. Also, make sure you match the font to the one you’re using in your paper. To cite a lecture: Follow the below format to create Works Cited citations, simply replacing the speaker and lecture title when needed:  Carey, Craig. “Introduction to Fairy Tales.” ENG 203: World Literature, Fall 2022, University of Southern Mississippi. Lecture. When citing a lecture in-text, you should make it clear whose lecture you’re referencing and which one. You can do this a variety of ways. Note that if you’re only citing one lecture, you’re only required to have the instructor’s name in the in-text citation; however, if you are referencing multiple lectures from the same instructor, you’d also want to use the title. For example: Using One Lecture Dr. Craig Carey says, “….” According to Dr. Craig Carey, “….” [Something you’re paraphrasing from the lecture] (Carey). Using Multiple Lectures by the Same Instructor In his lecture “Lecture Title,” Dr. Craig Carey says…. According to Dr. Craig Carey, “….” (“Title of Lecture”). [Something you’re paraphrasing from the lecture] (Carey, “Title of Lecture”) Citing outside material and other general info: Allowed sources for this essay are the assigned texts and video lectures. You do not need any additional sources to complete this assignment, and you are strongly discouraged from using any additional sources (including internet sources). The lecture material contains plenty of historical and cultural context to write a successful essay. However, if you do use ideas and/or language from an additional source (including websites), you MUST properly cite that source; it is plagiarism to use a source and not properly cite it. All references, indications, and citations of outside resources must be clearly and properly cited both within in the text of the essay and in the Works Cited. As noted in the material about plagiarism and in the Academic Integrity Statement, any material referenced, whether quoted directly, paraphrased, or summarized, must be cited in-text and in the Works Cited. You DO NOT need to cite common knowledge such as historical dates, locations of well-known cities, and other widely accepted facts that appears across many sources without a clear origin (i.e. George Washington was the first president of the United States.). However, if you are unsure whether your information is common knowledge, remember that it’s better to over-cite than under-cite Text, Word, PDF, etc. are all supported formats and will all be accepted, but Word document or PDF are strongly preferred.  Left-hand heading should include 4 lines: your name, professor’s name, ENG 203, and the date. Citing summaries / paraphrasing: If you are summarizing or paraphrasing from an outside source you must provide an in-text citation.  However, for general information from a text you are focusing on for the essay and/or citing in the Works Cited you do not need an in-text citation.  Example: If giving a broad summary of who characters are, you do not need to cite the introduction of a class text.