Description
The final essay will require you to summarize the chosen essay (see options below), identify the author’s point of view (argument/thesis), describe a writing strategy that the author uses and state whether it is effective or not and why. You must include examples by quoting the original text. This analysis should be written in 3rd person point of view.
In addition, you will compose a response to the essay, an Author’s Response (you are the author). In your response, you will state your position on the topic and whether you agree with argument or not. You will find one source that is related to the topic, that provides additional perspective that can support your position whether it be the same point of view as the essay or an opposing view. You must include either a direct quote or paraphrase from the resource you have found in your research. The Author’s Response can be written in 1st person point of view.
Select one of the following three articles as the topic of your essay:
“Our Blind Spot About Guns”, Nicholas Kristof, p. 177
“Representation of Disney Princesses in the Media,” Isabelle Gill, p. 759
“Outbreak of the Irrational, Sarah Dzubay,” p. 825
Use Tutor.com as needed
Complete the following worksheet
Submit your worksheet for grading
Review your feedback and, if necessary, speak with your instructor
Worksheet Questions
What is the title and author of your selected essay?
What is the topic of the essay?
What is the author’s argument on the topic?
What evidence does the author use to present their point of view?
Identify one writing strategy (rhetorical mode) the author uses to make their argument?
What is your position on the topic?
Do you agree or disagree with author? Why?
What would you do differently if you were to present this argument? (Describe specific elements)
Describe reasons why someone might disagree with the author’s stance?
Consider audience: Who would benefit from reading this?
Now compose your thesis statement (main idea) by following this formula:
THESIS: Title of Essay____________ Author’s name____________ Insert verb____________ (argues, advocates, shines a light on) Topic_____________ and Author’s position or main point.
Submission
When you are ready to submit your assignment, click on Week 1 Writing Assignment: Proposal Worksheet above and attach your assignment as a Word Doc, RTF file, or a PDF. Do not submit Apple Pages files or hyperlinks to Office 365, Google Docs, or other online cloud storage files.
Review the following rubric to see how your work will be assessed.
And see the files below.
Unformatted Attachment Preview
Week One Worksheet
What is the title and author of your selected essay?
What is the topic of the essay?
What is the author’s argument on the topic?
What evidence does the author use to present their point of view?
Identify one writing strategy (rhetorical mode) the author uses to make their argument?
What is your position on the topic?
Do you agree or disagree with author? Why?
What would you do differently if you were to present this argument? (Describe specific elements)
Describe reasons why someone might disagree with the author’s stance?
Consider audience: Who would benefit from reading this?
Now compose your thesis statement (main idea) by following this formula:
THESIS: Title of Essay____________ Author’s name____________ Insert verb____________ (argues,
advocates, shines a light on) Topic_____________ and Author’s position or main point.
Week 1 Writing Assignment: Proposal Worksheet
Student Example
“Se Habla Español” by Tanya Maria Barrientos
What is the title and author of your selected essay?
I selected the reading entitled “Se Habla Español” by Tanya Maria Barrientos
What is the topic of the essay?
In her essay, Barrientos explores the meaning of what it means to be Latin in the United States.
She immigrated to the country when she was three and never learned Spanish. As a result, she
has a hard time connecting with her heritage.
What is the author’s argument on the topic?
The author is arguing that to connect with Latino heritage, she and others feel they should speak
Spanish. She also wishes this wasn’t the case.
What evidence does the author use to present their point of view?
Barrientos presents her own experience going to class, listening to tapes, and studying Spanish.
She also draws comparisons to Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans, and others who do not
necessarily speak the language of their heritage yet still identify with that culture.
Identify one writing strategy (rhetorical mode) the author uses to make their argument?
Beyond the obvious narration, to make her point that expecting all Latinos to speak fluent
Spanish, she contrasts Italian-Americans and Polish-Americans. Barrientos (2022) stated, “My
bilingual friends say I make too much of it. They tell me that my Guatemalan heritage and
unmistakable Mayan features are enough to legitimize my membership in the Latin American
club. After all, not all Poles speak Polish. Not all Italians speak Italian. And as this nation grows
more and more Hispanic, not all Latinos” (p. 717).
What is your position on the topic?
I believe language does not identify culture. A person can be Irish-American but not speak any
Celtic. A person can be African-American without speaking any indigenous African Languages.
Do you agree or disagree with author? Why?
I agree with the author in that people shouldn’t be expected to speak a language to identify with
their culture. I do disagree with her own views of herself for feeling that she has to speak
Spanish to identify with the culture.
What would you do differently if you were to present this argument? (Describe specific
elements)
I would present evidence languages do not define culture. For instance, in my city, there is the
Bulgarian Heritage Center, but few people there speak Bulgarian. In the Italian Center, few
people speak Italian. In other words, I would differ from Barrientos because I would actually
conduct some research to show that is the case versus just referring to “bilingual friends” and
their opinions as she does.
Describe reasons why someone might disagree with the author’s stance?
Some people might want to gate keep culture. They might want to say that a person cannot
truly understand a culture without understanding the language of it.
Consider audience: Who would benefit from reading this?
I think many children of Latin-identifying parents would benefit. I had friends growing up who
felt they absolutely had to speak Spanish because their parents did. On the other hand, I had
Haitian American friends who never learned Haitian Creole; I had Yugoslavian-American friends
who never learned Serbian, Croatian, or any of the other languages of the former Yugoslavia.
Now compose your thesis statement (main idea) by following this formula:
THESIS: Title of Essay____________ Author’s name____________ Insert verb____________
(argues, advocates, shines a light on) Topic_____________ and Author’s position or main point.
In her essay entitled “Se Habla Español,” Tanya Maria Barrientos argues that while many Latinos
and Latinas feel the need to speak Spanish so as to identify with the culture of their parents,
they should not feel this obligation.
References
Barrientos, T.M. (2022). Se habla español. In R. Bullock, M. Daly Goggin, & F. Weinberg (Eds.) The Norton
field guide to writing with readings (6th ed.) (pp. 715-718), WW Norton.
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