Description
choose one question and please choose the best you can do
Below are two essay topics. On the day of the in-class essay, ONE of the topics will be selected for the class by the instructor. You must bring your copy of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to class to consult (and quote) passages you find relevant to your essay. You may also prepare one essay outline for each of the questions—one sheet (one side) per question. You will hand in your outline with your finished essay. Other than your text, your essay outlines, and some writing implements, you cannot bring any other materials—no dictionaries, no thesauruses, no electronic devices.
You will be given 1.5 hours to complete your essay.
Make sure that you develop a clear thesis and use details and quotations from the text to support your arguments. Make sure your quotations are apt and pertinent. Do not waste a lot of space on a long, generalized introduction, but get straight to your point and then concentrate on staying on track, providing clear transitions and avoiding vagueness.
You must read the Martin Luther King essay, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” in advance of class on November 18
One last reminder from the course syllabus: “Absence from an in-class assignment without prior notification and an acceptable reason will result in a grade of zero for that assignment.”
- Write an essay that examines the tone of King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” You might want to consider the ways in which he addresses his intended audience (or audiences), the language he uses to make his arguments, and/or the ways in which he positions himself within a contentious debate.
- King’s essay is full of oppositions: black/white; just/unjust; difference/sameness; violence/ non-violence; negative peace / positive peace (and you might discover others). Write an essay that explains how King uses oppositions to advance his argument.
REMEMBER the 3 major elements I’m considering in evaluating your paper:
1) Content/Analysis: How well do you understand the content and/or structure of the text? Demonstrate that you’ve thought about the text, that you have an understanding of how the important pieces of the text are put together.
2) Structure: How effectively do you put your essay together? Does your essay have a clear and consistent focus?
3) Writing/Grammar: Sentence structure, spelling, punctuation.
REMEMBER the 3 essential things that an essay must have:
1) Thesis: A central, unifying argument. Your thesis must be consistent, and it cannot be self-evident (or obvious).
2) Organization: Putting your ideas together in a logical way.
3) Evidence: Where are you getting your ideas and arguments from? Do you provide textual evidence to support your claims?
Sample Solution
