ENG2DI

Short Story Unit Formal Essay

In order to build upon the skills learned in Grade 9 English, you will write a Formal, Five (5)
Paragraph Essay addressing one of the following topics:
1.In several of the stories studied this semester, characters must deal with sufering or loss. Scott
Russell Sanders believes that this is one of the main reasons why readers will always need a
good story. Select three characters from three diferent stories and argue how sufering or loss
helps readers to learn a valuable lesson.
2.In several of the stories we have studied this semester, the female characters have not been
presented in a positive way. Select three female characters from three diferent stories and
argue how and why the authors have represented them in a negative fashion.
Note:
An acceptable essay will examine three characters and how their situation helps readers learn
three diferent lessons.
A superior essay will examine three characters and argue one common lesson that readers learn
from all three.
Hint: A strong, central thesis contains one main idea. Your blueprint, and subsequently your body
paragraphs, will provide the proof and arguments to support your thesis. Remember that an essay is
not a summary of what we have read! Use the short stories as support to teach the reader of your
essay the main idea/thesis/concept you have come up with!
Within your body paragraphs, you must draw your examples/proof from the stories themselves. This
involves using direct quotations to support each point that you make. A properly formatted works
cited page must be the last page of your essay.
Essay Writing Process Notes:
You must keep your essay outline in your writing folder. You may not take your outline home.
You may use any of the notes you have taken throughout the unit and may use the short story
duotang. You will need your notes and the duotang to fnd direct quotations!
Along with your fnal copy, you must submit all rough work and the outline; if you fail to do so,
your paper will be considered late until you produce all the necessary items; meaning, if you
choose to revise on the computer, you need to print of copies and use a writing utensil to make
your changes; you need to demonstrate you are using the stages of the writing process.
Work Periods:
Create your OUTLINE in class on ___________________ and ___________________
Type your ROUGH COPY in class on ____________________ and ____________________
PEER EDIT in class on _________________________
Revise, polish, print, and hand in your FINAL COPY in class on ____________________
Formatting Instructions:
Evidence (Quotations): Integrate your evidence by providing a context. Use a
parenthetical citation following each quotation indicating the authors/directors last name,
and if it is a written text, the page number from which the quotation is taken.
MLA format: Use MLA formatting as taught in class.
Point of View: Do not use the frst person I or I think. This is a formal essay.
Therefore, your argument should be made from an objective point of view.
Tense: Use the present tense when writing about the stories, and stay consistently in present
tense throughout your essay.
Audience: Assume you are writing for an academic audience: do not use slang or
abbreviations, and assume the reader of your essay has read the work you are discussing.
Therefore, only briefy summarise details and events from the short stories; you are not
required to go into all the preceding or following details. Do not summarise the plot!
Remember: use the texts to teach the thesis and ideas you have come up with!
Final Copy: You must word-process your fnal copy. Computer-produced essays should be
completed in Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced (2.0), and never press enter
twice in a row. New paragraphs are indicated by indentation.
Computer Problems: Save, save, save, and save to a data key! Save to a hard drive, and
produce hard copy! Computer problems happen from time to time. They do not buy you
extensions; they make your essay late. You may save in the hand-in folder that is on your
desktop so that I can access it.
Titles: Use a creative title for your essay; Short Story Essay is not acceptable. Your title
should provide a hint of the topic and argument of your essay.
Works Cited: The fnal page of your essay should be your Works Cited page. As you are
using at least three sources for this paper, you must include a works cited page; otherwise,
your parenthetical references become meaningless. Consult the library website if you need
tips on how to create this.