Home

Essay Topic
Choose one of the following quotes from Act VI: “The Case of the Missing Asian” and write a four-page essay that describes how the novel explores (presents, develops, supports) the idea:
OLDER BROTHER: “We’ve been here two hundred years. The first Chinese came in 1815. Germans and Dutch and Irish and Italians who came at the turn of the twentieth century. They’re Americans…. Why doesn’t this face register as American?” (Yu 228).
OLDER BROTHER: “But the experience of Asians in America isn’t just a scaled-back or dialed-down version of the Black experience. Instead of co-opting someone else’s experience or consciousness, he must define his own” (Yu 235).
OLDER BROTHER: “[B]eing Chinese is and always has been, from the very beginning, a construction, a performance of features, gestures, culture, and exoticism. An invention, a reinvention, a stylization” (Yu 238-39).
YOU: “By putting ourselves below everyone, we’re building in a self-defense mechanism. Protecting against real engagement. By imagining that no one wants us, that all others are so different from us, we’re privileging our own point of view” (246).
Suggestions
Take into consideration these various themes: exclusion of the ethnic minority, stereotyping of the individual, role-playing as a means of fitting in, assimilation into the mainstream, internalization of the external experience, self-realization and fulfillment.
Develop a thesis of your own making. Make your thesis a claim: an assertion about the novel, what it says, and how it supports what it says. Avoid statements of intent: “In this essay, we will show that…”
Use sufficient textual details in the form of quotation, paraphrase, and brief summary. Be sure to cite all specific textual references. Do not generalize your discussion of the novel; be particular.
Offer critical analysis and close reading of all textual details: tell us what we are supposed to see in the text that isn’t obvious.
If you choose to include outside sources, keep your focus on the novel. Your chief concern should be what the novel says.

I chose to do the conviencence store woman by Ling Ma 
From the syllabus: “Examine an author’s or playwright’s critique of American society in their work through methodical research.”
This essay asks you to research one of our texts and examine it through an historical or biographical approach. Find in one of our readings a topic related to American society, American work culture, and/or the American Dream and examine how the author/playwright explores that topic through that work of literature.
“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.”
― C.S. Lewis
Directions
Literature is not just to entertain, but also to instruct. For the purposes of this essay, you’ll research and argue how the concerns authors/playwrights have about American society can be expressed through works of literature. All societies have problems, areas their citizens find irritating, hurtful, or dangerous; for this essay, make an historical or biographical assertion about the author with regard to their critique of American society, American work culture, and/or the American Dream.
Choose a story from our class (on which you have yet to write) and, through research, seek out biographical or historical information that helps you explain what issue the author/playwright was writing about and whether or not their work inspired any change. For this project, you will need to research an issue or problem with American society, American work culture and/or the American Dream; examine the author’s/playwright’s relationship with that issue or problem; explain how the story addresses it; and, finally, discover the lasting cultural impact of their work.
It helps to take a positive interest in your writing, so consider choosing a text that genuinely interests you and about whose author/playwright you’d like to know more. Perhaps you might write on the creator’s style, use of literary devices, movements in which she/he took part, social or cultural impact, lasting legacy, controversies he or she faced, or any other number of contributing factors to his/her body of work. This essay has a goal of analyzing the text through the discipline of history, either cultural or biographical (or both), so be sure address at least one major historical question in your analysis. A good strategy is to answer a few questions that seem most relevant, but are part of a larger, well-constructed essay. 
In addition to providing textual evidence from the primary source, you must support your analysis with credible secondary sources. Synthesize into your argument the ideas of others: think critically about them, analyze their value, then use these ideas to support your own thesis. Demonstrate the authority and value of these sources within your essay itself. A minimum of four (4) quality secondary sources—in addition to the primary source—are required, including:
At least two (2) academic (or peer-reviewed) sources, such as journal articles or textbooks
At least one (1) popular source, such as a news periodical or a reputable book review
One additional credible source of your own choosing
Explain to the reader the credentials of those you incorporate into your essay, and provide context for their inclusion in your work. If you have questions about what constitutes an academic or popular source, please don’t hesitate to bring them to me. 
Additional Notes/Rubric
100 points | 1,500-word minimum | Due Friday, May 10 @ 5pm.
This assignment will remain open until Tuesday, May 14 @ 5pm. There is no penalty or reduction in score for an essay submitted over the weekend, but any late essay submitted outside of the 55-hour window (after Sunday, May 12 @ 11:59pm) is subject to a 10% reduction in score and may not include detailed feedback.
Because Essay 03 abuts final grade reporting, I will keep all essay markup and comments to an absolute minimum. If you would like my traditional markup/comments on your submission, please leave me a note in the assignment comments when you upload your file. All assignments close Tuesday, May 14 @ 5pm.
_______________________________________
This research essay should:
open with an introduction that [1] catches the reader’s attention, [2] provides a historical or biographical context for understanding the essay (the text, its author, and your stance on the piece), and culminates in an explicit thesis statement making a claim about the author/playwright and their exploration of an issue or problem with American society
expound on the thesis by
supporting with logic your interpretive stance of the work’s sociohistorical commentary
identifying in the primary text evidence which illustrates or otherwise supports your interpretation
incorporating credible support for your argument from your research
organize those examples and research in paragraphs where you explain their connection to your thesis, providing details that help the reader understand your position
conclude satisfactorily, with what might be a lesson learned, or concluding argument, but is never a summation of the whole essay
mention the title and author(s) or creator(s) of any referenced work (including MLA documentation–9th ed.)
adhere to the Written Assignment Formatting GuidelinesLinks to an external site. (pdf via Drive)
This research essay should avoid:
Long or block quotes 
Second-person pronouns and references to the reader
Over-reliance on plot summary
Over-reliance on web material, reviews, and/or the encyclopedia or dictionary
Selecting Murata’s Convenience Store Woman, a story set in Japan
Ask yourself the following questions for essay development (though you needn’t answer each of these):
What elements of the biography of the author adds to or alters your interpretation of the text?
Are you able to detect any underlying philosophy held by the author (i.e. Romanticism, Victorianism, Populism, Christianity, etc.)? If so, how does this philosophy affect the presentation of the text?
What was the author’s purpose or intent in writing the text? Were they successful?
What were the common themes present in the text and how did they fit within the context of the time it was written? What do the chosen themes demonstrate the author’s time, place, purpose, or argument?
What was the social context of the text? What are the elements of the time in which it was written? What else was happening during that time?
Have historical events that have occurred as time has passed since the writing and publication of that text added weight or changed the context of the tale?
_______________________________________
Thesis Statement, Organization & ¶ Unity/Coherence: 15%
Biographical/Historical Research: 30%
Application of Evidence: 20%
Mechanics & Voice: 15%
MLA Style: 15%
Document Formatting: 5%
_______________________________________
Rubric
Literary Research
Literary Research
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThesis Statement & ¶ Unity/Coherence
15 to >13.5 pts
Exceeds expectations
Clear, argumentative thesis identifies what research reveals about an author or playwright and their critique of American society; explicit topic sentences provide controlling ideas for supporting paragraphs; paragraph structure and content support thesis statement; transitions enhance flow of essay
13.5 to >11.5 pts
Meets expectations
Implied argumentative thesis addresses what research reveals about an author or playwright and hints at a revelation of their critique of American society; implicit topic sentences provide general direction for supporting paragraphs; minor errors in paragraph structure and/or content, sometimes disconnected from thesis; identifiable but formulaic transitions; generally focused
11.5 to >10.0 pts
Satisfies requirements
Common mechanical thesis; indefinite in its importance and/or takes an uncontested position; misapplication or misunderstanding of research and/or critique of American society; confusing or indeterminate controlling ideas in supporting paragraphs; repeated disruptions in paragraph organization, unity, and content; transitions lacking or absent; unfocused
10 to >8.5 pts
Fulfills some requirements
Thesis does not make a claim or control essay; neglects historical or biographical research in relation to an issue with American society; missing topic sentences; paragraphs are disconnected from the thesis statement; lacks direction
8.5 to >0 pts
Does not fulfill requirements
Thesis is absent; unclear organization; paragraphs lack unity; written without a reader in mind
15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBiographical/Historical Research
30 to >27.5 pts
Exceeds expectations
Logical and purposeful examination of the creator and/or history; critical and detailed analysis of American society; creative and interesting information; includes detailed explanations and illustrations; meets or exceeds minimum word count
27.5 to >23.5 pts
Meets expectations
Interesting but vague examination or major points; adequate analysis of American society; readable exploration of information; limited use of explanations and illustrations; meets or falls just shy minimum word count
23.5 to >20.5 pts
Satisfies requirements
Inadequate examination of key points; shallow analysis of American society; confusing information; unclear explanations or illustrations; meets or falls just shy of minimum word count
20.5 to >17.5 pts
Fulfills some requirements
Insufficient content to support thesis statement; uncritical analysis of American society; light on information; unfocused analysis; does not approach minimum word count
17.5 to >0 pts
Does not fulfill requirements
Essay is too short to develop its points; lacks analysis of the subject
30 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeApplication of Evidence
20 to >18.5 pts
Exceeds expectations
Synthesis of texts shows understanding of how they support discussion; primary text used extensively to illustrate thesis; secondary texts employed comprehensively in support of thesis; thorough attributions; quotations are carefully chosen and integrated into discussion; summary and paraphrase used in addition to direct quotation
18.5 to >15.5 pts
Meets expectations
Number and quality of texts shows concern for research, though lacking effective synthesis; primary text referenced intermittently; secondary texts are not as carefully integrated into discussion; authorities are identified; quotations sometimes seem disjointed or out-of-context
15.5 to >13.5 pts
Satisfies requirements
Questions about number, quality, and relevance of texts; primary text rarely used; selections lack attribution; authorities are unidentified; quotations lack context; excessive and uncritical reliance on online material, especially dictionaries, encyclopedias, reviews, and/or homework help sites
13.5 to >11.5 pts
Fulfills some requirements
Inattentive use of primary and/or secondary texts; selections and authorities are unidentified
11.5 to >0 pts
Does not fulfill requirements
Primary and secondary texts are absent; selections don’t align with citations
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMechanics & Voice
15 to >13.5 pts
Exceeds expectations
Purposeful sentences; effective word choice; written with a reader in mind; argues in an academic tone with appropriate diction; prose is interesting and creative as well as capable; almost always accurate in punctuation, spelling, proofread carefully
13.5 to >11.5 pts
Meets expectations
Sentences are grammatically complete, but may be wordy; word choice sometimes abstract or inexact; minor or inconsistent punctuation mistakes; references the reader; few spelling errors; in need of additional proofreading
11.5 to >10.0 pts
Satisfies requirements
Problems in agreement or reference; sentences are wordy and may shift in structure; relies on personal narrative or references to the reader; words seem haphazardly chosen or needlessly slangy; problems with grammar and punctuation
10 to >8.5 pts
Fulfills some requirements
Repeated sentence-level errors; questionable tone and/or diction; persistent problems in punctuation and spelling distract reader from sense of sentence
8.5 to >0 pts
Does not fulfill requirements
Unintelligible prose; inflammatory tone and/or diction; incomprehensible sentences
15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMLA Style
15 to >13.5 pts
Exceeds expectations
Exceptional implementation of MLA documentation and style; nearly flawless use of parenthetical documentation; accurate identification of sources; careful treatment of titles and names of authorities
13.5 to >11.5 pts
Meets expectations
Acceptable implementation of documentation and MLA style; includes parenthetical documentation; some errors concerning identification of sources, names of subjects, titles, and/or authorities
11.5 to >10.0 pts
Satisfies requirements
Some statements inadequately documented; mistakes in MLA style and/or documentation; significant errors identifying sources; misspellings of subjects, titles, and/or authorities
10 to >8.5 pts
Fulfills some requirements
Scantly internal documentation; little attention paid to MLA style; some works cited not used in essay; little care given to source identification, subjects, titles, and/or authorities
8.5 to >0 pts
Does not fulfill requirements
Missing documentation; selections don’t align with citations
15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDocument Formatting
5 to >4.75 pts
Exceeds expectations
Careful attention given to document formatting and essay requirements; complete information in the upper left-hand corner; pages named and numbered; text is double-spaced, and the first line of each paragraph is properly indented
4.75 to >3.75 pts
Meets expectations
Less attention given to document formatting and/or essay requirements; incomplete information in the upper left-hand corner; pages numbered; text is spaced, and the first line of each paragraph is indented
3.75 to >3.25 pts
Satisfies requirements
Minor errors in document formatting and/or essay requirements; missing information in the upper left-hand corner; pages left unnumbered; problems in text spacing
3.25 to >2.75 pts
Fulfills some requirements
Major errors in document formatting; missing identifying information; repeated errors in text spacing
2.75 to >0 pts
Does not fulfill requirements
Lacks formatting
5 pts
Total Points: 100
PreviousNext