The goal of this assignment is to understand the relevance of a play's overall message (or messages) for today's society. Many passionate issues are presented in the major plays that are assigned for Comp. II.Hopefully, you can find one or two that might get your juices flowing enough to develop a sound argument based on logical reasoning! I expect you to use the literature as a springboard to the issues themselves.Put on your critical thinking caps and discover the connections that link earlier societies to today's society,based on the issues identified in the play. For example, you might discuss the cultural stereotypes of Eastern and Western societies and how they are distorted in M. Butterfly. Consider the theme of Women and the Law and how Trifles illustrates stereotypical male/female roles in earlier Americana. Finally, you might analyze the irony in Beauty. The sky's the limit! Once you decide upon a focus for your paper, you must provide examples or illustrations as evidence that will support your argument. Quotes from the play will enhance your paper, but be careful not to overdo!
- For an effective argument, you must include the following information:
- Make an overall claim-your thesis about an issue presented in the literature.
- Briefly describe the drama being used to illustrate the issue.
- Select specific details and quotes from the play as evidence to support your ideas.
- Provide support from at least four credible outside sources.
Organize your argument in a manner that is easy to follow-introduce the play and playwright in the introductory paragraph and include your thesis statement. The body paragraphs will continue to develop the arguments you are making about the issues presented in the play along with evidence from credible sources supporting or refuting your argument. Support each opinion sufficiently. Avoid over-generalizing in your judgments or claims. Be sure to have an effective introduction, clear thesis, and effective conclusion.outside reference sources, in addition to quoting from the text, and include a Works Cited page.Sources that are by themselves considered "substantial" are articles in scholarly journals or separate critical books that either focus specifically on the author or the particular text you've selected or provide critical/theoretical background for the subject, period or genre. Select secondary material that can give you historical, sociological, psychological, feminist, theoretical, etc., perspectives on the play you've chosen. Do not use encyclopedias, quotation books/websites, student essays posted online, study guides, or other similar sources. You will find a wealth of wonderful sources by accessing the online databases in the Rose State College Learning Center.