Short Essay Assignment: Supernatural Comparison
"At that instant Hoïchi felt his ears gripped by fingers of iron, and torn off! Great as the pain was, he gave no cry."
For your second writing assignment, you need to continue working with the argument you established in your first short essay concerning a specific text / culture's depiction of the supernatural and itscorresponding textual evidence. As before, your argument should address the possible textual proofs for your chosen text's presentation of the supernatural. In other words, look closely atthe text and determine its views on the spiritual / paranormal / supernatural, and then persuade me to accept your explanation of those views.For this expanded second installment of your essay, you will also need to include at least one significant comparison between your primary text for analysis and one other text from the semester's reading, regarding the use / depiction of the supernatural.This comparison need not be extensive (one paragraph will suffice), but it must measure the view(s) on the supernatural in both texts against one another: how does one work differ significantly from the other, and what features do they share in common? NOTE: Merely summarizing your text's plot / major points or evaluating a culture's beliefs in relation to your own will not meet the parameters of this assignment.
For this paper, you ARE required to incorporate secondary source material into your argument. You should seek out sources that will enhance your essay's presentation of your argument, whether it be through reinforcing your claims or through providing a contrast to your perspective. You need only include two (2) such secondary sources (i.e. anything outside of the primary literary text that comments on that text). However, websites will not be acceptable; you must locate articles or books via the UNT Library Electronic Database to use as sources. Part of growing as a college student is learning how to conduct basic research, and this will get you started down that path.
EXAMPLE SECONDARY SOURCES:
Book:Taylor, John H. Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001.
Article: Cogan, Marc. "Delight, Punishment, and the Justice of God in the Divina Commedia." Dante Studies 111 (1993): 27-52.
The essay should be 3-5 pages, double-spaced.