For this assignment, you will make a calculated and defendable decision in the form of a cogent, five-paragraph-minimum analytical essay (1500-2000 words) at a level appropriate for a college sophomore complete with introduction paragraph (to include a fully-developed claim/position/thesis statement with roadmap/blueprint plan, i.e. summation of support), three supporting body paragraphs (each following the P.I.E. model, i.e. Point, Information, Explanation) with adequate transition signals/devices between each of them, and a suitable conclusion paragraph that synthesizes more than it summarizes. Using the core value of “personal development†as your “jumping off†point, the challenging decision you are asked to make for this written assignment is this: Decide how a major character in one of the primary text readings transformed himself or herself from the beginning of the narrative to the end. The character may either be a hero, heroine, mentor, herald, threshold guardian, ally, trickster, or shadow (villain). You may explain this transformation with the language of the Hero’s journey, (e.g., departure phase, initiation phase, return phase), or you may use another technique such as identifying three or more character traits that improved throughout the course of the narrative. Conversely, you can approach the idea of personal development as a negative slide downward. For example, you might note three or more ways that a character negatively “developed†or devolved, on a personal level, into a much more degraded and less functional being as s/he progressed throughout his or her journey. However, once your “decision†is made—it will be in the form of a thesis statement—your three or more well-constructed arguments used to defend it must show clear evidence of the critical thinking tools listed on the assignment rubric. For your thesis statement, please choose one of the following two approaches. If you would like to use an approach that differs significantly from these models, please consult with your instructor, for prior approval, BEFORE you begin to write.
Option 1—One Character & The SLU Core Value of Personal Development Model Structure of Thesis: In nationality (if known) name of author (birth/date year)’s (if known) genre _title of text_ (date of publication), name of character exemplifies/disregards the SLU core value of personal development in the following three ways: way/place/event 1, way/place/event 2, and way/place/event 3. Sample Thesis: In Canadian Jackie Rich’s (1901-84) novella, It Happened Suddenly, One Autumn (1956), Angelica, the protagonist, demonstrates the SLU Core Value of personal development in three key ways. The first was when she was presented the challenge of helping her old neighbor carry his packages up the stairs of their flat; sarcasm is her default reaction, but she keeps her remarks to herself about his statue of Ganesh. Angelica’s second sign of restraint—evidence of growth—is when she eats the rotten-smelling kimchi prepared by her brother’s fiancée at their house. Finally, she reports her boyfriend Curtis, the disgruntled postman who steals magazines from the tenants who are away on vacation, thus showing that some new stage of emotional maturity had taken place in the character since the beginning of the narrative. Note: The final three sentences of this paragraph comprise the thesis’s “blueprint plan.†Roadmaps/Blueprint plans are a required component—if you need review this concept, see the links below. Criniti, Amy. “What is a Thesis?†Academic Resource Center. Wheeling Jesuit University. 2002. Web. 1 May 2013 http://www.wju.edu/arc/handouts/thesis.pdf. Egan, M. A. “Developing a Thesis Statement: The Vital Step.†PowerPoint Presentation. Loyola Academy Writing Lab. Web. 1 May 2013 http://www.goramblers.org/document.doc?id=462. Jerz, Dennis G. “Blueprinting: Using the Thesis Paragraph to Plan Your Essay.†Jerz’s Literacy Weblog: Humanities/Cyberculture/Journalism/Writing. Seton Hill University. 24 March 2012. Web. 1 May 2013 http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/bluepr…
Option 2—Two Characters & The SLU Core Value of “Personal Development†(Classic Comparative Analysis) Note: The characters can either be two characters from same text or one character from two separate texts). Model Structure of Thesis: The SLU core value of personal development, can be amply demonstrated, albeit in vastly different manifestations, in the protagonists of both nationality name of author 1 (birth/date year)’s genre _title of text 1_ (date of publication) and nationality name of author 2 (birth/date year)’s genre _title of text 2_ (date of publication). Sample Thesis: The SLU Core Value of Personal Development has an important role to play in the lives of the protagonists from both Canadian Jackie Rich’s (1901-84) novella, It Happened Suddenly, One Autumn (1956), and Australian Virgil McGovern’s (1918-96) play, Counting Black Sheep in the Daytime (1977). Insert roadmap/blueprint plan of thesis here, i.e., the same three arguments for why that particular core value is so important in both cases, e.g., both transformed into mothers, both learned about the consequences of selfishness, both learned the practical value of keeping an open mind. Note: If you need review this concept, see the links below. Sources: Criniti, Amy. “What is a Thesis?†Academic Resource Center. Wheeling Jesuit University. 2002. Web. 1 May 2013 http://www.wju.edu/arc/handouts/thesis.pdf. Egan, M. A. “Developing a Thesis Statement: The Vital Step.†PowerPoint Presentation. Loyola Academy Writing Lab. Web. 1 May 2013 http://www.goramblers.org/document.doc?id=462. Jerz, Dennis G. “Blueprinting: Using the Thesis Paragraph to Plan Your Essay.†Jerz’s Literacy Weblog: Humanities/Cyberculture/Journalism/Writing. Seton Hill University. 24 March 2012. Web. 1 May 2013 http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/blueprintingusing-the-thesis-paragraph-to-plan-your-essay/.
SUPPORT: For your formal, analytical paper, you will be held accountable for:  Adequately explaining (at least) three ways in which one the SLU Core Value of “personal development†is either exemplified or violated/disregarded, by, at least, one of the primary characters (two characters, if using Option 2).  Appropriately representing each item of support listed in roadmap/blue print section of your thesis statement, as the opening topic sentence for each of your supporting body paragraphs, i.e., the “P.†or “Point†portion of the P.I.E. paragraph structure model.  Properly citing ALL quoted passages and ALL paraphrased examples from the text. 3. MLA: The formatting style for this paper will conform to the rules of the Modern Language Association (MLA). You were exposed to this formatting style in ENG 122, so this course will build upon that prior knowledge. You will use no outside sources for this project other than the primary sources (i.e., assigned readings) that you are basing your formal analysis on and the SLU website source for the SLU Core Values.
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