fiction 10/09

Assignment Overview

  • Extra time granted for submissions compared to previous timelines.
  • Deadline for submissions is midnight tonight.
  • Essays will be graded upon receipt.

Feedback and Grading Strategy

  • Importance of Feedback: Do not focus solely on the grade; review comments thoroughly.
    • Types of Comments:
    • Rhetorical composition issues.
    • Grammatical corrections (e.g., punctuation usage: commas vs. semicolons).
    • Purpose: Reinforce writing instructions and enhance students' writing skills.

Final Essay Assignment

  • Early Release: Final assignment details given two months in advance to facilitate planning amidst busy schedules.
  • Nature of Assignment: More extensive than previous essays, approximating a mid-term essay in terms of demands.
  • Deadline: Two months from now; encouraging early start due to anticipated busy final schedules.

Expectations for the Final Essay

  • Initial Focus: Language and structure of the final assignment closely resembles prior assignments.
  • Analytical Focus:
    • Analysis of themes in chosen works, using appropriate academic terminology.
    • Comparative Option: Ability to analyze two works, but advised caution against overextension. It’s often better to provide a thorough analysis of one piece than a superficial comparison of two.
    • Emphasis on thematic depth over breadth in analysis.

Scholarly Sources

  • Source Requirements: Include at least three scholarly sources that are:
    • Substantive and directly connected to your analysis.
    • Provide sociohistorical context for analysis or a contrastive interpretation.
    • Prohibited Sources: No web pages or unapproved online articles.
  • Plagiarism Warning: AI tools are strictly prohibited in any stage of the writing process, including research, to uphold academic integrity.

Draft Requirements

  • Content Guidelines:
    • Final draft must be between six to eight pages in length, double-spaced, and adhere to MLA or specific major formatting guidelines.
    • All writing must be completed in the provided Google Doc link; no cut-and-paste from other sources is allowed.
    • Proposed topics must be confirmed via email by Monday, October 13.

Writing Resources

  • Support Systems:
    • Utilize the writing center for assistance.
    • Engage peers for feedback—more eyes on your work helps refine it without taking over the writing process.
  • Note on Social Aspects of Writing: Writing is encouraged as a social activity; collaboration assists in developing stronger narratives.

Grading and Coursework Update

  • Grading timeline and feedback for midterm essays will be communicated via Blackboard.
  • Overview of cumulative quiz and coursework grades:
    • Many students performing well; some exceeding 100% through the sliding scale grading.
    • Notes on missed quizzes and opportunities for improvement.
  • Reinforcement: Quizzes are key to maintaining and improving overall grades.

Thematic Analysis: Course Reading

  • Discussion on character analysis and narrative structure.
    • Focus on a specific passage reflecting on themes of confronting death and human connections.
    • Exploration of character mentality by analyzing the feelings towards loved ones in moments of mortality.
  • Existential elements: Reflection on love and human life during death, drawing from specific excerpts from readings.
  • Analysis of themes of capitalism against human connection

Artistic Expression and Interpersonal Connection

  • The relationship between literature and human experience brought forth through art.
    • Humor in Text: Interaction between narrative and reader in an intersubjective manner.
  • Challenges of subjectivity: Human connection through art leads to transcending individual egotism.
  • Emphasis on love and connection as key components of humanity at the narrative’s conclusion.