works and avoided summary? 

CHOOSE ONLY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS TO ADDRESS IN YOUR ESSAY:

YOU MAY CHOOSE YOUR OWN TOPIC. However, if you are having issues finding your own, you might want to consider one of the topics below:

1. Discuss the ways in which this series is relevant to contemporary society.
2. “To tell the story is to survive.” How is this statement relevant in The Handmaid’s Tale?
3. “Ordinary,” said Aunt Lydia, “is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary.” Discuss the author’s treatment of the dangers of passivity and lack of resistance in The Handmaid’s Tale.
4. Discuss the ways in which Atwood treats women’s issues in the series, i.e. sexuality, fertility, reproductive rights, rape, motherhood.

Review the checklist at the bottom of this page before you turn in the assignment.  Make sure that you can answer yes to all of the 15 questions.

REQUIREMENTS: 

The essays in your “new thread” in the discussion are Gordon Rule assignments. Therefore, you should use your best writing skills when you work on these assignments. Each essay and discussion assignment has four basic requirements:

1. Prepare: Read/watch the literature (the novel/series — your primary sources) and articles to support your argument (your secondary sources) and take note of its discussion question. Be careful to answer the discussion question for each essay. You work needs to be “on topic,” as the saying goes.
2. Write: Adhere to the length requirements for the–at least 500 words in length.  Your essay MUST have AT LEAST an introduction, 2 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. If you submit just one paragraph for this assignment, you will automatically receive no more than 60%. Organization /Format Reminder: Keep in mind that this is an essay assignment, not a paragraph assignment. Thus, you must have an introduction, body, and conclusion in your original response.
3. In-text Citations: You must use at least 2 quotations for primary source and 1 quotation for each secondary source you analyze in your short essay. Please place an in-text citation (also called a parenthetical citation) immediately after you close the quotation marks and before you place a period for your sentence. That way, anyone in the class (including me!) can easily find the quotation in the text if necessary. If you’re not sure what to place inside the parentheses, review MLA style. You will need 1 primary source (the series/novel) at least 1 secondary source. USE RELIABLE/CREDIBLE SOURCES. USE GOOGLE SCHOLAR AND MDC DATABASE. Do not rely on websites like Sparknotes or Wikipedia for your support.

CHECKLIST:

1. Did you analyze the works and avoided summary?
2. Does your essay analyze The Handmaid’s Tale?
3. Does your essay have a title?
4. Is the essay organized in a clear and coherent manner?
5. Does your essay have an introduction where author and title of work being analyzed is mentioned?
6. Does your introduction have a thesis statement where you make an argument related to the topic?
7. Does your essay have at least 2 body paragraphs that support the thesis statement?
8. Does your essay use quotations for support of thesis statement? Are the quotes properly introduced?
9. Does your essay use MLA style correctly?
10. Does your essay have at least 1 secondary source for support included in an MLA style Works Cited page?
11. Does your essay have a conclusion?
12. Does the essay use transition words from paragraph to paragraph?
13. Does your essay have appropriate use of grammar/mechanics?
14. Does your essay use a consistent point of view, third person?
15. Did you provide at least one thoughtful response to a peer during the revision phase?