Writing Assignment #8: American Author Thesis Proposal

Details Checklist

Date introduced: 4/7–8
Date due: 4/15–16

You are expected to be wrapping up the reading on your American author: the equivalent of three novels. It is time to start synthesizing your impressions, analysis, and judgments into your paper.

Write a short, well-crafted essay in which you propose a unifying thesis for your paper, outline some possible approaches to your argument, and discuss the challenges you will face in writing the paper. Review the thesis statement tips to evaluate the quality of your developing thesis.

In addition, discuss what outside sources you anticipate you will need to support your thesis: author biography, book reviews, and/or literary critcism articles.

In class we have discussed how your paper can draw connections between your author’s historical context, your author’s personal experiences, and your own interpretation of the author’s writings. Of these, the author’s writing is the most important, and should be the focus of your thesis. Whatever historical or biographical information you include in your paper should directly support your larger argument about the author’s writing.

Some questions to consider in your proposal:

You can approach this proposal as a train of thought. However, this is not an informal journal entry. Your paper should be logically structured and should be revised to formal academic writing.


Posted by Justin Wells : 04/07/2008