To Kill an Essay

Here it is - your final formal essay of the semester. Time to unleash! Time to use everything you've learned this semester! Time to shine, babies! It is time to be a writer!

Essay Overview
A ‘maxim’ can be defined as a concise rule of conduct, a way in which one should behave. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee presents to her audience a character who not only possesses a fair, forgiving moral code, but chooses to live by these rules he believes naturally exist in society. In other words, Atticus chooses to ‘walk the walk’ in lieu of merely ‘talking the talk.’ Following are three maxims Atticus teaches to Scout. Your task in this essay is to either prove or disprove one of the statements. (Page numbers may vary depending on your edition.)

“You never really understand a person until

you consider things from his point of view” (30).

Courage is “when you know you’re

licked before you begin but you begin anyway and

you see it through no mater what” (112).

“We all know men are not created equal

in the sense some people would have us believe” (205).

Format
First, select one of Atticus’ statements. Then plan on whether or not you will prove or disprove it. Finally, find three characters whose actions support your claim.

Focus
Focus especially on the following directives when drafting and revising.

• Have a clear, concise thesis.
• Have a clear, concise bridge.
• Include direct quotations to support each of your body points.
• Create an interesting, original title that both grabs your readers' attention and gives some insight into the topic of your essay.
• Follow the correct format for citing direct quotations.
• Use sophisticated transitions between body points.
• Avoid awkward language usage. You language should be thoughtful, graceful, and concise.
• Avoid 1st and 2nd person point of view, contractions, slang, and other informal language usage.
• Write in present tense.
• Leave a day or two between the time you write your first draft and the time you revise it.
• Use the writing consultant in the A.R.C. or your instructor as resources when you hit road blocks in your writing.
• When you are finished, ask yourself this question: "What am I trying to communicate, and have I succeeded?"

Feel free to post questions in the comments section below. I'll check in occasionally. Again, this is it, folks. This is the last essay of the semester. Your job is to demonstrate how good of a writer you've become. Attention to detail, kids. Revision. No wimps allowed.

No...wimps...allowed.

(Click to enlarge and learn how NOT to be HALF A MAN.)

Macbeth Quotation Essay

It’s time for another one-page essay. Your task this time is twofold:

First, select a single lone or phrase or sentence from the play and give a close reading of it. This should include the speaker, the audience, the context, the meaning, and the significance. Feel free, if you like, to also comment on the poetic/aesthetic quality of the excerpt – it’s natural beauty and musical quality.

Second, tie the significance of the quotation into the real world. In other words, what universal truth is contained in the quotation? Feel free to discuss apply the quotation to examples from other literature, real life events, politics, film, etc. Avoid getting too personal, however. Remember, this is a formal, 3rd person essay.

Be sure to pay close attention to the one-page essay criteria. If you don’t have a copy, you can click on it over on the right of the blog under “Class Handout.”

Keep in mind this essay doesn’t really have a specified central thesis. The thesis is more implied. Just break your essay into two parts and discuss your quotation thoughtfully and thoroughly. Your real purpose here? 1. To show me how well you can think about Shakespeare’s words 2. Show me how good of a writer you can be. That’s all I’m asking for.

One more note: You might want to check out the entry on “5 Qualities of Good Writing.” You can click on it over on the right under “Composition Cornerstones.”

Good luck, and have fun.