Literary Analysis Paper: Frederick Douglass and Night

the overview:
Frederick Douglass and Elie Wiesel both impacted their audiences through their writings. However, their similarities reach far beyond surface connections: both men suffered injustices based on elements of themselves they could not control; both found the strength to survive; both sought a truth they knew could not be found within themselves. By taking a deeper look at the texts, one may also find connections in the religious allusions, imagery, thematic elements (such as hope, knowledge, age, responsibility, or self-reflection), the importance of voice, specific characters or roles, and repetition. By analyzing these autobiographies, one may hope to create a well-written, four-paragraph essay which discusses both the similarities and differences of these two pieces.

the assignment:
We will think about and respond to the two autobiographies we completed thus far: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Night. We will complete three parts to this compare and contrast / analytical essay: an outline (due Friday, 10/17 at the beginning of class); a rough draft, including a separate works cited page (due Friday, 10/24, at the beginning of class); and a final copy, including works cited page (due Monday, 11/3).

The outline should start with the MLA heading in the top, left corner (not in the header) and only appear on the first page. The introduction (Roman numeral one [I]) should contain four parts: attention getter, background information for Frederick Douglass, background information for Night, and a thesis statement. See the sample outline for an example. Your outline needs complete sentences for the attention getter and thesis; you may simple list information for the background (bullet points) or you may write it out in complete sentences, if you prefer. The two middle body points should have at least four parts: a topic sentence, written completely, and at least three supporting details (may be bulleted). The conclusion should restate the thesis (not exactly word-for-word) but reword the same idea in a different way. This should also be a complete sentence.

Again, a "rough" copy should be as complete and correct as possible. You will have 25 minutes Friday, 10/24 to review your partner's literary analysis and peer edit. The 15 minutes of that time will be dedicated to silent reading / reflection / grading and the last 10 minutes will be allotted to discussion. Graded rough drafts (peer edited) will be due to the teacher at the end of the period Friday, 10/24. If absent on this day, you and your partner will be allotted one extra day to meet to arrange peer editing. If you do not have your rough draft on the assigned day without a slip signed by a parent explaining legitimate reasoning (not "I just didn't get it done") you will forfeit your 100 points for the rough draft. The teacher will return the rough drafts (with additional commentary) by Monday, 27 October.

As with the last formal essay, final copies must be typed. You need to print out two copies of the final paper, stapling the rough draft and outline under the final copies.

I will mark "kinds" of errors only once in a paper (i.e., if you do not capitalize the first letter your sentences, I will mark the first sentence and no subsequent sentences). Due to time constraints on this assignment and the desire to not take any more time away from our Romeo and Juliet unit, we must stick to deadlines. If you are present, the paper is due. This paper will focus not only on following criteria but sticking to deadlines as well.

Remember, your outline should have four parts: an introduction, two body points (one for comparison and one for contrast), and a conclusion. Thus, your essay should correlate with this and contain exactly four paragraphs. Word count should be between 500-1000 words, total. Include a word count at the end of your paper. Use few "be" verbs in your paper. Do not include any 1st or 2nd person pronouns in this piece (outline, rough draft, or final copy). Eliminate statements such as "I think" or "I believe."

You should include direct quotes from both pieces in your writing to support your ideas. Be as specific as possible. Broad statements such as "both men suffered hardships" or "both men survived a lot" will earn little points. Be specific without being melodramatic. To learn how to include in-text notation (direct quotes), visit this link. It will also explain a works cited page. For additional help, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab's MLA section.

As with all formal writings, include your word count at the end of your essay. Follow all other standard procedures for formal writings, including title page and double spacing. To review my requirements for formal writings, visit the link below: http://english9h.blogspot.com/2006/08/format-of-formal-writings.html

the content:
Only four students may sign up for each topic below. Choose carefully; you will not be able to change once you've signed up. Sign up sheets will be posted the morning of Tuesday, 10/14 outside my door. Notice both books, Frederick Douglass and Night, appear in all choices; you cannot write a compare/contrast essay over one book. Both must be included in your essay.


* Religious allusions in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Dark / light imagery in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Hope in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Understatement/overstatement OR ambiguity/hyperbole in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Knowledge in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Self-reflection OR the impact of "event" on self v. whole in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Importance of voice/speaking out in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Hugh Auld v. Moche the Beadle as teachers
* Mother figures (or lack of) in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Father figures (or lack of) in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Repetition of words in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Responsibility in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Age / impact of age in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Animal imagery / zoomorphism in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Strength in numbers v. Individual strength in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Writing style / tone / mood in Frederick Douglass and Night
* Antagonist in Frederick Douglass and Night

extra help:
As always, if you feel like you need help beyond what is available in the classroom, I will be available in my classroom before school 7:00-7:25am and after school until 4:30pm. I also check my email daily and may provide assistance this way as well. I cannot provide assistance if you do not ask; claiming to "not understand" an assignment and not asking for help is inexcusable. If you do not ask for help I will assume you understand the assignment and plan to turn it in, completed, on the due date. Keeping with the English department's late policy, this project will be accepted up to three days late, with a 10% penalty per day.

the values:
outline of analysis essay -- 50 points
rough copy of essay, including works cited page -- 100 points
final copy of essay, including works cited page -- 200 points

resources:
sample outline, introduction, title page, and works cited page: http://www.geocities.com/missyfeller/english9h/freddoug_night.pdf

summary of important information and dates:
13 October -- receive assignment / project sheets
14 October -- sign up sheet posted for topics
17 October -- outlines due, 50 points, typing not required
20 October -- graded outlines returned
24 October -- rough drafts due (no late rough drafts accepted), 100 points, peer editing, typing not required but preferred
27 October -- graded rough drafts returned
3 November -- final copies due, 100 points, must be typed

Indiana State Academic Standards met by this project:
10.3.2, 10.3.5, 10.3.9, 10.4.1, 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.13, 10.4.5, 10.4.7, 10.4.8, 10.4.10, 10.4.11, 10.4.12, 10.5.3, 10.6.1, 10.6.2, 10.6.3, 10.6.4

Daily Agenda 10/16

Today's Agenda ~

* Finish reading / discussing chapters 8-9
* Look at examples of outlines / essays
* Announcements: vocab 17-18 due today; Darfur letters due yesterday; sign up for topics by Wednesday
* Read and discuss "The Yellow Star" no time -- consider doing tomorrow
* Honors reflection again, no time -- will consider doing tomorrow

Daily Agenda 10/15

Today's Agenda --

* Pick up assignment sheet and sample student work for literary analysis paper
* Pick up Frederick Douglass books and sign number and name on sheet
* Discuss literary analysis requirements
* Announcements: turn in Darfur letters TODAY; vocab 17-18 due TOMORROW; sign up sheets with topics posted tomorrow; choose topic by Wednesday 10/17
* read / discuss chapters 8-9 in Night (did not finish in 7th period)
* Look at sample outline / essay / etc.

Literary Analysis Paper: Frederick Douglass and Night

the overview:
Frederick Douglass and Elie Wiesel both impacted their audiences through their writings. However, their similarities reach far beyond surface connections: both men suffered injustices based on elements of themselves they could not control; both found the strength to survive; both sought a truth they knew could not be found within themselves. By taking a deeper look at the texts, one may also find connections in the religious allusions, imagery, thematic elements (such as hope, knowledge, age, responsibility, or self-reflection), the importance of voice, specific characters or roles, and repetition. By analyzing these autobiographies, one may hope to create a well-written, four-paragraph essay which discusses both the similarities and differences of these two pieces.

the assignment:
We will think about and respond to the two autobiographies we completed thus far: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Night. We will complete three parts to this compare and contrast / analytical essay: an outline (due Friday, 10/19 at the beginning of class); a rough draft, including a separate works cited page (due Friday, 10/26, at the beginning of class); and a final copy, including works cited page (due Friday, 11/2).

The outline should start with the MLA heading in the top, left corner (not in the header) and only appear on the first page. The introduction (Roman numeral one [I]) should contain four parts: attention getter, background information for Frederick Douglass, background information for Night, and a thesis statement. See the sample outline for an example. Your outline needs complete sentences for the attention getter and thesis; you may simple list information for the background (bullet points) or you may write it out in complete sentences, if you prefer. The two middle body points should have at least four parts: a topic sentence, written completely, and at least three supporting details (may be bulleted). The conclusion should restate the thesis (not exactly word-for-word) but reword the same idea in a different way. This should also be a complete sentence.

Again, a "rough" copy should be as complete and correct as possible. You will have 25 minutes Friday, 10/26 to review your partner's literary analysis and peer edit. The 15 minutes of that time will be dedicated to silent reading / reflection / grading and the last 10 minutes will be allotted to discussion. Graded rough drafts (peer edited) will be due to the teacher at the end of the period Friday, 10/26. If absent on this day, you and your partner will be allotted one extra day to meet to arrange peer editing. If you do not have your rough draft on the assigned day without a slip signed by a parent explaining legitimate reasoning (not "I just didn't get it done") you will forfeit your 100 points for the rough draft. The teacher will return the rough drafts (with additional commentary) by Monday, 29 October.

As with the last formal essay, final copies must be typed. You need to print out two copies of the final paper, stapling the rough draft and outline under the final copies.

I will mark "kinds" of errors only once in a paper (i.e., if you do not capitalize the first letter your sentences, I will mark the first sentence and no subsequent sentences). Due to time constraints on this assignment and the desire to not take any more time away from our Romeo and Juliet unit, we must stick to deadlines. If you are present, the paper is due. This paper will focus not only on following criteria but sticking to deadlines as well.

Remember, your outline should have four parts: an introduction, two body points (one for comparison and one for contrast), and a conclusion. Thus, your essay should correlate with this and contain exactly four paragraphs. Word count should be between 500-1000 words, total. Include a word count at the end of your paper. Use no more than 15 "be" verbs in your paper. Do not include any 1st or 2nd person pronouns in this piece (outline, rough draft, or final copy). Eliminate statements such as "I think" or "I believe."

You should include direct quotes from both pieces in your writing to support your ideas. Be as specific as possible. Broad statements such as "both men suffered hardships" or "both men survived a lot" will earn little points. Be specific without being melodramatic. To learn how to include in-text notation (direct quotes), visit this link. It will also explain a works cited page. For additional help, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab's MLA section.

As with all formal writings, include your word count at the end of your essay. Follow all other standard procedures for formal writings, including title page and double spacing. To review my requirements for formal writings, visit the link below: http://english9h.blogspot.com/2006/08/format-of-formal-writings.html

the content:
Only five students may sign up for each topic below. Choose carefully; you will not be able to change once you've signed up. Sign up sheets will be posted the morning of Tuesday, 10/16 outside my door. Notice both books, Frederick Douglass and Night, appear in all choices; you cannot write a compare/contrast essay over one book. Both must be included in your essay.

• Religious allusions in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Dark / light imagery in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Hope in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Understatement/overstatement OR ambiguity/hyperbole in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Knowledge in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Self-reflection OR the impact of "event" on self v. whole in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Importance of voice/speaking out in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Hugh Auld v. Moche the Beadle as teachers
• Mother figures (or lack of) in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Repetition of words in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Responsibility in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Age / impact of age in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Animal imagery / zoomorphism in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Strength in numbers v. Individual strength in Frederick Douglass and Night
• Writing style / tone / mood in Frederick Douglass and Night

extra help:
As always, if you feel like you need help beyond what is available in the classroom, I will be available in my classroom before school 7:00-7:25am and after school until 4:30pm. I also check my email daily and may provide assistance this way as well. I cannot provide assistance if you do not ask; claiming to "not understand" an assignment and not asking for help is inexcusable. If you do not ask for help I will assume you understand the assignment and plan to turn it in, completed, on the due date. Again, this assignment will NOT be accepted late, so plan appropriately.

the values:
outline of analysis essay -- 50 points
rough copy of essay, including works cited page -- 100 points
final copy of essay, including works cited page -- 200 points

resources:
sample outline, introduction, title page, and works cited page: http://www.geocities.com/missyfeller/english9h/freddoug_night.pdf

summary of important information and dates:
15 October -- receive assignment / project sheets
16 October -- sign up sheet posted for topics
19 October -- outlines due, 50 points, typing not required
22 October -- graded outlines returned
26 October -- rough drafts due (no late rough drafts accepted), 100 points, peer editing, typing not required but preferred
29 October -- graded rough drafts returned
2 November -- final copies due, 100 points, must be typed (grade will be on 3rd six-week grading period)

Indiana State Academic Standards met by this project: 9.3.2, 9.3.5, 9.3.9, 9.4.1, 9.4.2, 9.4.3, 9.4.13, 9.4.5, 9.4.7, 9.4.8, 9.4.10, 9.4.11, 9.4.12, 9.5.3, 9.6.1, 9.6.2, 9.6.3, 9.6.4

Standard 5, Writing

Standard 5, Writing: Applications (Different Types of Writing and Their Characteristics)

At Grade 10, students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and description in texts (research reports of 1,000 to 1,500 words or more). Students compose business letters. Student writing demonstrates a command of Standard English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features. Writing demonstrates an awareness of the audience (intended reader) and purpose for writing.

In addition to producing the different writing forms introduced in earlier grades, Grade 10 students use the writing strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features to:

10.5.1
Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories that:
• describe a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience.
• locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
• describe with specific details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; in the case of short stories or autobiographical narratives, use interior monologue (what the character says silently to self) to show the character’s feelings.
• pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
Example: After reading an example of an autobiography, such as Helen Keller’s Story of My Life, use the structure of the autobiography to compose an autobiography of your own.

10.5.2
Write responses to literature that:
• demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary works.
• support statements with evidence from the text.
• demonstrate awareness of the author’s style and an appreciation of the effects created.
• identify and assess the impact of ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
• extend writing by changing mood, plot, characterization, or voice.
Example: After reading a short story, such as “The No-Guitar Blues” by Gary Soto, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, or “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, write responses that address each of the bulleted points.

10.5.3
Write expository compositions, including analytical essays, summaries, descriptive pieces, or literary analyses that:
• gather evidence in support of a thesis (position on the topic), including information on all relevant perspectives.
• communicate information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently.
• make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas.
• use a variety of reference sources, including word, pictorial, audio, and Internet sources to locate information in support of a topic.
• include visual aids by using technology to organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs.
• anticipate and address readers’ potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations.
• use technical terms and notations correctly.
Example: On self-selected appropriate topics, keep an academic log that lists essential student-generated questions on the topic, information in response to each question from a variety of sources including word, pictorial, audio, and Internet resources complete with accurate citations. When each question has been researched, summarize in your own words how you would synthesize the information in order to arrive at an overall thesis on the topic. Write an essay on the thesis.

10.5.4
Write persuasive compositions that:
• organize ideas and appeals in a sustained and effective fashion with the strongest emotional appeal first and the least powerful one last.
• use specific rhetorical (communication) devices to support assertions, such as appealing to logic through reasoning; appealing to emotion or ethical belief; or relating a personal anecdote, case study, or analogy.
• clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs, and logical reasoning.
• address readers’ concerns, counterclaims, biases, and expectations.
Example: Write a letter to a television network to persuade the network to keep a program on the air despite low ratings.

10.5.5
Write business letters that:
• provide clear and purposeful information and address the intended audience appropriately.
• show appropriate use of vocabulary, tone, and style that takes into account the intended audience’s knowledge about and interest in the topic and the nature of the audience’s relationship to the writer.
• emphasize main ideas or images.
• follow a conventional style with page formats, fonts (typeface), and spacing that contribute to the documents’ readability and impact.
Example: Write a letter of support or complaint in response to service that you received at a store or restaurant. Address the letter to the manager, including a clear account of the incident and requesting that he or she take appropriate action in response.

10.5.6
Write technical documents, such as a manual on rules of behavior for conflict resolution, procedures for conducting a meeting, or minutes of a meeting that:
• report information and express ideas logically and correctly.
• offer detailed and accurate specifications.
• include scenarios, definitions, and examples to aid comprehension.
• anticipate readers’ problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings.
Example: Take notes while watching or listening to a physical therapist give instructions on the proper way to lift, carry, or move large objects. Incorporate these notes into a safety manual to be used in the classroom or in a job setting.

10.5.7
Use varied and expanded vocabulary, appropriate for specific forms and topics.
Example: Write a sentence for use in a formal letter of complaint: The thermostat is dangerously defective as it fails to maintain a safe temperature, and I am seeking a replacement or full refund.

10.5.8
Write for different purposes and audiences, adjusting tone, style, and voice as appropriate.

Research Application

10.5.9
Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that:
• uses information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia), distinguishes between primary and secondary documents, and documents sources independently by using a consistent format for citations.
• synthesizes information gathered from a variety of sources, including technology and one’s own research, and evaluates information for its relevance to the research questions.
• demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized, that the topic has been refined through this process, and that conclusions have been drawn from synthesizing information.
• demonstrates that sources have been evaluated for accuracy, bias, and credibility.
• organizes information by classifying, categorizing, and sequencing, and demonstrates the distinction between one’s own ideas from the ideas of others, and includes a bibliography (Works Cited).
Example: Write a report on the Globe Theatre, gathering information from books, such as Shakespeare’s Theatre by Jacqueline Morley, videos such as “Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Restored,” and Web sites by using a key word search for “Shakespeare” and “Globe Theatre.” Explain why the theatre was significant in the development of Shakespeare’s works.