Personal Response Paper Assignment Overview There are many reasons to study literature. One reason is because literature helps us understand people in the past and how they tried to understand and respond to problems or issues in their own society. Another reason, though, is because literature helps us understand ourselves and how we can respond to problems or issues in our society. For this assignment, you will select one of the literary works we read and analyze it in terms of its personal relevance to you. When you analyze the text, you want to make it clear how the text's original message to its original readers offers you wisdom, advice, or encouragement in the present. You can relate this to your personal circumstances or, more broadly, to an issue that affects our society today. The goal here is to demonstrate that you are thinking deeply about literature, “digging deep" into the text, and considering its value or relevance in today's world. Paper Requirements: Your paper should... • Have a strong thesis about the relevance or value of a literary work. Express ideas in a clear, coherent manner throughout Present ideas in a well-structured and systematic way throughout (use argumentative topic sentences). Support claims with strong and appropriate textual evidence. Analyze evidence in order to make it clear how it supports the claims. Follow all academic conventions and assignment rules. Be proofread carefully and free of grammatical errors, spelling errors, and awkward syntax. Be at least 500 words in length (Note: papers that do not meet the minimum page limit will automatically receive a "D" Be double-spaced Use Size-12 Times New Roman font Have 1-inch margins Include centered page numbers at the bottom of the page Include your name, assignment title (Personal Response Paper), class number (ENGL 203), and due date in the top left-hand corner Cite all direct quotes/paraphrases with parenthetical citations (follow MLA guidelines). Note: papers that do not cite properly will automatically receive a "D" Note: you do not need to include a Works Cited Page! Use quotations to identify short works (e.g. "The Friar's Tale," "The Altar") and italics to identify long works (e.g. The Canterbury Tales, Othello). Note: this is one of Dr. Jeffrey's pet peeves, so please do this! 1 Rubric Thesis Clarity & Organization Evidence Analysis Form & Convention Characteristics of Great Papers "A" This paper has a strong thesis statement-the writer promises to "dig deep" and offer insight into the text's meaning and message. This paper is always clear and systematic-ideas are always presented in a clear, coherent, and well-organized manner. This paper always follows claims with strong and appropriate evidence. This paper always supports its claim with strong analysis of the evidence. This paper always follows academic conventions and assignment rules. Characteristics of Good Papers "B" This paper has a strong thesis statement-the writer promises to "dig deep" and offer insight into the text's meaning and message This paper is mostly clear and systematic-ideas are mostly presented in a clear, coherent, and well-organized manner. This paper mostly follows claims with strong and appropriate evidence. This paper mostly supports its claim with strong analysis of the evidence. This paper mostly follows academic conventions and assignment rules. Characteristics of Average Papers "C" This paper has a weak thesis statement-the writer promises to "dig deep," but the thesis is descriptive instead of analytic. This paper is sometimes clear and systematic- ideas are sometimes presented in a clear, coherent, and well- organized manner. This paper sometimes follows claims with strong and appropriate evidence. This paper sometimes supports its claim with strong analysis of the evidence. This paper sometimes follows academic conventions and assignment rules. Characteristics of Bad Papers "D" This paper has an unclear or confusing or indefensible thesis statement-the writer's analytic goal is not clear. This paper is rarely clear and systematic-ideas are rarely presented in a clear, coherent, and well-organized manner. This paper rarely follows claims with strong and appropriate evidence. This paper rarely supports its claim with strong analysis of the evidence. This paper rarely follows academic conventions and assignment rules. Characteristics of Failing Papers "F" This paper does not have a thesis statement-the writer has no analytic goal. This paper is virtually never clear and systematic-ideas are never presented in a clear, coherent, and well-organized manner. This paper virtually never follows claims with strong and appropriate evidence. This paper virtually never supports its claim with strong analysis of the evidence. This paper virtually never follows academic conventions and assignment rules. 2