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  • ENGL 2322 Thesis Driven Essay 


    Assignment Overview: Write a thesis-driven essay that argues your position on one of the topics discussed in your class. Please refer to the module in Canvas regarding thesis statements. 

    Topics:  Choose a topic INSPIRED from one of the works you have (or haven't) read in The Norton Anthology of English Literature volumes A-C. All topics MUST relate to early British civilization (Medieval times, 16th - 18th centuries). You cannot discuss these topics in today's society.  

    Suggested Topics:

    • Chivalry 

    • Monarchy/Aristocracy  

    • Honor 

    • Religion 

    • Patronage for the arts 

    • Family or Friendships 

    • Mental Health 

    • Religious beliefs  

    • Desire and pleasure 

    • The body 

    • Memory 

    • Material Things 

    • Politics and ideologies 

    • Carnivals and other festivities 

    • Relations between what is public and private, the social, and the personal 

    • Relations between “high” culture and “low” culture 

    • The role of performance in everyday life 

    • Gender or Sexual Orientation 

    • Ethnic Background 

    • Social Class 

    • Divisions, conflicts, and multiple forces within the self 

    • Boundaries 

    • Gender roles 

    • Utopian Societies 

    • Dystopian Societies  

    • Assigned Work  

    • Rebellion or War in Literature

    Assignment Requirements: 

    • This essay should be 4-5 pages long (4 FULL pages minimum). 

    • Use MLA format and cite all sources.

    • You must include at least eight sources in this essay.  Incorporate selective, distinctive quotations from the articles that illustrate the author’s voice, tone, and ideas, but also contribute to what you say, not say it for you. 

    • Your essay should contain quotes and citations from the following sources: 

      • One (1+) primary source (from the textbook or elsewhere, if approved) 

      • Three (3+) articles (secondary sources) from the GC Library databases, EBSCOhost. 

      • One (1) digital media (such as a video from Academic Video Online database in the GC Library, TEDtalk, or Crash Course

      • One (1) article or ebook from Whitecaps OneSearch 

      • One (1) definition from a reputable online dictionary (such as Merriam-Webster) 

    • Finally, do not use first-person pronouns (I, me, we, us) or second-person pronouns (you); use third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they); do not use colloquialisms; use academic language; do not use informalities.