Here, you will take the ideas you’ve developed from reading the short story and your research to make a claim about the value of your chosen fiction. Your essay should be a well-written, researched response to “How does your chosen literature foster a sense of empathy in the reader and why does it matter?”
Include the following:
An arresting, well-developed introductory paragraph
A developed thesis, at the end of your introduction, that answers the question posed by the prompt. This thesis should be restated at the beginning of your conclusion.
A summary of the short story (no quotes, 4-6 sentences)
A paragraph discussing the importance of empathy
2 analytical paragraphs that explain how the story fosters empathy in the reader. These paragraphs tend to be most successful when they focus on overarching themes or messages OR specific scenes. Each of these paragraphs should contain quotations from the literary text and analyze how those quotes – or the ideas/actions therein – help to make the reader more empathetic. When you are thinking about how a story creates empathy, you can think about negative examples, themes/morals, specific scenes, or the ways in which a story makes a reader adopt new perspectives.
A reflective paragraph in which you discuss the value of the story on both a personal and social level
A thought-provoking conclusion that restates the thesis and leaves the reader with something to think about
MLA formatting
At least 900 words
Written in edited academic English
|
Category |
Point Value |
Notes |
|
Formatting |
10 |
|
|
Summary |
10 |
|
|
Analysis |
30 |
|
|
Organization and Development |
20 |
|
|
Prose |
20 |
|
|
Reflection paragraph |
10 |
|