The Scarlet Letter Essay

Name: ______Pd. ___

Requirements:

 3- 4 page paper

 one citation from a critical article

 eight citations from the novel

 three bolded vocabulary words

 Hardcopy

 Submission to turnitin.com

Overview: You are responsible for writing a 3-4 page paper on The Scarlet Letter. You should tailor your essay as if it was a mini-critical paper, as, indeed, it is. You will choose one of the three topics listed below and generate a unique thesis. Your topic should be broad enough to invite unique and interesting insight and not just summarize the events of the novel. You will find excellent examples of the type of thesis statement you need to generate as you do a little research to find a relevant article to cite in your paper. I have provided you with a number of brainstorming questions to consider as you begin to delve into these topics. You are not limited to my questions, but you should keep in mind that the best thesis statements (and papers) will be those that address many of these questions all under the umbrella of one large essential question. This essay will be worth 100 points; see the Heading section below for a breakdown of the points. There will also be additional points awarded for preliminary steps of writing this paper. For example, the submission of your thesis will be worth 5 points, the submission of a parallel outline will be worth 10 points, and the submission of relevant quotes and analysis will be an additional 10 points.

Deadlines: The below table provides the tentative due dates of each step of this mini-critical paper. On the date listed a typed, hardcopy of the assignment due should be present in class. You will receive points for each step of the paper completed. You should expect to take part in individual and peer editing for the steps listed below; some steps may also be collected and reviewed.

DO NOT FORGET! Peer tutoring is available every Monday after school in C117 and during ninth period, which is a great resource for getting additional peer editors. Also, the writing center is open every day but Tuesday in E139 and is staffed by English teachers who will help you refine your essay. And, finally, I am also available during 9th period, X-period, or by appointment. No matter who you choose to see to help revise your essay, keep in mind having specific goals and sections that you know need addressing helps ensure your time with your tutor is spent productively.

Date Assignment Brainstorming & thesis statement

outline

Parallel outline

Notecards (quotes)

Works Cited page Completed rough draft (including revised works cited) Good copy (hardcopy & turnitin.com submission)

Topics:

1. Discuss Hawthorne’s portrayal of guilt and sin within the novel.

a. What universal ideas/beliefs does Hawthorne express? ( this is key to why this novel has endured and key to developing an interesting thesis)

b. Which crimes are considered the most severe (by Puritan standards? By Hawthorne’s?)

c. Do the penalties match the crime? In other words, are the punishments fair and just?

d. How does Hawthorne’s portrayal of guilt and sin connect to Puritan? American values/ beliefs? (This is a great spot to consider Emerson and Thoreau)

2. Discuss Hawthorne’s characterization of Hester.

a. Is Hester a heroine?

b. How does Hester embody American ideals such as individualism?

b.i. Emerson/ Thoreau connection

b.ii. Also consider what individualism entails: bravery, strength, etc…

c. What does Hester’s return to the community at the end of the novel suggest?

3. Discuss Hawthorne’s characterization of Pearl.

a. Is Pearl her own person in the novel or merely a representation or reflection of some theme or character trait? How is this demonstrated? How does this influence the reader? (Again, you might want to consider Emerson/Thoreau here for ideas on what it means to be an individual)

b. What does Pearl’s addition add to the novel? What would be altered without her?

c. Consider the end of the novel: Why does Pearl essentially vanish from the novel towards the end? Where does Pearl end up? What does this suggest?

Heading:

John Smith (50) Content

Honors American Literature, p. 5 (20) Grammar

Miss O’Reilly (20) Organization

13 January 2014 (10) Style

Title Do not forget to indent every paragraph of your paper. The entirety of your paper should be double spaced.

Additionally, you will need a Works Cited for this paper.

Content: Points in this section will be awarded for wise choices in quotes, analysis, vocabulary words, and word choice. In other words, this section will evaluate not only the value of your ideas but also the skill with which you express them. Therefore, in order to earn an A paper, you must carefully evaluate your choice of words (almost every one!) to ensure that you have eliminated weak words such as “good, shows” and “is.” This is applies to your title as well. Good titles are unique and interesting. They grab the reader’s attention and suggest the direction of your paper. In other words, if you write “Hester: An American Heroine” you are going to lose points for, while this title provides direction, it is neither unique nor interesting.

Grammar: Self-explanatory. Check and double check your spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Make sure you have no contractions. Evaluate your comma placement (check with your packet) to ensure you haven’t left out a key or create a comma splice. Also, remember your paper should be written in primarily in present tense! The only exceptions are when you refer to events that have happened outside of the novel or to events that have previously happened for the characters themselves. Also, do not forget about parallel structure (ex. Sentences, such as your thesis, that are joined by conjunctions or commas where all elements need to be the same part of speech), subject/number and subject/verb agreement, and dangling or misplaced modifiers.

Organization: This section will evaluate the flow of your argument. Every sentence should smoothly flow into the next either through a clear linkage of ideas or through the use of transitional words and phrases. Transitional words such as “first, second, etc…” should not be overly relied on as they are weak and often provided an insufficient bridge. Replace these weak transitions with more eloquent words such as “moreover, consequently, conversely, therefore,” and “indeed.” The order in which you present your ideas is just as important, however, as your ability to transition smoothly between them. For most topics, you will probably want to progress chronologically throughout the novel. If you do so, be sure you don’t take a quote from the end and stick it into your analysis about the beginning of the novel. You cannot misrepresent an author’s ideas. Also remember your paper needs to be building to some large idea of your own that extends beyond the black and white words in the novel. Thus, before ending a paragraph, you need to make sure that you have clearly connected back to your thesis. The best papers will not only clearly connect back but also end in such a way that the next paragraph can seamlessly pick up where you left off.

Format: This is a subsection of Organization. Your paper should be typed in size 12 Times New Roman font. Your paper should be double spaced and have one-inch margins. Additionally, your paper should include a properly formatted MLA style Works Cited (does not need to be on its own page) which includes the novel and the article you reference. Points in this section will also be awarded for the correct in-text citation format and for imbedding quotes properly. No more than ONE long quote should exist in a paper of this length. Long quotes (quotes more than three lines in length) require an alternate format. In depth information regarding proper citation format can be found on the library website or at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Name:______

Thinking about Critical Writing

Directions: Take a closer look at the AFTERWORD, which provides an excellent example of critical writing. You all read The Scarlet Letter and yet I am fairly confident that Regina Barreca, the author of the AFTERWORD, focused on ideas that you may never have thought about at all or at least never consider in quite the same manner and depth that she does. You can also clearly see that Barreca brings her own pronounced style and personality to her writing. This is your ultimate goal to create a paper on the critical paper that follows Barreca’s example.

To help you begin thinking critically go back and examine Barreca’s AFTERWORD to answer the following questions. You want to imbed the same things into your unique thesis/paper.

1. What connections does Regina Barreca make between the novel and modern life? According to her why is this story still relevant today?

2. List at least three things you were newly introduced to by Barreca’s “Afterword.” In other words, what interesting ideas did she present that you did not think about while you were reading.

3. Find one statement that you can refute and explain how.

4. List at least two examples of unique methods Barreca uses to expand her argument.