World Literature

Spring 2009

 

 

The Assignment:

 

Chinua Achebe and Jose Saramago both write about social stability. As the title suggests, in Things Fall Apart the world becomes disordered. Similarly, the world disintegrates in Blindness. Using ideas gained during our discussions on the Enlightenment, agree, agree in part, or disagree with the following: As Enlightenment writers, Achebe and Saramago write to correct the faltering ways of mankind.

 

The Particulars:

 

I encourage you to spend time on prewriting exercises. Take some time to process the prompt and take more time to form your argument. Your goal is to clearly articulate your position, using textual support. (Do not summarize the text; you can assume your audience has read the text.)

 

If you need help developing a thesis statement, please visit the Academic Assistance Center (Knutti, first floor). The Academic Assistance Center has a page dedicated to developing an effective thesis statement: http://www.shepherd.edu/scwcweb/hndthesis.htm.

 

You do not need to do any outside research. The essay should be four pages in length, and it should be double spaced; document citations according to the MLA Style Guide. If you need help with the MLA style, consult the following: http://www.shepherd.edu/scwcweb/hndquoting.htm.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to visit me during my office hours or drop me an email. The essay is due on Monday, March 2, 2009 at the start of class.