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First draft due in class on Tuesday, Dec. 11. It must be at least 3 pages long, with an introduction that contains the thesis of the essay, as well as a preview of how you’ll defend that thesis. Bring two copies to class.

Final draft due at the beginning of class on Thursday, Dec. 13.

As always, the final draft must be 4-5 pages long, typed and double-spaced, standard font and margins, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Include with it the two team edited first drafts, along with a brief and detailed statement of how you improved your final draft. Put all material in an envelope and hand it to Mark.

If you want to receive the graded paper back with comments, submit all drafts in a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

The assignment

Write an interesting, tightly-built, well-proven argument about John Edgar Wideman's "Our Time". You will be proving a thesis about the Wideman essay, but bring in at least one of the other three essays (WP, SD, RR) as contrasting evidence.

By now you should be comfortable with coming up with a topic on your own. As I once wrote to you, the strongest papers tend to develop something that genuinely bothered or puzzled you as you read the essay.

Watch out for overly general topics - they'll lead you to disorganization, warmed-over ideas from class, and unargumentative plot summary. There are plenty of specific characters, puzzling juxtapositions, and surprising contradictions to analyze in "Our Time", so focus on details like a laser beam and develop a thesis based on the evidence of close reading.

If you're still stuck for inspiration, don't forget the old standbys: attack something in the essay by rooting out subtle flaws or contrasts - or defend something in the essay by exploring hidden and important connections easily missed by a less observant reader.

Some of the stronger papers this semester have been full contrasts of how two essays we've read treat one very carefully defined topic. If you take this approach, make sure the ultimate payoff is a fresh understanding of the JW essay.