First Essay Assignment: Critical Analysis

Write an essay of 3.5 to 5 pages in response to one of the options listed below.  I will be happy to consider variations on these topics, but keep in mind that your essay must consist of a critical analysis of a written text or texts touching on our theme of history and cultural memory.  As you begin your essay, pay close attention to the suggestions in the Holt Handbook concerning how to generate a thesis, organize the body of an essay, and write cohesive paragraphs.  In addition, review the HH section on writing a critical analysis (pp. 147-51).  For this essay, your thesis should consist of a specific, clear assessment of your chosen text’s strengths and/or weaknesses–whichever you plan to focus on in your essay.

Several of the options below ask you to complete some basic research, such as locating an article or a movie review.  Any source that you cite (i.e., quote, paraphrase, or summarize), including Internet sources and readings assigned in class, must be listed on a separate works-cited page at the end of your essay.  Citations should follow MLA format (see HH 282-304 for details).

An additional handout is forthcoming with format requirements and strategies for composing an effective essay.  You should also consult the official English Department criteria for grading essays at www.auburn.edu/english/gb/gradesgb.htm.   For now, please note that I will read essays with the following questions in mind:

 • does the paper have a thesis?  is the thesis focused and well reasoned?
 • does the author appear to have read the chosen text(s) carefully?
 • does the author analyze or merely summarize the chosen text(s)?
 • are individual paragraphs fully developed and connected with transitions?
 • has the author made good use of quotations and other evidence?
 • is textual evidence cited accurately and in MLA style?
 • are syntax and grammar correct?
 

Duedates:   Sept. 17 – for conference, an outline or précis of your essay
         Sept. 21 – final draft
 
 

1.  Write a critical analysis of either Robert Blair St. George’s “Placing Race at Jefferson’s Monticello” or the selection we read from Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic.  (Please note: if you write on St. George, your essay must be a minimum 4 pages in length.) Your analysis should consider new evidence as well as points brought up during our class discussion: thus, it is important that you reread the selection to help you generate additional ideas.  Remember too that your critique does not have to be negative:  a critical analysis can also devote itself to analyzing the strengths of a text (or a combination of strengths and weaknesses).  Just make sure that your thesis clearly and accurately conveys your overall assessment of the text.

2.  Write a comparison/contrast critical analysis of any two of the articles we studied on the Hiroshima bombing: Hersey’s “A Noiseless Flash from Hiroshima,” Connor’s “The U.S. Was Right,” or Alperovitz’s “The U.S. Was Wrong.”

3.  Write a critical analysis of an editorial or op-ed column that deals with a historical controversy not covered in class.  Examples include: the proposed monument for World War II veterans on the National Mall; reparations for slavery or other past injustices; Civil War monuments and symbols; the recent debate over Senator Bob Kerrey’s involvement in civilian deaths during the Viet Nam War; or a topic of your own choosing.  If you choose this option, please speak to me briefly to get approval for the topic before you start.

4.  Recent historical films, such as The Patriot, Pearl Harbor, U-571, and Life Is Beautiful, inevitably seem to invite the wrath of critics who feel they distort history.  The Patriot, for instance, was accused of misrepresenting British war tactics as well as the role of African Americans in the war.  Write a critical response to one or more reviews of a historical film of your choice.  Remember that your primary goal is not to write a critical analysis of the film itself, but an analysis of how the film was received by critics.  (You should have no difficulty finding links to movie reviews on the Internet, but please do see me if you would like some assistance.)