Essay 1 Information
- First version due: the day before Class 11
- Include a separate “Works Cited” page and cover letter describing the strengths of the essay and areas for improvement.
- First version: 4–5 pp. (1000–1250 words), typed, double-spaced (Times New Roman, 12 pt.).
- Revision the day before class 17. Length: approx. 6–7 pp. (1500–1750 words).
- Attach a revision cover letter describing changes in the new version.
- Write an analytical essay (page lengths above) in response to the question below. You will need to analyze specific examples from texts to support your points; use parenthetical citations to document sources. Be sure to introduce quotes adequately, transitioning smoothly between your writing and that of sources. Introduce your texts by providing a brief historical context and including authors and dates of publication; craft a clear thesis statement previewing your argument.
- Analyze three major rhetorical strategies in each text.
- Revision (E1V2) Revise analysis and include at least one more rhetorical strategy for each text. Include at least 250 words of new material in the revision; bold or highlight material added in revision.
Assignment
- By closely analyzing two “first wave” texts (list below), identify and discuss the key rhetorical strategies used by such activists as Angelina Grimke, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Anna Julia Cooper, Frederick Douglass, Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell, and/or Susan B. Anthony to argue for gender equality. What approaches did they use in their writing or speeches to try to convince the people they were addressing? Who was/were their intended audience(s)? How did their use of language and types of argument aim to appeal to this audience(s)? Explain what each writer or speaker was trying to achieve and how their arguments aimed to help them accomplish their goals.
- Readings to choose from:
- Angelina Grimke—“Human Rights Not Founded on Sex” (1837)
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton— “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” (1848); “Our Costume” (1851); “The Solitude of Self” (1892)
- Sojourner Truth—“Ain’t I a Woman?” (1851)
- Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell—“Marriage Agreement” (1855)
- Susan B. Anthony—“Speech after Being Convicted for Voting…” (1872)
- Frederick Douglass—“Why I Became a Woman’s Rights Man” (1881)
- Anna Julia Cooper—“Woman’s Cause is One and Universal” (1893)
- You are very strongly encouraged to weave in references to class lectures, films, and readings (e.g., Boydston, Davis) to set the historical context for your close reading of the texts.
- You are also encouraged to integrate images into your essay from the “Online Museum” resources or other online sources.
