For your first essay, you will write a 3-5 page paper (750-1000 words) based on one of the prompts on this
page. This paper will be similar to papers you wrote for your English 101 and 102 courses in that it should
follow the conventions of MLA format pertaining to one-inch margins, the heading, title, and works cited page.
Refer to the Course Calendar for due date.
When writing an essay on a work of literature, your primary goal is to demonstrate your skill as a critical reader.
You do this by 1) formulating an argumentative thesis about a specific text; 2) supporting that thesis with
specific examples from the text; 3) integrating those examples with your own analysis and insight.
This is what I chose to write about:
- Analyze “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” in terms of theme and narrator. Does the Wife’s background provided by
Chaucer in “The General Prologue” give her adequate credentials to tell such a story? You might also consider
her use of humor to convey her message, and its effectiveness in doing so.