INDS 101 Journeys: Final Essay

Class: Interdisciplinary studies- journey

Book Needed:Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Ed. Nina Auerbach and David J. Skal. W.W. Norton & Co. 1996. Norton Critical Editions. Print. Paperback. (I do not have the book)

Basic instructions: Your Final Essay should meet each of the following content and format requirements:

• Consist of between 750 and 1,000 words, exclusive of header, title page, quotes, and Works Cited section

• Create a thesis that focuses your essay, supported by well-organized paragraphs (each with a topic sentence) and a well-reasoned conclusion

• Include at least four short quotations from the assigned readings to support the reasoning in your essay, explaining why each quotation supports your argument

• Document all primary and secondary sources according to the Modern Language Association (MLA) method of documentation with parenthetical citations everywhere you quote, paraphrase, or summarize

• Include a Work(s) Cited section at the end of your paper, and a header with your name, course number and section, and date

• Be word-processed, double-spaced, in 12 point font with no more than one inch margins all around, and be free of spelling, citation, and grammatical errors

Writing Prompt:Please examine all of the following four questions, using four examples and four quotes from Dracula:

• Which characters or actions does Stoker depict as “good”?
• Which characters or actions does Stoker depict as “evil”?
• Describe four episodes in which Stoker creates and then undermines these distinctions, using and explaining the quotes in each example to show how Stoker makes the reader doubt that a character or an action is really “good” or “evil.”
• Explain how the novel’s structure, a series of writings by individual characters, helps confuse whether a character or an action is really “good” and “evil.”

Grading Rubric: I use the following three categories to grade your written work: proper formatting and documentation of sources (25%), development of thesis and argument (25%), use of primary texts (25%), and grammar and spelling (25%), which categories include the following components:

Proper Formatting and Documentation of Sources:
MLA Works Cited section is accurate and complete
MLA format and citations are used error-free
MLA format title page and page headers are complete and error-free
Essay Meets minimum word count, exclusive of quotes, Works Cited section, headers and title page

Development of Thesis and Argument:
Each paragraph begins with a clear topic sentence
Essay exhibits analysis rather than summary of “what happened”
Essay discusses the writing prompt rather than generalized statements about the topic

Use of Primary Texts:
Four quotes used with four well-stated examples
Essay explains quote set-up and quote context
Quotes are connected thoroughly to thesis

Grammar and Spelling:
No spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors
Sentences are complete and free of grammatical problems