Description

Topics and Instructions for your Analysis\ Definition Essay (1200-1500 words). 

Word Count mandatory and please use font size 12. Your essay’s grade value is 20%. 

Essay is due Sunday, February 7th at 10pm . Late submissions will be penalized . Submissions over 24 hours will Not be accepted and will get a 0. 

All topics involve development by analysis/definition. For more detailed info on the theory and pertinent resources, go to the previous week’s attachments.

Choose ONE of the topics listed below and write a 1200-1500 word essay on it.

TOPIC ONE. “My name is X, and I am an addict.” This topic is ONLY for those of you who either struggle or struggled with an addiction. I have assigned this topic before in the previous semesters and I often got surprisingly candid personal essays in which students discussed their addictions to things like online gaming, smartphone and social media use, weed, alcohol, smoking, gambling, sex and relationships, or online porn. I also received essays where students expressed their concerns about their addiction to shopping (often referred euphemistically as “retail therapy.”) Please note that if you are feeling anxious or depressed, you cannot discuss it as addiction because they are more like mental or emotional conditions over which we generally have no choice. Addictions, on the other hand, originate in making choices , like you chose to have that first smoke or that fist toke and so on and on.

So this is a personal essay but you need to clearly define addiction and indicate its three or four traits or elements and the way they impacted your life. My follow-up points on Marie Winn’s essay “The Plug-In Drug” should give you an idea. REMEMBER THAT IT IS NOT A RESEARCH ESSAY SO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM USING SOURCES OTHER THAN YOU OWN EXPERIENCE AND,PERHAPS, A SOURCE FOR YOUR DEFINITION BUT EVEN HERE YOU CAN DEFINE ADDICTION YOUESELF BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF IT.

Structure—Intro, 3-4 main body paragraphs, and conclusion. Since this is a personal essay, use first person and less formal language ( slang, informal usage or even sentence fragments are OK.

TOPIC TWO. Again in a formal, third person essay ( no “I” or “in my opinion”), analyze racism. In your intro, provide a clear definition of racism ( this actually will be your thesis) which indicates three ( for three main body paragraphs) “ingredients” or characteristics (distinguishing traits) of racism. Feel free to draw on Bisoondath’s points,as discussed in his essay “I am not a Racist but… .” DO NOT ARGUE WITH HIM. YOUR ESSAY IS NOT A CRITIQUE, BUT ANALYSIS. No sentence fragments, no further research, no first person). Same length 1200-1500 words. If you refer to Bisoonath’s essay, acknowledge the source MLA on the last page.

TOPIC THREE. Conspiracy Theories. Again, a formal, third-person discussion. Your intro should present the subject as quite timely these days and define what a conspiracy theory (ies) is (are).Your definition should clearly identify its (theirs) common traits that you will expand upon into your main body. For the three main body paragraphs, you should limit your discussion to three only.Use a brief conclusion to tie up your discussion. For sources, all you need to use is the essay by Lafrance “ The Prophecies of QAnon” and even better still John Oliver’s “Conspiracy Theories” on YouTube ( excellent source of clear information on the subject).

This topic requires some familiarity with American politics and culture, so if you don’t know much about it, leave it. Same length and structure as the other essays. If you have questions, please post them in the forum provided under this attachment,

Instruction Files