Writing #2

July 2003                                     Essay #2

Informative Writing--

Analyzing a Text/Defining a Concept

I know, I know—you just handed in Essay 1, and here Essay 2 is staring you in the face.  But remember, the sooner you get this assignment, the sooner you can begin thinking about possible topics, which begins the “percolation” of the writing process, the generation of interesting ideas, yadayadayada….

With Essay 2, you say goodbye to autobiographical writing--writing based more on imagination and personal feelings--and begin analytical, or explanatory, writing.  Your job now is to present information to your readers confidently and interestingly.  This type of writing is much more common both in academics and in the workplace (after all, how often will your boss want to know how you felt the day your pet rabbit died), and it is important that you master this style of writing.  However, though you are now dealing with established information instead of exploring memories, telling stories, or describing people, you must still make your writing interesting and vivid.  After all, the reader is still a reader, and requires both clear and interesting writing to keep him or her awake and involved.  We will spend the next week talking about some strategies to accomplish this and reading some great examples of interesting analytical and definition essays.

THE ASSIGNMENT

Essay 2 will again be an out-of-class essay (2 ½ - 4 pages, typed, double-spaced).  You have two very different choices for the type of essay you’ll write—choose one of the following for your essay:

1)                 ANALYSIS OF TEXT

Choose any writing from The Norton Reader that we have not covered yet in class, read it carefully, then analyze that writing in an insightful, specific study.  A good analysis is not merely a summary of the writing; instead, an analysis is your thoughtful, specific interpretation of one aspect of that essay.  You may bring an outside perspective to the essay that adds understanding for other readers, or you may carefully discuss how different elements work within the story.  Analysis is what we often do in our group discussions: find a specific idea found in that essay, and discuss how or why it works to add understanding or enjoyment to that essay.

2)            ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE

                        Take a word or phrase from another language or culture that doesn’t have an

accurate equivalent in English.  Clearly define this word or phrase in the context of its original culture, and try to define it’s equivalent in English.  For example, Americans have chosen to adopt the French phrase savoir faire because we could not replace it with a catchy English equivalent. 

Americans also refer to the Asian concept of “saving face,” but most Americans only have a vague idea of what this really means.  Someone familiar with Asian culture could explore the deeper or more numerous meanings of this phrase in its original culture compared to the shallower meaning it carries in English. 

You can also take a word or phrase used by a particular culture within the United States and highlight the differences in the understanding of that concept between groups of Americans.  Most typically, this will be slang, but it may also take the form of jargon (we’ll discuss both of those in class).  Or, instead of a slang word or phrase, you may also explore an idea that is not easily understood by all Americans.  Is there a distinct difference between the words “dinner” and “supper” in some parts of the country?  Can someone outside the club scene understand the concept of a “rave”?

For whatever term you choose, your first job is to clearly define this concept for your reader by making it accessible and interesting to them (avoid jargon, overly technical and boring terminology).  Think of yourself as a bit of an expert on this subject, whose job is to make this idea clear and interesting to your general reader.  The best way to accomplish this is to show your reader why you think this subject is interesting or important, and to make them see this subject in a way they never considered before.  You might think of yourself as a translator, taking specialized terms and ideas and relating them to your reader in more understandable and interesting ways.

Essay 2 Rough Draft will be due Tue, July 15, to be peer edited in class).

Essay 2 Final Draft is due Thursday,  July 17, by class time.

  twolff@shoreline.edu