The personal opinion essay/ English
The Personal Opinion Essay –
Examples to read: “Adam” by Louise Erdrich
“Imagine There’s No Heaven” by Rushdie
“Life Boat Ethics” by Hardin
The examples you read are all personal opinion essays. Unlike the argument essay, which you probably wrote in ENC 1101, in this essay you don’t have to present all sides. We read the 3 examples listed above to get an idea of what this type of essay might look like. Your paper should be at least 500 words (two pages, double spaced, typed). Anywhere from 500 to 1000 words is acceptable. In this essay, include as least two outside sources that support your opinion and/or any points you make in your essay. Use MLA documentation style to cite your sources. In the menu bar for this class, click on “useful links” and then “MLA Information Guide” and also “Pro Quest Research Companion”. The essays I assigned for reading do not count as sources. Also, Wikipedia and other encyclopedia type sources do not count. Look for high quality, in depth, scholarly, reliable sources. Use “Turnitin” to submit this paper. The essay is due midnight Sunday, June 12th.
Topic Choices:
1] If you disagree with Rushdie’s argument in “Imagine There’s No Heaven”, address each of his points against religion and write a reply/rebuttal to his letter. You will need to address each of his objections if you choose this option.
2] Based on “Life Boat Ethics” by Hardin, answer the question “Should we continue to take in refugees who are fleeing their home countries due to war and persecution.”? Choose a position and argue for it with as much logic and evidence as you can.
3] Having read “Adam” by Erdrich, once a woman has given birth to a child who is damaged by drug or alcohol use, what should happen to that woman? Forced sterilization? Incarceration during subsequent pregnancies? Rehab? Prison? Nothing?
In the “class readings” menu tab for this class, there are 3 opinion essays that I did not yet ask you to read. I included them to offer you more choice of writing topics. If one of these sounds interesting to you, read the essay and answer the topic in your essay:
4] “Why Mow? The Case Against Lawns”: This essay argues against having lawns (perhaps replacing them with gardens). If you are an advocate of lawns, you can argue against the case made here by Michael Pollan.
5] “I’d Rather Smoke Than Kiss”: This essay defends smokers and bashes the “health nazis” who would ban smoking. If you are strongly anti-smoking, you could rebut the points in Ms. King’s essay and write your opinion to the contrary.
6] “Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of All”: Read this very moving essay by a marine in WWII, and argue for your opinion as to what the point of this essay is. What is Manchester saying about war and soldiers and the enemy?
