Raisin in the sun play
Raisin in the sun play
Format: *Single-space your header, including only name, course title, and date. * Double-space your assignment. * Use Times New Roman font. * Include an introduction with a thesis statement and no generalizations. * Include body paragraphs with evidence from the text and analysis of that evidence. * Include a conclusion paragraph that re-states your argument and gestures to a larger conclusion. * Use parenthetical citations. No Works Cited list is required. * 2-3 pages.
Assignment: In a thesis-based, analytical essay, explain Hansberry’s argument about both the specific situation her characters find themselves in and the larger statement about the human condition that she is making.
Tips * The only evidence that we have is the dialogue from the play. Therefore, use the dialogue from the play to prove your point. * Avoid list-like paragraphs. Instead, connect the ideas in your paragraphs. * Consider using the by examining…, we can see… thesis statement formula. * Don’t summarize. Imagine that your reader is someone who has read the play (so she knows what happens) but hasn’t taken our class (so she doesn’t know your interpretation).
Your Grade Will Be Based on Your Paper’s: * Originality. Do not regurgitate lecture. Instead, build on the class lecture and discussion in order to make a new point about the play. * Thesis. Your paper should make a nuanced, provable argument about Raisin in the Sun. Avoid repeating yourself: do not prove one point many times. Prove one complex point once. * Analysis. Do not summarize. Remember who your audience is: someone who knows what happens in the play, but not why it matters for your thesis. Write to them. Base your analysis on quotations from the text; they are the evidence that proves your thesis. * Clarity. Write well: Use transitions to connect ideas. Define difficult terms. Explain why a quotation matters. Format your paper neatly. Proofread for typos and errors.
