back to Filipino American Lit.

ESSAY #1: THEMATIC UNITY

The Filipino American experience is extraordinarily diverse, as is evident from the literature we've read so far. For this essay, develop the theme of balancing cultures, illustrating this theme with at least three of the poems or short stories we have read so far.  You will need to determine the scope of your topic, and exactly what you want to say about it.

Begin by jotting down examples of the theme that interest you.  In exploring; peruse the web site and class blog site for links, review the reading assignments, your class notes, and your journals for discussion of the theme.  Freewrite about the theme and which reading assignments shed insight on it, to determine which you will use as support in your essay. Narrow your choice to three, and submit it to me on Thursday March 16, along with a rough thesis or two.

When starting your draft, you're probably most aware of what works for you. Personally, I comb through the reading assignments and find sections that shed insight on my theme, simply jotting them down on a piece of paper so that they're in a central location. I'm not concerned about the quality of my ideas, but rather I'm simply taking inventory. As this list evolves, I observe patterns, commonalties in the different works. These patterns often lead to a thesis, or force me to revise whatever rough thesis I have so far. As you can see, the writing process is very organic, sprouting up ideas in unexpected ways but bearing rich fruit.

You have numerous resources at your disposal, first and foremost your peers. Talk or e-mail your way through ideas. Consider building upon the many ideas that we have discussed in class, whether in person or on Interchange, or upon one of your journals. In addition, consider employing one of the various literary tools with which to understand the literature:  analysis of the imagery, symbolism, language:  denotation and connotation, narrative of the story/poem, character development, as it relates to the theme. 

Your final draft will be graded on the following:

·        Sophistication and insight

·        A thesis that has a resounding "so what?!"

·        Solid development of your thesis

·        Appropriate chosen quotations that lend insight to your interpretation

·        Organization (ideas progress logically)

·        Unity and coherence (your ideas flow smoothly)

·        A reference page according to MLA format

·        An original and creative title for your essay

·        Spelling, grammar, sentence variety, etc.

PAGE LENGTH: FOUR PAGES

DUE DATES:

q       PROPOSAL: March 16

q       PEER RESPONSE (at least 3 pages typed): MARCH 23

q       FINAL DRAFT:  MARCH 30