Would you want to live in Edward Bellamys utopia?
Based on your reading of Looking Backward, what was Bellamys critique of the world of Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller? Why do you think that Bellamys vision of the future was so popular in the late 19th-century United States of America?
Feel free to pick any of these questions as your essay topic.
Here are instructions for how to write your class essays.
How to write your class essays
You are responsible for five responses to the five primary source books. Each of these should be around 750 words long. They should consist of three parts.
1. Exposition. Your first paragraph should describe the book, and briefly explain what you have decided about one or more of the questions that I have posed.
2. Development. The middle of your essay should explain your answer. It should offer details about the main arguments and content of the book to support your claims. It should also offer background from Give Me Liberty!
3. Conclusion. Your last paragraph should recapitulate your argument, and add some final point that you think bolsters your perspective.
Don’t be reluctant to use phases like “in this essay I argue . . . ” or “I think that . . . ” or “in conclusion, I believe that . . . “
Quote from the book when you find some passage that illustrates your points. Use your Give Me Liberty! textbook to provide background, or to add additional quotes. But don’t over-quote from either of the books. Use your own words. And don’t just copy passages from the books or other sources verbatim as if they were your own, that’s plagiarismLinks to an external site..
As for your reference style, just use a parenthesis format (Bellamy, 125) or (Foner, 353).
Your teaching assistants will grade your papers from 100 to zero.
High grades (90+) will go to focused papers that emphasize a strong argument backed by clear references. These papers also pay attention to correct spelling and grammar.
Medium grades (80-99) will go to competent papers that touch on the questions, but with less focus, organization, or reference backing.
Lower grades will go to all other submissions.
Your paper is due on the day when the assignment prompt says it is due. The assignment module will allow you to submit the paper for a week after the due date, but you will receive a ten point deduction on your paper grade. Then the assignment module will close and you will not be able to submit the paper any longer and you will lose five points from your final grade.
Here is my policy on missed assignments and quizzes.
BTW: Please don’t edit your assignment after the due date passes. The software will probably mark your submission as late, which it in fact will be, and a consequence will incur that ten point lateness penalty.
