Essay Writing Crafting An Argument

This course equips students from the Division of English with the skills to craft essays about literary works at the undergraduate level. Through a closely linked series of written assignments, students will learn to approach writing more purposefully at all points of the writing process, especially while choosing and developing an argument. Extending upon general principles of essay writing, the course focuses on issues that pertain to the study and criticism of literature: explication (close reading), literary analysis and argumentation based on both direct textual evidence and critical sources. Students will be encouraged to write according to MLA style, while writing in their own voice and for their own intellectual fulfillment. Other important topics include: plagiarism and ethics, organization and structure, writing mechanics and grammar, and peer editing.