Assignment
For paper 3, you will write about the memoir you read, addressing the appropriate essay prompt below.
Essay Prompts
Reyna Grandes A Dream Called Home: A Memoir Essay Prompt
Throughout her memoir, Reyna Grande is looking for home, for a sense of belonging. In your essay,
First briefly introduce the author and the book (in the introduction).
Then identify and analyze two or more ways that her upbringing challenged her sense of having a home and belonging (identify these in your thesis). Give specific examples from the memoir in your body paragraphs.
Finally, analyze the ways in which Grande manages to find a home and feel a sense of belonging, giving examples from the memoir as you support your points in your body paragraphs.
As part of your analysis, discuss and cite on at least two of the other readings from our course that relate to the book. You may choose any course texts, but the following research might be especially helpful in your analysis:
cultural legacy (Gladwell, Outliers),
mindset (Dweck, Brainology),
grit (Duckworth, Grit), (“The Limits of ‘Grit,'” Denby),
willpower (Baumeister and Tierney, Willpower),
building resilience in children (Tough, How Kids Learn Resilience),
drive (What Drives Success Chua and Rubenfeld),
confidence (The Confidence Gap Kay and Shipman),
anxiety in college (Cox, The Student Fear Factor),
self-compassion (Robson).
Required Minimum Number of Cited Texts: A Dream Called Home and at least two articles or books that we have read in the class (3 texts).
J. D. Vances Hillbilly Elegy: Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis Essay Prompt
In the Introduction of Hillbilly Elegy, J. D. Vance lists reasons he wrote the book, claiming, I want people to know what it feels like to nearly give up on yourself and why you might do it. I want people to understand what happens in the lives of the poor and the psychological impact that spiritual and material poverty has on children (2). Drawing on Vances account of his life, discuss at least two impacts of poverty on peoples development:
First, briefly introduce the author and the book (in the introduction).
Then discuss the impacts of poverty (identify the impacts youll discuss in your thesis). Give specific examples from the memoir .
Finally, analyze the ways in which Vance copes with these impacts in his effort to reach his goals and have a happier life. Give specific examples from the memoir in your body paragraphs.
As part of your analysis, discuss and cite on at least two of the other readings from our course that relate to the book. You may choose any course texts, but the following research might be especially helpful in your analysis:
cultural legacy (Gladwell, Outliers),
mindset (Dweck, Brainology),
grit (Duckworth, Grit), (“The Limits of ‘Grit,'” Denby),
willpower (Baumeister and Tierney, Willpower),
building resilience in children (Tough, How Kids Learn Resilience),
drive (What Drives Success Chua and Rubenfeld),
confidence (The Confidence Gap Kay and Shipman),
anxiety in college (Cox, The Student Fear Factor),
self-compassion (Robson).
Required Minimum Number of Cited Texts: Hillbilly Elegy and at least two articles or books that we have read in the class (3 texts).
Wes Moores The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates Essay Prompt
In the Introduction of his book, Wes Moore claims, The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his. Our stories are obviously specific to our two lives, but I hope they will illuminate the crucial inflection points in every life, the sudden moments of decision where our paths diverge and our fates are sealed (xi).
Moores memoir suggests there are reasons beyond the individual that guide the sudden moments of decision such as poverty and systematic racism. Analyze two or more impacts that poverty and systematic racism have on one or both of the Wes Moores. Arguably, these impacts can be seen in ones mindset, grit, willpower, and sense of hope.
First, briefly introduce the author and the book (in the introduction).
Then discuss the impacts of poverty and/or systemic racism (identify the impacts youll discuss in your thesis). Give specific examples from the memoir in your body paragraphs.
Finally, analyze the ways in which the writer Wes Moore is able to deal with these impacts in his effort to reach his goals and have a happier life. Give specific examples from the memoir as you support your points in your body paragraphs.
As part of your analysis, discuss and cite on at least two of the other readings from our course that relate to the book. You may choose any course texts, but the following research might be especially helpful in your analysis:
cultural legacy (Gladwell, Outliers),
mindset (Dweck, Brainology),
grit (Duckworth, Grit), (“The Limits of ‘Grit,'” Denby),
willpower (Baumeister and Tierney, Willpower)
