Prompt: Using your understanding of 1984, Brave New World, or The Handmaids Tale address the following question: What does the author of your chosen novel expose in our own flawed society? How do they depict the settings, conflicts, themes, characters, etc. in order to draw attention to problems facing society today? Create an argument, and use at least 3 pieces of textual evidence from the book to support your argument.
Your argumentative essay should include:
an introduction: DO NOT summarize the novel; provide a clear thesis statement
purposefully organized body paragraphs, with analysis supported by relevant reasons and direct, MLA cited evidence tying back to your thesis
a conclusion that effectively wraps up your essay, and leaves the reader with a lasting impression and addresses the SO WHAT?
3 or more pieces of direct evidence from the novel
2-3 pages, double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman/Arial Font, One-inch margins
Introduction to argumentative writing:
Argumentative writing asks the student to make a claim or take a position on a topic and then to identify, evaluate, and provide textual evidence that offers reasonable support for the claim. Some examples of argumentative writing include editorials, opinion pieces, and some forms of literary analysis.
Strong argumentative writing begins with an introductory paragraph that provides a general context for the topic and then presents a reasonably narrow thesis statement that explicitly states the writers claim, or position on the topic. The body paragraphs of an argumentative essay focus on providing relevant reasons and evidence that support the thesis. Argumentative essays often contain direct quotations, or citations, submitted as evidence. All quotations should be introduced and explained. Argumentative essays develop a writers claim through transition words that create cohesion and that make connections between reasons and citations. Strong argumentative essays end with a conclusion that revisits the main point of the thesis statement and synthesizes the evidence that has been provided in support of the writers claim.
