Essay #3 (In-Class Argument)

Tuesday, Oct 27, 2015

Topic: Inequality

Purpose: In the previous essay, you demonstrated your ability to analyze and evaluate the
rhetorical strategies used by other writers. The following essay exam is designed to assess your
ability to construct a logical argument. Appeal to ethos (ethics) by composing coherent sentences
that are free from grammatical, spelling, and mechanical errors; by demonstrating your
knowledge of the issues and readings; and by fairly addressing opposing viewpoints; appeal to
logos (logic) by creating structured arguments that include a debatable central claim, strong
supporting claims, and evidence from the text (quotation analysis and paraphrase) and other
detailed examples that support your argument; and appeal to pathos by incorporating vivid
words and details and using authentic voice to engage your readers throughout.
Description: Write a 3 (full)+ page essay in response to one of the following options. You will
have 100+ minutes to complete this assignment.
Option 1: It seems that the wealth gap widens every day as the 1% get richer and the 99% get
poorer and less powerful. While some argue that social inequality is an inevitable result of
civilization, others insist that social inequality actually prevents the progress of a society. In The
Gospel of Wealth, Andrew Carnegie argues that social inequality is a result of survival of the
fittest. However, Karl Marx contends, in Communist Manifesto, that wealth should not be
concentrated in the hands of the few because it causes dehumanization amongst the masses.
Defend or refute one of the following claims:
1. Communism is incompatible with civilization.
2. Capitalism is incompatible with humanity.
Guidelines: Draw equally from BOTH essays in your essay. Also, incorporate the following
terms into your essay: the law of competition, Social Darwinism, proletariat, bourgeois
Option 2: Virginia Woolf, writing Shakespeares Sister in 1929, argues that Elizabethan women
were prevented from displaying their talents due to an oppressive patriarchal society. In her short
story, The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman demonstrates how the 1920's woman
has still not achieved liberation. She is still coddled by the men around her (husbands and
doctors) and treated as if she does not have an independent mind of her own.
Defend or refute one the following statements:
1. Women have been liberated from the oppression described by Woolf and Gilman.
Therefore, there is no longer a reason for feminism.
2. There is still a need for feminism because the project of feminist advancement is
radically incomplete (The Guardian).
Guidelines: Draw from BOTH essays in your essay. Also, incorporate the following terms into
your essay: patriarchy,

Essay #3 (In-Class Argument)

Tuesday, Oct 27, 2015

Directions:
Take advantage of pre-writing strategies by reflecting on real-life observations, in
conjunction with classroom discussions and debates on the topic and readings, to create a
scratch outline and a working thesis that will help guide you in your essay development.
Begin with a brief introduction (no more than half a page long) that presents your topic
to readers. Provide a rhetorical prcis of the two essays you choose to include in your
essay, and end your introduction with a thesis statement that is clear, debatable, and
rational. You may wish to preview the organization of your essay in the thesis.
o Example of a rhetorical prcis: Margaret Mead, a renowned anthropologist and
feminist argues in Sex and Temperament that gender roles are arbitrary
concepts that do not contribute to harmony within a society.
In your body paragraphs, support your thesis with secondary claims.
o Begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence, in your own words (not a quote
or paraphrase).
o Develop each paragraph with evidence from classroom readings, personal
examples and observations; however, keep in mind that personal narrative should
be kept to a minimum, and your focus should be on analyzing your experiences,
rather than simply telling the reader about them.
o Regarding textual evidence: integrate each quote correctly with signal phrases
(NO DRIVE-BY QUOTES), use MLA format to cite your sources, and use
appropriate strategies to analyze each quote, making sure the reader understands
the connection between the quote and your ideas.
End with a conclusion that summarizes your points, restates your central claim, and
leaves the reader with a sense of closure (make sure to emphasize the importance of your
argument in the final statement).
Use a blue book and two blue or black ink pens. Although there is no specified number of
paragraphs, the essay must be at least 3 full pages (about 3 sheets of paper if you write front and
back).