Paper details
–Length: 700-900 Words
–Due: Wed Dec 9th (11:59 pm)
— MUST BE WRITTEN IN MLA FORMAT
Take-Home Final Prompt:
Consider the following quote from the critic Kermode’s discussion of apocalyptic narratives: “Out of a
desolate reality would come renewal.” In your view does Coetzee’s novel’s ending confirm, challenge, or
qualify this quote from Kermode?
Composing Your Essay::
Introduction: in your introduction you should do three things:
Introduce the issue set forth in the prompt, using the language of the prompt in explaining the concern or
issue it raises.
Then briefly introduce the text in light of this issue,
And conclude with a thesis statement, a single generalization that reveals some insight into human nature
based on what you have discovered in the course of writing your essay. Such statements should be
thematic in nature: for example, “While loyalty to x may be valued, it is loyalty to y that is most prized.”
Body Paragraphs: In each of your body paragraphs you should analyze some aspect of the text under
study , typically in the order of the plot sequence (beginning, middle, end):
Typically, for such a paragraph you should introduce the part of the work/key example(s)/part of the book
you will examine here (Life and Times of Michael K) and then link it to the issue identified in the prompt and
your introduction
Then in the middle of the paragraph you should explain how the text treats the issue for this part of the
book/element of the story/key example(s).
A couple of quotes per body paragraph might be a good rule of thumb for this type of analysis
End the paragraph with a concluding generalization that connects back to your overall argument
Conclusion: identify your overall conclusion/generalization/takeaway about what this text suggests about
the topic/issue. Pay especially close attention to the specific ending and outcome.
Quote Integration:
Integrate your quotes (typically 1-3 lines in the body paragraph) in accord with simple MLA format. This
entails the following three-step sequence:
introducing the quote with a lead-in sentence or signal phrase [“At this point in the poem/story the speaker
states:”]
Then supply the quote (with page number in parentheses). [Note, you can use ellipsis—three periods . . . –
to omit the less essential middle part of a long quote and make it fit more concisely for your paragraph.]
Then provide a sentence or so of specific commentary about the quote connected to your developing
argument. [The fact that the Mariner now must wear the albatross suggests . . . ]
Note: no works cited or bibliography page needed for this essay—just cite the page numbers in
parentheses for the quotes, or chapters if you have no page numbers]