Moon s Day, March 16: True Lies, Head To Head

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1 Moon s Day, March 16: True Lies, Head To Head EQ: How can we use both Aristotle and Kafka to describe the truth of fiction? Welcome! Gather ESSAY RUBRIC, pen/cil, paper, wits! Discussion: Kafka, Aristotle, and the Truths of Fiction ELACC12RL-RI1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis ELACC12RL-RI2: Analyze two or more themes or central ideas of text ELACC12RI3: Analyze and explain how individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop ELACC12RL4-RI4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text ELACC12RL5: Analyze an author s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text ELACC12RL6: Distinguish what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant ELACC12RI6: Determine an author s point of view or purpose in a text ELACC12RI8: Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal texts of World Literature ELACC12RL-RI9: Analyze for theme, purpose rhetoric, and how texts treat similar themes or topics ELACC12RL10: Read and comprehend complex literature independently and proficiently. ELACC12W1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts ELACC12W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas ELACC12W4: Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience ELACC12W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis ELACC12W10: Write routinely over extended and shorter time frames ELACC12SL1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions ELACC12SL3: Evaluate a speaker s point of view, reasoning, evidence and rhetoric ELACC12SL6: Adapt speech to a variety of tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English ELACC12L1: Demonstrate standard English grammar and usage in speaking and writing. ELACC12L4: Determine/clarify meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases ELACC12L6: Acquire and use general academic and domain-specific words and phrases

2 BritLitComp 1102 Analytical Essay #3: Aristotle, Kafka, and Modern Fiction 50 point Major Assessment due at the end of class Tyr s Day, March 24 We ve been talking about fiction for a few weeks now, and you ve read fiction and read about it. Our focus has been the idea that fiction is true just not in the same way that nonfiction is true. For guidance on that idea, we ve looked principally at two thinkers: Aristotle, who in Poetics argued that the truth of fiction ( poetry ) is philosophical not worldly, universal not specific, and higher than historical truth; and that fiction can therefore get away with the impossible as long as it is plausible ; and Franz Kafka, whose Metamorphosis is one reason his name has become an adjective, Kafkaesque, reflecting situations in which a character s situation within his world, and reaction to it, strains hard against the plausible, whether it is possible (as in A Hunger Artist, in which a man starves himself for money) or impossible (as in the case of Gregor turning into a roach). Now think about how these two ways of seeing the truth of fiction are similar and different, and decide how each comes to bear on the book you have chosen to read. That s your prompt. To be judged adequate, your essay MUST: o Be submitted in MLA Format, Standard Academic English. Review expectations. o Run at least 700 words. You cannot seriously deal with all I m asking for in less. o Quote at least SIX TIMES from this unit s reading, properly formatting, citing and integrating each passage. The six are to be distributed thusly: 1+: Aristotle, Poetics, tr. S. H. Butcher. Mineola, NY: Dover Thrift Editions, : Edwards, Ivana, The Essence of 'Kafkaesque, New York Times, December 29, : Kafka, Franz, Metamorphosis, tr. Stanley Applebaum. Mineola, NY: Dover Thrift Editions, : The book you chose; 1+: one more from Aristotle, Edwards, Kafka, or your book. o Be organized into well-developed paragraphs which develop your thesis the specific argument your essay seeks to make. Your essay needs the following: Introduction giving overview of the issue and leading to your answer (thesis). Body of several paragraphs which develop your thesis in several ways: Philosophical discussion of thesis, reflecting why it matters; Evidence from assigned readings and history/personal experience; Counterargument articulated and answered. Conclusion which proposes new thinking or call to action based on thesis. o Have a Works Cited section at the end of your paper. See Syllabus. This essay will be graded using the rubric on the other side of this page.

3 ENGL 1102 Essay Evaluation Rubric Standard or Component score MLA Format Document /10 pts MLA Format: Quotations /30 pts MLA Format: Works Cited /10 pts Cogency: quality of argument /25 pts Content: evidence /25 pts Mechanics, Conventions, and Language NO EVIDENCE Rewrite Required No Credit Missing ESSAY RECEIVES NO CREDIT MAY BE RESUBMITTED - Header top left - student name - class name - teacher name - submit date - Title - name/page# top rt. - double spacing Lacks one or more assigned quotations; Works Cited section or entry missing; Not clearly organized in paragraph form Essay does not attempt to make a point about the topic No introduction No discussion of thesis in text, life Mostly summary Lacks one or more required quotations 10+ errors Essay loses 20 points NOT YET MET Rewrite Urged 20-60% credit Problem with: - Header top left - out of order - wrong name, date - Title not centered - Title really lame - name/page# pp. 2 ff. - spacing problems - font problems - margin problems 5+ errors exist: 5+ errors exist: Too much summary Introduction does not have a thesis Errors of fact No philosophical discussion of thesis Weak discussion of thesis in text or life No attempt at counterargument No discussion of why thesis matters No call to act No clear conclusion Thesis abandoned Errors of fact/logic in evidence / examples few and vague Quotations relevance not explained 5-9 errors Essay loses points BARELY MET Rewrite Suggested 70-79% credit Minor Problem 3-4 errors exist: 3-4 errors exist: Essay s point already obvious; no real argument is made Vague thesis Errors of logic discussion scattered Some discussion of thesis in text or life raised but not answered Weak on why thesis matters, call to act Conclusion weak Thesis somewhat in focus through essay specific but scant numerous but vague in reference to thesis Quotations relevance somewhat explained 3-4 errors Essay loses five points STANDARD MET Rewrite Welcomed 80-89% credit 1-2 errors exist: 1-2 errors exist: Essay proposes general argument that is not obvious Clear thesis discussion focused Good discussion of thesis in text, life raised and answered Good on why thesis matters, call to act Conclusion clear Thesis in focus for most of essay sufficient and specific Quotations sufficient and relevance explained 1-2 error Essay loses no points CRUSHED IT! You may gloat! % credit Perfect MLA Format All quotations cited, formatted and integrated perfectly (+5 pts) Works Cited section formatted perfectly (+5 pts) Exceptional essay: Argument specific, original, surprising Tightly stated thesis discussion rich Strong discussion of thesis in text & life raised and crushed Thorough on why thesis matters, act Conclusion strong Thesis in focus all through essay Exceptional essay: Abundant and specific details for evidence/examples Quotes plentiful, fully supportive of thesis No errors +5 Bonus! Comments: Essay Grade

4 "What's Kafkaesque is when you enter a surreal world in which all your control patterns, all your plans, the whole way in which you have configured your own behavior, begins to fall to pieces, when you find yourself against a force that does not lend itself to the way you perceive the world. "You don't give up, you don't lie down and die. What you do is struggle against this with all of your equipment, with whatever you have. But of course you don't stand a chance. That's Kafkaesque. History [is] going to roll over everybody, everybody [is] going to become a victim of history. That's Kafkaesque. You struggle against history and history destroys you." Frederick R. Karl, in The Essence of Kafkaesque, New York Times, December 29, 1991

5 Aristotle ( BCE), Poetics Edited and adapted from Aristotle, Poetics, tr. S. H. Butcher. Mineola, NY: Dover Thrift Editions, 1997 Universal truths describe how a person of a certain nature will, on a specific occasion, speak or act, according to the laws of probability or necessity. This is the aim of poetry [fiction]. History tells us what actually happened; poetry what may happen. Poetry tends to express the universal, history the particular. For this reason, poetic truth is a higher truth than historic truth. With respect to the requirements of art, a probable impossibility is to be preferred to the thing improbable and yet possible.