Formal Essay Assignment 1
AP Literature and Composition
Q1 Formal Essay
Topic: Read George Orwell’s “Killing an Elephant.” In a well-organized essay, explain how Orwell’s attitude towards British imperialism into Africa is similar to that of Conrad’s. In answering this prompt, be sure that you analyze both authors’ use of language in explaining not only what they have to say, but how they say it! Be sure to provide plenty of evidence from the text to support your response.
Requirements
1. MLA Format
* Typed, double-spaced, 12pt font, proper MLA style heading and citation, works-cited page, no cover page
2. 1000-1500 words
3. Must include at least three in-text citations.
Guidelines:
1. Do not merely recap the stories. I have read them both. Instead, focus on the analysis.
2. Remember, claims & evidence.
Ie…Both Orwell and Conrad make interesting use of figurative language in establishing their attitude about imperialism. For example, Conrad makes use of powerful imagery in chapter 3 when Marlowe comments that “I assure you that never, never before, did this land…appear to me so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought” (Conrad 72). Conrad’s use of “dark” imagery in describing the jungle becomes a motif throughout the text and reinforces the allegorical sense that this story is not only a journey into the heart of the jungle, but also into the hearts of wild men.
*** Notice how I write into and out of the quote. Remember, the sentence leading into the quote should set it up and the sentence after explains its relevance. Do not assume that just because you included a quote, that your reader will make the connection.
3. Make sure that you compose a clear thesis statement. Remember, a thesis may be more than one sentence as well. There are closed and open thesis statements.
Closed: In the writing of their post-colonial works, both George Orwell and Joseph Conrad make use of
Q1 Formal Essay
Topic: Read George Orwell’s “Killing an Elephant.” In a well-organized essay, explain how Orwell’s attitude towards British imperialism into Africa is similar to that of Conrad’s. In answering this prompt, be sure that you analyze both authors’ use of language in explaining not only what they have to say, but how they say it! Be sure to provide plenty of evidence from the text to support your response.
Requirements
1. MLA Format
* Typed, double-spaced, 12pt font, proper MLA style heading and citation, works-cited page, no cover page
2. 1000-1500 words
3. Must include at least three in-text citations.
Guidelines:
1. Do not merely recap the stories. I have read them both. Instead, focus on the analysis.
2. Remember, claims & evidence.
Ie…Both Orwell and Conrad make interesting use of figurative language in establishing their attitude about imperialism. For example, Conrad makes use of powerful imagery in chapter 3 when Marlowe comments that “I assure you that never, never before, did this land…appear to me so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought” (Conrad 72). Conrad’s use of “dark” imagery in describing the jungle becomes a motif throughout the text and reinforces the allegorical sense that this story is not only a journey into the heart of the jungle, but also into the hearts of wild men.
*** Notice how I write into and out of the quote. Remember, the sentence leading into the quote should set it up and the sentence after explains its relevance. Do not assume that just because you included a quote, that your reader will make the connection.
3. Make sure that you compose a clear thesis statement. Remember, a thesis may be more than one sentence as well. There are closed and open thesis statements.
Closed: In the writing of their post-colonial works, both George Orwell and Joseph Conrad make use of