English B Odessa College The American Dream And

Content—Do not stray from the question. Your answer should be your thesis statement, and you must directly engage with the primary text(s) and support your claims throughout your writing with scholarly/reputable sources.

Structure—Do not submit a solid piece of text without indentations, paragraphs breaks, etc. You must guide your readers with a traditional essay exam format.

Style/Tone—Do not use a conversational tone or language. Use a formal style and the third person narrative.

Editing—Be as clear and concise as possible.

MLA—Cite your secondaries properly to ensure that plagiarism is never suspected.

Select ONE prompt from the list below. Address it effectively with a specific thesis statement and ample academic evidence to support your claims in at least 500 words. Non-academic sources are not acceptable. The use of at least three secondary sources is required, and they must be cited correctly in-text throughout your answer and on the Work Cited page. (The materials I provide in the course DO NOT count towards your secondary sources). NOTE: The above criteria is the minimum requirements for the assignment. If you wish to do well, go above and beyond the stated demands of the exam.

1. Sandra Cisnero’s House on Mango Street germinates from her position as a double minority: Both a woman and Chicana. Explain how or why traditional interpretations of Mexican-American women negatively affects their current circumstances and/or perceptions from a political, economic, or biological standpoint in the United States and how that issue can be addressed and/or solved. Choose one idea and defend it with reasons, examples, details, chains of logic, the primary text, and academic secondary sources. Cite the latter two types of evidence appropriately in-text.
2. Analyze the arguments put forth in “Theme for English B,” “Let America be America Again,” “Advertisement for the Waldorf Astoria,” or “Salvation” by Langston Hughes within the context of Benn Michael’s overarching claims: America or being American is not the issue; it is the ideology and discriminatory practices of the majority that are the real problem, and as such, the embrace of racism, sexist, classism, etc. is actually a corruption of what American should and was promised to be for its citizens. Select one of the above works, and argue for or against Hughes’ implied or direct solutions to one of the noted issues with reasons, examples, details, chains of logic, the primary text, and academic secondary sources. Cite the latter two types of evidence appropriately in-text.