Essay Assignment #2

Essay Assignment #2 – Critical Review
Davidson – English 099

T 9/25: Essay #2 Assigned. Brainstorming.
R 9/27: Bring five ideas along with established criteria for each
T 10/2: Rough Drafts Due (Minimum Two Pages). Bring a copy for each group
member.
R 10/4: Discussion of Distributed Reviews. Writing Workshop.
T 10/9: 2nd Drafts Due (Minimum Four Pages). Bring a copy for each group
member.
R 10/11: Writing Workshop. Persuasive Strategies.
T 10/16: Final Drafts Due in Folder with Peer Response Drafts. Essay #3 Assigned.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

This assignment asks you to begin the process of evaluating, by writing a review of a movie, book, television series, recently released CD or DVD, musical or theatrical performance, art exhibit, restaurant or other public event, service or artistic performance. While you will certainly begin the process by exploring what you personally think and feel about the thing/event in question, you will also need to carefully consider standards/criteria that are appropriate given your rhetorical situation, as well as the attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and/or values your audience will bring to the topic. It is crucial to remember that reviews are a form of argument; and as such, they must be persuasive, meaning that they must present criteria and examples which seem reasonable and appropriate for their respective contexts and audiences.

Thus whatever thing you choose to review, you will need to spend some time not only exploring and analyzing your own reactions, ideas and feelings to the topic, but thinking carefully about the intended audience and context of the thing you are reviewing. You will then need to define standards that are appropriate for this rhetorical situation, and to explain and support your judgments in a way that your audience will not only appreciate, but find persuasive.

FORMAT:

The minimum length of this assignment is FOUR pages. Not three pages and a few lines onto the fourth page – four complete pages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. For the purposes of this assignment do not consult outside sources. You will need to hand in a paper copy and submit your work in electronic format to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on Tuesday, October 16th.