Select one of the topics below for an essay that is due either Wednesday, October 1 (Day 5), or Thursday, October 2 (Day 6). This essay must be approximately three pages in length.
As you prepare to write your essay, look over the readings you have liked so far and recall our discussions of their strengths. Especially keep in mind that they employ specific language, use “I” only when absolutely necessary, incorporate dialogue, and have something to say beyond merely telling a story. You should strive to write your essay as though it is being considered for publication in a book like The Eloquent Essay.
1. Annie Dillard’s “The Death of a Moth” presents her observation of a moth as an analogy about herself as a writer. Write an essay that describes your observation of or interaction with an object, animal, or person that allows you to draw comparisons between you and you subject.
2. Orwell’s “The Hanging” tells an anecdote in order to have the reader think about an issue that is of interest to everyone. With “The Hanging” as a model, write an anecdotal essay tha aims to do three things: to tell a very short, plausible story; direct your reader to think about an issue that has meaning for people beyond the narrator of the anecdote (preferably without directly identifying the issue); and plant enough clues along the way to suggest to the reader the attitude you believe he or she should adopt toward that issue.
3. Using Steinbach’s “The Miss Dennis School of Writing” as a model, write an essay that pays tribute to a person who has strongly influenced you. Your essay should include some details of that person’s life. In addition, the essay should clearly describe that person’s appearance, mannerisms, sayings, and impression on others. The ideal essay will also show your interaction with this person and clearly explain what you learned from him or her.
4. Following Iyer’s “In Praise of the Humble Comma,” write an essay that praises an object that is well-known and frequently used, but is nonetheless underappreciated. Realize, as you write the essay, that you are essentially redefining this object for your reader. That is, you must write about this object in a way that no one previously considered. In the ideal essay, the writing style will suit the subject matter, much as Iyer’s exaggerations were suitable to elevating the status of the “humble comma.”
5. Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” explores her, and her mother’s, relationship to English. Write
an essay that explores how a person’s use of English influences how others perceive him or her. What does that person sound like? Would you describe his or her English as fractured or limited, or does some other adjective apply? Does that person’s language use limit his or her opportunities? The ideal essay will use that person’s words to capture his or her expressiveness.
6. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” describes the obligation of philosopher kings to put their talents in service to society. In contrast, his “Ring of Gyges” story describes the selfish use of a special gift, invisibility. With these ethical contrasts in mind, write an essay in which you describe how you would use a superpower. Which superpower would you want to have? What would you do with it? The ideal essay will identify the benefits and drawbacks of your selected
power, discuss what your choice reveals about you personally, and explore the ethical implications of your power (whether you would use your power selfishly, for the benefit of society, or would you keep it hidden to yourself and not use it much at all).
