ENC 1102: Essay One
Short Fiction Response Essay
(Highly advisable to get some instructor or writing center feedback first)
*This assignment, like Essays Two and Three, must be received by the deadline. According to the syllabus, you can still submit it up to 3 days later, with a penalty of -10 per day off of its original grade.
Directions: Find your short story reading list both in the syllabus activity schedule, Weeks One through Three, and in the Readings/Video module. Choose one of the readings that you found especially compelling, and write a response essay about it. In the essay, you should choose at least one literary technique you noticed in the story. To find out more about these techniques, notice the headings at the beginning of each chapter in the textbook. For example, character development is a literary technique. What stood out to you in terms of character development in “The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”? Your argument sentence in the introduction should mention both your impression of the story and the technique(s) you’ll be discussing. (ex. The setting and tone of the story created a sense of horror in “Cliffs Above the Pacific.” This short essay should have a minimum of 4 paragraphs and include a conclusion.
Important: Do not use any websites or supplemental information to complete this essay. Do not go online to read about your story. This is a response essay, so searching for information on the story invites plagiarism into the essay. Every word must be your own reflection and thoughts about what you read — trust your instincts. (Points deducted for use of other sources; zero for plagiarism.) I value what you have to say about the story, and you should, too.
Point of view: 1st and/or 3rd person. Avoid 2nd person in all essays this semester.
Format: MLA – this includes a Works Cited page. (Even though there may only be one story in the Works Cited, every essay this semester needs a Works Cited.) TIP: You can save yourself some time by using the sample Works Cited on page 47 as a template — just replace the author and story with the author and story you are using.
Word Count: 375 words
Style: Use a fresh voice, and avoid cliché and slang phraseology in your essay. Find a balance so that your essay is neither too informal nor too flowery. If words in the below box – and other trite words like them — are used in any of your essays in the course, 2 points will be deducted each time:
You
Did a good/great job
Amazing
Your
Absolutely
Awesome
Really, truly
Definitely
Very
Fantastic
A lot
Nowadays
Book: Literature to go Fourth Edition Michael Meyer and D. Quentin Miller
