The purpose of this initial assessment is to a) gauge the students’ comprehension of the summer reading and their ability to tackle the literature of the course, and 2) consider the proficiency and eloquence of students’ academic writing to guide future writing instruction. Toward this end, it is necessary to collect a brief but polished writing sample. The essay will be 15 sentences long exactly, following a strict outline provided for you on the back, and will be worth 30 points.
Your essay should illustrate how a character from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight reflects the social standards or stereotypes of medieval England society. SGatGK is a text that illuminates the culture of court more than it depicts epic battles or acts of grandeur. How does it suggest people should act in society?
What are the behaviors it prescribes to readers? What behaviors does it prohibit?
You should also explain how the character is affected by and responds to these cultural expectations of them. In what ways does the “standardized” set of behaviors restrict/liberate what a character can say or do? Does your chosen character resist against the traditional norm or conform to it? Think about what
the cultural norm is and who is positively and negatively affected by it and how.
