Essay 2 Directions: The Writings of the Puritans/Age of Faith (the darker side) and the The American Enlightenment/Age of Reason Remember that your focus must be on the literature not the history. You do that by focusing entirely on the texts themselves. Stay away from quoting the Perkins editors since they are not the focus of our studies.

Prompts: (Choose one) 1

Subject

Writings of the Puritans pertaining to the witch trials

Intended Learning Outcome

Compare how different writings regarding the witch trials illustrate different sides of the story

Prompt

Compare the motivations behind the writings of Cotton Mather, Mary Easty, and Samuel Sewall. Use specific examples from their texts to demonstrate the purposes of their writings and how they are different from each other. Your thesis must make one, single unifying argument about the differences of all three writings.

2

Subject Jonathan Edwards’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

Intended Learning Outcome

Compare the concept of God in Edwards’s sermon with another writer from this section

Prompt

Compare the concept of God in Jonathan Edwards’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” with another writer from this section. Include specific examples from “Sinners” and the other text you choose to illustrate how those concepts are similar or different.

Age of Reason 3

Subject

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography

Intended Learning Outcome

Evaluate the methodical, consistent approach in The Autobiography to Emersonian thinking

Prompt

Emerson states,

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.”

As evidenced by the 13 virtues in The Autobiography, Franklin took a methodical, consistent approach to moral self-improvement, much opposed to Emerson’s quote. Nonetheless, both Franklin and Emerson were productive and successful individuals. Defend or support Emerson’s statement as it pertains to Franklin’s autobiography. Use specific examples from Franklin’s work to justify your position.

4

Subject

The writings of Thomas Paine

Intended Learning Outcome

Analyze the rhetorical strategies in Thomas Paine’s writings

Prompt

Analyze the use of logic and sarcasm in Thomas Paine’s writings to achieve specific purposes. Provide specific examples from one or more of his writings to illustrate how he uses those two methods to prove a point(s) or achieve an effect(s).

5

Subject

Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech

Intended Learning Outcome

Compare the rhetorical strategies of a speech and a sermon during the Enlightenment period

Prompt

Compare the rhetorical strategies from Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech with Edwards’s sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Argue which one uses rhetorical strategies more persuasively to provoke action from its audience. Use specific examples from both texts to support your opinion. (Rhetorical strategies include things like the following: Subject, Purpose, Context, Audience, Speaker, Diction, Syntax, Structure, etc…).

6

Subject

Olaudah Equiano’s “Narrative”

Intended Learning Outcome

Analyze the American concept of self-reliance and reinvention in Equiano’s “Narrative”

Prompt

Analyze the American concept of self-reliance and reinvention in Olaudah Equiano’s “Narrative” by identifying key moments when his character changes as a result of self-reliance and/or reinvention and explain why those moments are significant. Your thesis must make an argument about the significance of those moments.

Grading criteria on next page Grading Criteria: You will be graded on the following:

Essay addresses the prompt

Has a clear thesis/main idea in the introduction that unifies the essay. The thesis cannot be implied or vague.

Thesis cannot be a simple fact or a question. Thesis must be debatable.

Body paragraphs have clear topic sentences that suggest the direction of each paragraph

Body paragraphs provide textual support (quotes) in each paragraph from the literature being analyzed. (Intro and Conclusion do not have to contain quotes).

Body paragraphs use sufficient analysis to support the thesis.

Body paragraphs do not merely summarize the literature.

The entire argument focuses on the literature as the subject of discussion. It does not turn in to a history lesson and go off topic.

Uses proper paper format (MLA)

Uses Standard American grammar and spelling. (Also, no text messaging language, profanity, or slang)

Has a Works Cited page at the end that follows proper MLA format (The Works Cited page does not count towards the minimum length requirements).

ANALYZE, DON’T SUMMARIZE!! Please do not give me a history lesson or a book report.