ESSAY FOUR—(Writing about Dimly Seen People)-organization should receive more public notice than they do
For this assignment, you should write a four to six page sourced essay (four sources
minimum) in which you argue that a certain individual, group, profession, or organization
should receive more public notice than they do. Your approach can be laudatory, in
which you use research to argue, for example, that the work of public servants, little
known artists, or volunteers represents such a meritorious contribution that society needs
to take note. Alternately, your approach could be one of warning in which you present
research indicating that a certain group (perhaps a little known cult, racist group, or social
media trend) has the potential to do harm and should be more closely observed. Your job
will be to describe, with fairness and accuracy, your chosen subject and the reasons
society should devote more attention to that subject.
*You may recognize that the title for this assignment is inspired by David Grann’s
epigraph (a quote from William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom!) introducing Chronicle
Three of Flowers of the Killer Moon.
Suggestions for writing:
- Remember that this essay should not heap uncritical praise or unsupported
accusation upon a particular subject. You need to base your assessments upon
credible evidence. - Remember that a subject’s actions, whether praiseworthy or blameworthy, will
remain abstract unless those actions are fleshed out with adequate examples and
evidence. - Remember to anticipate and answer objections to your thesis and supporting
arguments.
Matters of form: - Your essay should be double-spaced using twelve-point font, preferably Times
New Roman. - Your name, course and section numbers, and the day’s date should appear in the
top left-hand corner. - The essay title (an original, not the title of the assignment) should be centered at
the top of page one. - Sources should be cited parenthetically and should correspond to the entries in
your Works Cited page. A good example of a Works Cited page appears on page
475 of Rules for Writers.