Essay writing task

Readings:
• “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass
• “A Homemade Education” by Malcolm X
Context:
• The readings you read and analyzed for this unit use their personal experience to exemplify thematic concepts such as perseverance and passion, in order to obtain self-education, identity, and purpose. These themes are universal, fundamental, and crucial morals and lessons in order to overcome personal or social obstacles, challenges, and injustices, for any person, group, or movement
Prompt:
• For this paper, first, compare/contrast both essays by discussing how X and Douglass exemplify a theme to overcome social injustice(s). Next, connect this theme to a person, group, or movement in their fight against a current social injustice. Lastly, connect this theme to you and how you’ve either exemplified these themes in your own life and/or needed to when faced with your own personal obstacles, challenges, or injustice(s)

o Think about this paper as being split into 3 parts with 1 connective thread – that thread being the Theme you’re focusing on
o The theme can link/overlap with other themes, but make sure you clarify the connection and stay focused on the particular theme.
o Each part/section should have at least 2-3 specific and developed examples
o Although you can write about Douglass and X within the same paragraph, keep in mind that you’ll need at least 2-3 examples for Douglass AND at least 2-3 examples for X, not 2-3 combined for both.
Purpose:

• The Douglass/X part is strictly from the readings – the purpose here is to assess close/critical reading skills

• The current societal issue part will require research from your library databases – the purpose here is to learn about social issues we are facing today and how people/activists are fighting against these injustices to create a better and more equitable world for all of us. The intention is that you may find accessible means to fight against something you also feel strongly and passionately about when the common person often feels to small or miniscule to do anything about these grander and “unreachable” societal or global problems

• The personal part will obviously require reflection from your life – the purpose here is to either bring awareness to your own ontological strengths and/or apply these morals and lessons to your own life, so that when you face those personal obstacles, challenges, or injustices in the future, you can draw upon what you learned from Douglass and X to overcome them.

Reframed as questions:

• How does Douglass and X exemplify a moral through their similar, yet different experiences as narrated in their essays?
• What are some current movements or current people who are also emblematic of these themes in today’s fights against injustice? How do they embody or exemplify these themes?
• How could/should you individually, or the people close to you learn from Douglass/X and apply it to your own life. Or, how have you or haven’t you applied these lessons in your past and how have you learned from it?

Expectations/Intentions/Learning Objectives:

• Thesis driven Reading Response Essay
• Solid essay components
• Application of your knowledge of comparison and exemplification (use and development of examples); synthesis and integration of sources/textual evidence
• Coherent structure and using the most logical and effective organization of ideas to address the prompt
• A display of comprehension, critical thinking, research, and reflection skills
• 3-4 page minimum. No Max. MLA format.