In an essay of 2,000- 2,500 words, employ the technique of argumentation. Select a topic from the The New York Times List.
Lesson 14 – Writing Assignment: Love, Marriage and Family
Consider the essays assigned in this lesson, and the reading questions from this lesson’s notes.
Choose a single essay to focus on (one assigned during this lesson) and write a 1500-3000 word response, using one of the prompts below. Your written response should an MLA-formatted Word document. Do not type into the text box for this assignment. Your assignment will be evaluated based on how well you address the question selected, your use of a clear claim or main point, your use of examples or evidence to support your claim, organization and clarity.
Be sure you know whether the essay you’ve chosen is a personal essay (first person, true story about the author’s life) or an expository essay (an informative or persuasive essay on a topic, which using evidence to support arguable claims). Choose a writing prompt that aligns with the type of essay you have selected
Questions for Personal Essays:
- How does the essay define a marriage or a family?
- What tone is the author expressing? Does his or her tone change? What causes the change and how is it signaled to the reader?
- What literary devices (metaphor, symbol, description, dialogue) are used? What effect do these devices have?
- What is the author’s overall main idea? What lesson or argument does the essay seem to convey?
- Why is this event important to the author? Why should it be important to us as readers?
- What scenes or vivid images stand out after you’ve finished reading the piece? Why are they memorable?
- What cultural beliefs or customs are revealed in this essay? Considering its time and place of composition, how do today’s American beliefs or customs compare?
Read: Marriage and Christian Vocation
Questions for Expository Essays:
- How does the essay define a marriage or a family?
- Is the main point stated or implied? What is it? Is it clear? How it is supported throughout the essay?
- What was the most compelling or most effective piece of evidence?
- Does the author make it a point to define or classify family or types of families?
Submit your proofread, MLA-formatted Word document here. Do not copy and paste text into the assignment submission or comments field.
Also see: Marriage and Family Sexuality