101A—Essay 2 Due: 5/2
Dialectical Essay:
The assignment is to write an analytic essay, in a dialectical fashion, using
one of the texts discussed in class. You may choose from any text we have
read, just be sure it readily lends itself to an explanatory, dialectical analysis.
For example, McRaney’s essay on Catharsis and Plato’s Symposium are two
texts that have been discussed in this fashion.
The idea here is to introduce/propose the central topic under discussion, as
presented in the material you are drawing from. Once that has been
established, locate specific dialectical shifts in the text, relating to the
general subject matter. Explain how each shift is relevant to the overarching,
fundamental topic. The goal is to work through a set of complications or
additions (a dialectic), towards building a more nuanced topic, as revealed in
the text you are analyzing.
You need to choose a minimum of 4 dialectical shifts that you will incorporate
into the general topic. This means that the paper requires a minimum of 4
substantial quotes that you will analyze. The particular moments you choose
should be clear enough that they can be tied to the larger concern of the
general concept; also, you need to be able to transition between the ideas,
showing some basic connections/relations between the various shifts.
The goal of this form of dialectical approach is to show the various levels
within the issue—to explore what aspects seem vital in understanding the
overall concept.
This assignment needs to follow the traditional analytic template. You need
to have an introduction that will state the article used, the author, the
particular issues of each body paragraph. Then, in terms of the body, the first
sentence should introduce the topic, the second should introduce the quote,
next implement the actual quote, follow that by an in-depth explanation of
the meaning of the quote/why it is significant as a question, and finally
transition to the next question. Make sure to have a conclusion as well.
12 pt. font, double-spaced, 4 full pgs. MLA Citations Required