Rubric for Senior Essays

A senior level essay should have the followingfeatures:

Introduction--The intro should include:

--thetitles and authors of the works under discussion. Remember to underline oritalicize the titles of full length works and put the titles of poems and shortstories in quotation marks.

--athesis statement that does the job of connecting the “how” and “what” of theliterary work in some meaningful way.

“How”: How do one or more of the structural features ofthe work serve to suggest and reinforce the meaning?

”What”: What is the theme/issue/main idea of the work orworks under discussion? This statement of meaning must be at the appropriatelevel of specificity--neither too general (e.g. “love”, “death”), nor toospecific (i.e. a statement that merely summarizes the action).

Bodyparagraphs--Each body paragraph should:

--havea clear and logical purpose as part of the overall discussion and support ofthe thesis. This purpose should be apparent from the topic sentence andtransitional phrases.

--containmultiple details and quoted passages from the works under discussion.

--containdiscussion that explains the importance of the supporting details and quotes tothe thesis.

--showevidence of a mind at work in thediscussion of details: e.g. develop second points, recognize ambiguity andirony, raise contradictions that will later be resolved.

Conclusion--A conclusion should:

--containa more global and reflective discussion of the issues presented in the thesis.The conclusion reaches beyond the work to finally assess the importance andbeauty of the author’s ideas.

Format--The paper should:

--betyped, use 1.5 line spacing, and use a font no larger than Times, Times NewRoman, or Helvetica.

--followMLA guideline for heading, margins, and title (including the last name, page #heading starting on page 2; check the sample papers in the handbook for apicture).

--useMLA format for citing quotes.

--usepresent tense verbs when describing fictional action.

--havean MLA style Works Cited List.

Essays will be graded on the following scale:

Brange--A B range paper will fulfill all ofthe criteria above, but will be flawed in ways that do not diminish thefundamental clarity and coherence of the paper. One of the body paragraphs may lacksufficient detail, the logic of certain explanations may be unclear, the introor conclusion, though clear in purpose, may be lackluster. A B paper may be toorigid or lifeless in its adherence to form, lacking acknowledgment ofambiguity, graceful transitions, or interesting connections from paragraph toparagraph. An A range paper can land in the B range if it contains too manymechanical errors (generally, more than 3 per page).

Arange--An A range paper fulfills all thecriteria listed above and shows evidence of original thinking and crisp,polished writing. This might mean the pursuit of a particularly daring,ingenious thesis, the recognition of interesting connections between passagesand ideas (beyond those discussed in class), or the eloquent use of languagesignaling a high degree of commitment to the craft of writing. In all cases, anA paper will contain few to no errors.

Crange--A C range paper has a clear,overall point, as evidenced by a clear thesis and the writer’s attempt toorganize paragraphs in such a way as to support thesis. But a C paper willsuffer from lack of clarity and coherence at the body paragraph level. Topicsentences may be lacking. Supporting detail may be spare. Papers shorter thanthe assigned length will be excellent candidates for a C. A B range paper thatcontains too many errors will fall into the C range.

Drange--A D paper has problems at thethesis level. It lacks a clear purpose and hence presents problems oforganization, clarity, and coherence throughout. Very short papers and paperswith a ridiculously high number of errors will receive D’s.

F--This grade is reserved for papers that a) areappallingly short, b) are offtopic, or c) contain more errors than correct sentences.

0--Plagiarized papers receive this grade.

Latepolicy:

            Majorassignments are due at the beginning of class on the assigned due date. Theymust be stapled and ready to hand in at the start of class. Papers that arelate will be penalized 10% per calendarday, and that penalty will begin on the day a paper is due, after the classperiod has ended. There will be a 5% penalty assessed if you are late to classon the day a paper is due. PAPERS THAT ARE MORE THAN ONE WEEK (7 CALENDAR DAYS)LATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AND WILL RECEIVE A “0”.

Notethat a paper is due even if you are out of school for an “excusedabsence.” If you are not going to be in school on the day amajor assignment is due, you must find a way to get it to me, or the normallate penalties will be imposed. The only exceptions to this rule are 1) longterm illnesses that begin prior to the due date and about which I have beeninformed by phone, and 2) sudden family emergencies of an extreme nature (e.g.God forbid, death, severe injury); again, I must be informed of these by phone.Furthermore, if your absence is determined to be “unexcused” the late penaltywill be doubled (20% per day). Do not stay home on the day papers and projectsare due!

turnitin.com

In addition to handing in a hard copy of everypaper, seniors must upload their essays to turnitin.com. Information on how tosend your papers in electronically will be provided in class. Papers must beuploaded within two days after the due date. Focus on getting thepaper done, printed, and handed in to the teacher first! Then upload the paperaccording to the instructions you’ve been given. If you have any problems,speak to the teacher!

Samplethesis:

In his novel The Tortilla Curtain, T.C. Boyle takes a critical look atAmerican upper middle class society, not only in its conventionally crassmaterialistic forms, but also in its latest obsessions with organic foods,haute cuisine, and a new environmentalism. In his use of nature imagery in the“spoiled hiked” scene, Boyle examines the superficiality of DelaneyMossbacher’s philosophy and the fragility of the ideas on which he has builthis lifestyle.

Parentheticalreference format:

As he prepares to leave his brand new Acura behindand set off on his hike, Delaney sees the car “glittering in the sunlight” (155).He is consumed with conflicting feelings of fear and guilt: “you couldn’t holdon to everything, could you? He knew that, but for the moment he didn’t care”(155-6).

WorkCited Format:

Boyle,T. Coraghessan. The Tortilla Curtain.New York: Penguin Books, 1995.

Steinbeck,John. “Chrysanthemums.” Forty Short Stories: A Portable Anthology. Ed. Beverly Lawn. Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s,2001. 284-294.