Writing Assignment 2 Instructions
Purpose
This assignment asks you to read, analyze, compare, and discuss two historical monographs. The purpose of the assignment is to promote thoughtful reading, critical thinking, and clear expression of ideas.
The Assignment
Part 1: Introduction
Briefly introduce the two books and your central thesis for the paper. Your thesis should make some kind of analytical comparison of these books. By the end of this section, the reader should have some idea of each author’s central argument, how the books relate to each other, and your interpretation of the connection between the books (see Part 4).
Part 2: Praying for Sheetrock
In this section, discuss how what you read in Praying for Sheetrock relates to three themes/topics we’ve been exploring in this course like racism, civil rights, economic inequality, etc.
Ultimately, what is Melissa Fay Greene’s central argument in this book?
Part 3: Comparison
What similarities do you see between Bread and Roses and Praying for Sheetrock? While the two books clearly explore different topics that took places in different eras, they share an important focus: power. What do these books tell us about the struggle of different groups in American history to empower themselves? Who do you think was more successful in their struggle for power: the industrial workers in Lawrence, or the African American community in McIntosh County?
What other parallels did you see between the two books?
Part 4: Evaluation
Finally, which book did you prefer and why?
Be sure you support your points with specific evidence from the book.
Nuts and Bolts
Length: 1200-1500 words. Part of the purpose of this assignment is to get students to articulate their thoughts efficiently, so your paper should not be more than 1500 words. On the other hand, the paper does need to be long enough to adequately discuss the book and answer the questions above, so papers under 1200 words will be penalized.
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