Only readings listed on the syllabus by these authors are eligible for this first exam: Behn, Swift, Voltaire, Bashō, Equiano, Wordsworth, and Keats. At least ONE example has to come from the Week #3 readings (Equiano, Wordsworth, or Keats).
The authors so far this term have presented a variety of characters who have some kind of privileged status or who lack privileged status (or, if not a character specifically, the work discusses some type of privilege in its content). Essentially, privilege is a superior set of rights or status as compared to other individuals. Privilege can involve race, social class, gender, or any number of other categories and mainly concerns one group of people who has a higher status or more access to rights and opportunities than others.
Referring to at least three examples from three different authors so far this term, where do we see either examples of privilege or a lack of privilege in the readings? (Make sure you’re focusing on a particular example of privilege and not just summarizing an entire text.) What is the privilege that the character has or lacks (or that the author is discussing)? How does that possession of privilege or lack of privilege affect their life or their opportunities? What can their experience or discussion perhaps tell us about how privilege or the lack of privilege affects individuals today?
Length and Content Requirements
Your essay response must be a minimum of 750 words (there is no maximum, but try to avoid writing a book).
While you may use some of an author’s biography to make your point, keep in mind that your discussion should include a discussion of the texts we have read in class and not rely solely on biographical information.
This should be entirely your own argument, and you are not allowed to use any secondary material in this exam (your textbook or the version of the assigned text you are using is your only source).
As much as these are your own arguments, you should minimize your use of “I” unless absolutely necessary.
I would also argue against cutting and pasting information from your discussion posts and using that as the core content for your essays. If you choose to do so and heavily revise that content, it can work, but some students have used it as a shortcut method for completing the exam in the past, and it tends not to work well without carefully tailoring that information to the specific question posed below.
Formatting
Your exam must be in conventional essay format (contain an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion).
Any paraphrases or direct quotations of material from the texts you are using must be properly punctuated (clear use of quotation marks for direct quotations, for example) and must contain a parenthetical citation (in MLA or APA format) noting the page number of the material. There is no need for a works cited page if you’re using the assigned textbook, but if you’re using any other version of the assigned texts, you must provide a works cited page, noting full bibliographical information for your source material, with the submitted exam.
Submission and Due Date
I prefer that your exams are attached as files to the “Exam #1” location in “Assignments” in the Canvas menu (also located in the Week #3 module). Uploading a file is a better idea all around, as I will be looking at your paragraphing and other formatting, and a file upload preserves that better so that I can see exactly what you intended. However, I have left a cut and paste option in case anyone has file compatibility issues. The papers will go through a Turnitin.com review once uploaded—I’d like to work under the premise that students always do their own work, but I often average a 5-10% plagiarism rate in these online courses that tells me that is, unfortunately, not always the case. Turnitin just helps me streamline the plagiarism checking. Just to be safe, if you are using Apple’s Pages to type your paper, convert it to a .pdf or .rtf file while saving it to make sure I have the ability to open it once it is uploaded.