Essay 3 pages long MLA format
Dr. Joe Carrithers
ENGL 060 F – Summer 2015
Essay 3
Purpose and Overview
The penultimate out-of-class essay assignment of this semester gives you an opportunity to demonstrate the skills you have developed throughout the semester. You must show your ability to narrow a topic to a manageable size for the assignment, and you must demonstrate your ability to locate and incorporate appropriate academic sources into your writing.
Background Readings (in American Mashup)
Chuck Palahniuk, excerpt from Fight Club, pp. 308-314
USA Today, “Common Sense Makes a Comeback in Classrooms,” pp. 316-317
Chris Jones, “In Defense of the Fistfight,” pp. 319-320
Jed Perl, “Picture Imperfect,” pp. 327-332
“Texas Manhandle,” pp. 334-335
Matt Walberg, “No Jail Time for Cop Who Pummeled Bartender,” pp. 336-339
Paul Martinez Pompa, “The Body as Weapon, as Inspiration,” “The Performer,” and “Police Dog,” pp. 340-342
Michael Kinahan, “Losing Is for Losers,” pp. 343-344
Malcolm Gladwell, “Offensive Play,” pp. 346-357
Writing Task
In an essay of at least three pages, answer the following questions:
Why is there so much violence in America?
The question is so very broad in scope that it would take far, far more than just three pages to answer adequately, so you must narrow the focus to a much more specific topic. What you select as your focus is up to you, but it must be within the parameters of the overall subject of Americans and violence. The ideas discussed in the background readings could provide some possibilities, but you are not limited to only the topics that they cover.
You must use at least two sources in the final draft of your essay. One of the two sources can be an assigned reading from American Mashup. (You are not required to use any of the readings.) You must, therefore, locate at least one source on your own to include in this essay.