For your first real essay as sophomores, I’m requiring you to develop your own topic. Welcome to the Big Leagues! While this might feel like too much freedom, the guide below will help you develop your original thesis. We’ll continue to work on this for the rest of the week, but you need to have your thesis for Tuesday A/Wednesday B.
TASK: Develop an original, provable statement related to the events or implications of The Crucible, and defend it using a combination of examples from the play and a secondary source.
CHOOSING A TOPIC: Before you look at the topic options, have in mind particular themes or characters that interested you the most while reading The Crucible. All 3 topics allow you to
IF YOU JUST WANT TO DO A "REGULAR ESSAY"...
Topic 1. Character Analysis Essay
-Recommended if you like: Discussing how a particular character develops and
changes over the course of a story. The Crucible has some amazingly dynamic ones, such as Mary Warren and Reverend Hale.
-Concept: Come up with a statement about a character's evolution and back up your interpretation with examples of things he/she does/says in the play.
IF YOU WANT SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A BIT MORE INTERESTING...
Topic 2. Current Events Essay
- Recommended if you like making connections with real-life events, and doing
some internet research to learn more about these issues.
-Concept: Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible to compare the Red Scare of his day with the injustices of the Salem Witch Trials. Pick a current issue that mirrors some aspect of the Trials and write a paper demonstrating the similarities.
IF YOU REALLY HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY...
Topic 3. Morality Essay
-Recommended if you enjoy winning arguments. This is a persuasive task in which you back up your opinions about whether Proctor, Hale, Abby or anyone else did the right thing. Integrating your own ideas about justice will make this a stronger paper.
-Concept: Come up with a moral statement related to the major events of The Crucible and prove your opinion through skillful use of examples and argument.
WRITING YOUR THESIS: Once you choose a topic and narrow it down, you need to put it into a clear and provable thesis statement.
Example Thesis, Topic 1: Reverend Hale, who originally boasts about his knowledge, comes to realize everything he believed was wrong and ends up a broken man. (This essay would describe Reverend Hale at the beginning of the play, explain how he changes over time, and describe his complete transformation by the end of the play, using quotations of Hale's own words to show how he feels in each section.)
Example Thesis, Topic 2: Salem's theocracy bears many similarities to the government of Iran, particularly in its treatment of those who are different
(This essay might prove the statement by showing examples of how Tituba and Sarah Good are discriminated against, and comparing them information found in an article on Iran's executions of gays, making the point that theocracy often leads to scapegoating.)
Example Thesis, Topic 3: More than any other character, it is the selfish and cowardly Reverend Parris who deserves the blame for the tragic events of The Crucible.
(This essay would defend its claim that Parris is the real villain of the play by showing how his selfish actions, such as calling Hale and questioning Mary Warren, create and worsen the witch trial hysteria.)
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
-4 to 6 paragraphs (of no less than 5 sentences apiece)
-2 to 3 quotations from The Crucible
-2 to 3 quotations from a secondary source
-A copy of the secondary source, highlighted with notes
Note: I will automatically take off 15 points off any paper with less than 4 quotations. 5 quotations are highly recommended if you're aiming for an A on the paper.
