Assignment: hero essay

choose a character from one of the fictional texts you have read in the course (also listed below) to demonstrate characteristics that make the perfect hero. if choosing an elegiac poem such as "the seafarer" consider how the theme of heroism could be represented in the poem. describe the character traits of the specific character of the text, providing specific examples that show this character as a perfect hero. ensure that you provide citations from the text or any source used for your analysis. be sure to use a formal and academic tone; avoid use of personal pronouns such as i, me, we, and my.

writing no's /using personal pronouns

some fictional texts read in the course

the seafarer on pp 18-25

the wanderer on pp 27-29

the wife's lament on pp 30-31

beowulf on pp. 40-64

sir gawain and the green knight on pp 171-204

macbeth on pp 322-339; rest of macbeth on pp 343-415

essay requirements

your essay should contain at least three (3) paragraphs with introduction, body, and conclusion. each paragraph should contain at least five (5) full sentences. pay attention to grammar, style, and organization / flow of ideas for your discussion.

what: when quoting a source, use the author’s words verbatim, or word-for-word. this means you shouldn’t change any grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. put quotations around the words to tell your reader where the quote begins and where it ends.

you also need to acknowledge the author. for example, if using mla format for your research paper, you should have in-text citations with the author’s name and page number listed at the end of each quote.

when: use quotations to provide concrete examples to support your claims. using direct quotations is a great way to build your credibility on the subject. it’s also a good idea to quote your source when the author states things in a powerful way. if you think he or she said it best, then use the exact words to share the ideas.

example: in the short story “a jury of her peers”, mrs. hale compares mrs. wright to her caged bird, saying “she—come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself. real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery. how—she—did—change” (glaspell).

paraphrasing

what: paraphrasing differs from quoting because you restate the passage in your own words. since you don’t use the author’s words, you don’t need to use quotation marks. however, you still need to acknowledge the author for his or her ideas.

when paraphrasing a text, you should communicate the full meaning of the text; don’t change the meaning. it can be a condensed version of the text, or it could end up being longer than the source it’s paraphrasing.

when: you use paraphrasing when you take notes, or explain a chart or diagram to someone. paraphrasing highlight the important parts of a larger text. it also allows you to simplify the ideas for your readers.

example:

original: “it was no ordinary thing that called her away–it was probably further from ordinary than anything that had ever happened in dickson county. but what her eye took in was that her kitchen was in no shape for leaving: her bread all ready for mixing, half the flour sifted and half unsifted” (glaspell).

paraphrase: as mrs. hales walks around mrs. wright’s home, she notices that the kitchen is in disarray as if she was in the middle of baking bread (glaspell).

that his long years of service outweigh any faults he may have had.

he wanted to be remembered for the good things he did, one of those being when he gave up office so others would follow suit, but george washington wasn’t a man who thought he was perfect, he knew he made mistakes. he was a very talented soldier with a natural gift of tactic.

what are you asking?

vey information about pap? physical description beliefs actions interactions