ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
Welcome to your paper
assignment!!!
The history of the Cold War is a
stark reminder of how Americans have often struggled to find a balance between
maintaining in a liberal democracy and protecting it from forces that seek to
subvert it (indeed, we are having this same debate today over how to fight the
war on terrorism!) As Ellen Schrecker explains in The Age of
McCarthyism, many Americans were persecuted during this Cold War period
because they held unpopular beliefs. While some may certainly have been intent
on subverting American democracy, many others were not.
Assignment
Your assignment is to compare and
contrast three arguments presented in Schrecker's book: J. Edgar Hoover's
testimony to Congress (Document 4), Sidney Hook's "Cold War Liberal
View of the Communist Threat" (Document 21), and Supreme Court
Justice William O. Douglas' belief in "The Black Silence of Fear" (Document
22). Based on your readings of Schrecker, you must critically evaluate
what these authors are saying. For instance, is Hoover exaggerating the
threat? Does Douglas underestimate the threat? Is there really a
difference between conspiracy and heresy as Hook argues? Which author do
you agree with, and why?
Length: Your essay
should be at least 3 FULL PAGES and NO LONGER than 4 pages
(double spaced).
This is tough for some students who like to write, and write, and
write...without really saying a whole lot. The page length requires you to
get to the point of your argument. And your essays must be typed!
Compare and Contrast
Checklist:
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Have you opened with an
introduction that lays out what this review essay seeks to accomplish?
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Is there a good hook that
catches the interest of the reader of your paper from the very beginning?
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Have you fully explained the
three author's positions?
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| Have you used specific examples
to illustrate their arguments? (And have you brought in examples from
throughout the book?)
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| Have you cited those examples
with page numbers?
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Have you analyzed what the
specific differences of these authors are? (Comparing is easy; make sure you also
contrast!)
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Have you stated to the reader
who you believe offers the most persuasive argument and why?
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Do you have a conclusion that
sums up the paper?
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Have you proofread your paper
for grammatical and spelling errors?
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How to Write This Paper
Students often assume that a
compare and contrast essay only needs a summary of the three articles and a
conclusion that sums up their own position. THIS IS A FALSE
ASSUMPTION!!! A compare and contrast essay needs to show the reader
exactly where the authors agree and disagree. Thus you should write your
paper in a point-counterpoint format. For instance:
"In regards to the
first point, Author 'X' believes this, but Authors 'Y' and 'Z' counters with
this. Author 'Y' has the upper hand because.... As to the second
point, Author 'X' argues...."
In this way, you are drawing out
specific points from their debate, laying them side by side, and showing their
contrasting positions.
Using Quotes and Plagiarism
I DO want you to use lots of
examples from Schrecker and the documents (AND CITE THOSE EXAMPLES WITH A PAGE
NUMBER), but I DO NOT want you to use
any quotes!!! All examples should be substantially paraphrased in
your own words. And don't take anything from Wikipedia or other online
resources (and I will find out). If you are just lifting sentences out of these documents
(or any online resources) without paraphrasing them, you will receive an "F" on your paper for
plagiarism, and possibly an "F" in the class for gross infractions of
this rule. Don't test me on this. EVERY semester
I fail one or more students for plagiarism (no lie!) DON'T BE ONE OF
THEM!!!
PROOFREAD
and "spell check" your work as spelling and grammatical errors will
affect the overall presentation of your essay - and thus your overall grade.
A paper that is filled with grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors
will NOT pass.
Submitting
Your Paper: Attach your paper as a MS-Word document and e-mail it to
either my Angel account or the history17b_wvc@yahoo.com
account. ALSO,
paste your paper into the body of the e-mail message as a back up measure
(sometimes Word docs don't open if they are old versions).
Due Dates:
SATURDAY, April 14 by 11:59 pm.
Late
policy:
Papers are marked down 1/3 of a grade each day that they are late. Late
papers are defined as those which reach me after 11:59 on the date they are due.
Points:
250 points