Why the Rich are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer

Response Essay Assignment: worth 20 points

The goals of this assignment:

• Identify and analyze the argument of a complex composition and form a nuanced position on the overall argument.
• Analyze the main claims and evidence (appropriate examples and significant details) of the composition in order to support an overall thesis/opinion.
• Organize a paper into proper essay format, paying close attention to the distinct elements that make an essay: thesis, topic sentences, evidence, and analysis.
• Practice presenting this evidence in a clear, concise but illustrative manner and citing your sources using MLA citation style (in-text citations).
• Construct a works cited page that fully adheres to the MLA standards.
• Format the document into proper academic/MLA style including: your name, professor, class, date, title, page number, etc.
• Practice the basic mechanics (grammar, paragraph structure, etc.) of writing for an academic setting.

Here are the directions: 

You will write a 2-3full page, response/analysis essay that fully supports your opinion on the article: “Why the Rich are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer.”The essay should be entirely your opinion on the argument of the article.  You should identify the main claims and/or evidence the author provides and analyze this evidence. Your analysis should ultimately show how the main claims, details, evidence support your overall opinion of the article.

Essentially you will be arguing whether you agree or disagree with the article’s argument/main claims and why.  Or whether you felt the article was successful in its purpose or convincing and why.  What makes it successful or not successful?

Your essay should follow the paragraph-by-paragraph guidelines provided below. How well you accomplish the tasks below will determine your grade.

***Be aware that if you do not make thefull-page requirement you cannot receive higher than a C for the essay.

The essay will accomplish the following tasks:

• The document must be in proper format according to the guidelines in your textbook. The format should adhere to MLA standards including: a double-spaced and readable 12-point font, conventional margins, and indented paragraphs, date, page number, etc.  It must also be submitted as a .doc or .pdf file.

• The essay mustcontain (and only contain) an introduction, a body (of paragraphs) and a conclusion. Do not just summarize the article or provide a paragraph that summarizes the article.

• The opening paragraph (introduction) should contain: A hook (series of sentences) that establishes the topic (the article title, author, subject) and a general sense of your point of view or importance of the topic. The main points/topics of support (essay map) for your overall argument/response should be present in the body of your introduction. It should end with a thesis that highlights your overall opinion of the article and its argument.

• The thesis statement should be a clear and precise (single sentence) arguable statement at the end of the introduction. It should clearly announce your opinionof the article and its argument.

• The body paragraphs should contain topic sentences that announce the topic and support your thesis, specific details and examples (evidence), an explanation or analysis of evidence (show importance/reasoning that connects the evidence to the thesis), and transition sentences that complete then connect ideas/topics.Please note: you should have three or more body paragraphs.

• Each body paragraph should contain one or two detailed pieces of evidence/main claim that you will analyze from the article. These must be accurate representations of the original source/author.  Signal phrases (along with parenthetical citations) must be used consistently for all evidence.  The parenthetical citations should be error free and in MLA format.  You must use a mix of quotes and paraphrases.  Using only quotes will harm your overall grade. Only use evidence from the assigned article.  DO NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCES for any reason.

• The conclusion should restate your thesis and show how your opinion connects to a bigger picture or a logical conclusion—assuming your thesis is correct.

• A correctly formatted MLA style works cited page must be provided.

• The writing style should adhere to generally accepted standards in terms of grammar and clarity laid out in our textbook. There should be little repetition—moments of sharp or concise wording.  There should be no distracting problems with grammar and punctuation.

• Do not use personal pronouns: NO “I, MY, WE, OUR, US, YOU, ETC.” STATEMENTS!

• When finished submit it to the submission link on our Blackboard site.