The need for acceptance is a common human trait. Sometimes this need to be accepted can be manipulated by others to marginalize or minimize a person’s self-worth. Often those manipulating others do so to enhance their own power and control. In Jill McCorkle’s short story “Snipe” and Ralph Ellison’s story “Battle Royal,” compare how the main characters in each story are manipulated by others and how each responds to and is influenced by that manipulation.
Primary Sources
- Ellison, Ralph. "Battle Royal"
- McCorkle, Jill. "Snipe." Creatures of Habit. Little, Brown, 2003. 21-46. Print.
Requirements
- Length: Your essay must be a minimum of 800 words.
- Documentation Format: You must include an MLA formatted Works Cited page that includes correctly formatted internal citations for all source material used.
- Sources: You are restricted to the stories assigned.
- Number of sources: You must use all both selected works. You may NOT use any other sources.
For this essay, students must not use any sources other than the stories themselves. Students may use a dictionary to help with words with which they are not familiar but should not refer to the dictionary definitions in the essay. Students should base the discussion of the theme on their own close reading> of the stories.
Students must use MLA style documentation. Internal citations should identify author and page number. Students must also include an MLA Works Cited page.
Finally, students should proofread carefully their final drafts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as clarity, conciseness, and completeness. The final draft should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins, in Times New Roman 12 pt. The essay should be a minimum of 600 words (two typewritten pages, equivalent to about five handwritten pages) in length.
The essay will be evaluated based on how well students develop their arguments with significant support from the text and articles (thesis, topic sentences, supporting details from the poems); clarity, cohesion, and conciseness; correct use of MLA format; and grammar and spelling.
Students are forbidden from using any source material other than the following selected works. Use of sources about the works will result in a zero grade.
