In our examination of public life in the drama unit, we have looked at how writing may manifest the self (or not), beginning with our framing texts (see syllabus). As seen in these texts, human sentiment is sometimes hard to capture in words, hard to control, and actions can often substitute words to express emotion. For your drama essay, you will be asked to synthesize some of these ideas as they relate to one reading in our unit. In a short argumentative essay, Id like you to define ONE feeling of your choice by close-reading ONE character in the plays dialogue AND stage directions or actions.
ANALYZE: Which form of communication offers more insight into character development (or lack thereof)? How is the audience impacted by the characters movements, placement, or gestures in the play? In other words, how does the character get the audience to empathize with a particular emotion? How does the character express his or her emotions, and how do you know? How vaguely or meticulously does the author control the character? Does the author stage scenes in a very specific manner/Is the setting at all important to the development of this character? Why or why not? When reading, which form of communication (verbal or nonverbal/stage directions or dialogue) controls the narrative? Be conscious readers: carefully use evidence from the play AND from one of your framing texts to support your ideas.
CONNECT: As you continue to develop your argument throughout your essay, be sure to reach a larger conclusion about how the genre of drama requires a specific kind of reading. How does drama develop human emotions? What does drama as a genre offer to readers/viewers (in other words, why read it)? What does drama do differently than other kinds of writing? How does your specific play speak to the tenets of public life, as we have discussed all semester? Use these questions as a guide when drafting your essay; DO NOT address every question unless they are all critical to your argument.
Requirements:
1. 4-5 pages, not including the Works Cited page.
2. Times New Roman font size 12, black ink, double spaced (no extra spaces between paragraphs), left-aligned, 1 margins all around.
3. Adherence to all MLA style and formatting rules, including those for headings, page numbers, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page.
4. Include metatext (see syllabus).
5. Rough draft due at the start of class. Submit electronically on SafeAssign AND upload file in TEAMS. Submit your peer-reviewed essay on Blackboard once you have answered all questions (see Blackboard) and given substantial feedback.
6. Final draft due via Blackboard at the start of class. Notable changes should be made (do not submit your rough draft again as your final draft).
Use a character from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde or Trifles by Susan Glaspell
