Summary Response

Post your Summary Response Essay, and anything else related that you want to include.

The Assignment:



Writing 100 / Darling

Summary-Analysis Essay Assignment

In this essay your goal is to summarize the main idea of a text, and then analyze and respond to that idea using evidence and examples to support your response. You should focus on the particular main idea or argument presented, analyze how the writer presents this idea in the text, and then respond specifically to the idea you’ve summarized.

You are free to organize and develop your paper as you see fit, however you should make sure to include the following: First your paper should contain a clear and concise summary of the author’s main idea; then you should explain with evidence and examples how s/he supports this main idea; finally you may present your own argument in response to the author’s idea (agree, disagree, some combination of these); support your argument/response with evidence/examples/explanation.

It is important that you use specific references and examples from the text to which you are responding (title, author, quotes, summary of main points to which you refer, examples, etc), as well as clear and specific examples and explanation of the points you wish to make (support your argument). Any language that you take directly from the article should be placed in quotes and attributed to the author. You should also use author tags, or attribute the author any time you are paraphrasing or summarizing her/his ideas so it is clear when you are citing the author and when you are presenting your own opinions.

Think about how to focus your essay so that you can organize and present your thoughts in an effective and articulate manner. Consider how understanding your purpose and audience will help you to develop your thoughts and the resources you are using to create an essay that is coherent from start to finish, and that uses strong, grammatically and structurally correct sentences throughout.

Consider 2 ways of organizing the paper:

A.
  1. Summary and analysis 2-3 paragraphs

  1. Response 2-3 paragraphs

  1. Conclusion: synthesize the summary and response and leave the reader with something to think about

B.
1. Intro: include an introduction to article’s main idea and a statement which states your response to that main idea

2. Body paragraphs: include points that both summarize the main idea of the original essay (and its points), how the author makes that argument or presents that idea, and explain/support your own argument/response with evidence and examples

3. Conclusion: synthesizes this information and leaves the reader with something interesting to think about on the topic

Specific Requirements:

*Choose one of the selections by Henry Miller, Frederick Douglass, or M.L. King Jr. for your summary-analysis-response.

*Write: 3 pages, double-spaced, typed in Times New Roman 12 font
*Bring a printed, hard-copy draft to class to share and discuss
*See syllabus for due dates (workshop in class and final, revised due on CTools)

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