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How Your Paper Will Be Evaluated .
Addressing the Assignment.
You must address all four components of the writing prompt above to get full credit. You should devote roughly an equal amount of space to each component, although your analysis might be a little bit longer.
Clarity.
Your summary for the first component should be clear and concise, covering the most important events but leaving out details that are not relevant to your selected passage. Your response to the second prompt should lay out strong and convincing reasons for your choice of passage-why is it important to the whole narrative, and why does it resonate with you? Your analysis section should demonstrate a thought-out understanding of the Douglass's intentions behind writing the passage. .
Choice of Passage.
Your choice of passage will be a part of the evaluation. You should be able to demonstrate why the passage is important to the narrative as a whole, and present good reasons why it resonates with you.
Originality of Analysis.
While it is difficult to bring a truly original analysis to the table, you will be given considerable credit for an essay that looks at Douglass's narrative in a particularly thoughtful or innovative way. Remember that historical analysis involves evaluating claims made by a particular narrative, weighing it up against other available evidence and interpretations. .
Connecting to Broader Historical Themes.
I expect you to be able to connect the passage that you have chosen to the broader themes in U.S. history and the history of slavery that you will have learned about through the textbook readings and through lectures. What might this specific passage tell us about the experience of urban slaves, how plantations functioned economically, the politics of slaveholders, religious practices during the antebellum period, etc.?.
Grammar, Style, and Citations.
Correct grammar, style, and spelling will also are part of the evaluation, albeit a smaller percentage than the above criteria.