ENC 1102
Instructor Sharon Cronk-Raby
scronkraby@atlas.valenciacc.edu
1
Short Essay: Drama
ENC 1102 (Composition II)
Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (Literature and Ourselves, pages 332-390)
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Prepare a 500-750 word essay on some aspect of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House or Arthur Miller’s Death
of a Salesman. Start with an Introduction which states your thesis statement (as the last sentence). In the
body of the essay, support points with quotes and paraphrases cited accurately in MLA style. End with a
Conclusion in which the thesis statement is rephrased. Include a Works Cited page with the play (written
version of DVD version) used for this essay. Remember, prose dramas are cited by page, just as with
literature.
Possible Topics:
1.
Arthur Miller states, “But there are among us today, as there always have been, those who
act against the scheme of things that degrades them, and in the process of action, everything we
have accepted out of fear or insensitivity or ignorance is shaken before us and examined, and
from this total onslaught by an individual against the seemingly stable cosmos surroundings us –
from this total examination of the ‘unchangeable’ environment – comes the terror and the fear
that is classically associated with tragedy.”
Study the character of Willy Loman or Nora Helmer. Do they fit this profile of tragic
hero? Consider the other characters in the story – How do you see these main characters in
relation to their family members? How do you view the main characters in relation to their
jobs/roles in society? How do you see the main characters in context of a greater society and
world at-large? Did the main characters have options? Did they choose their end, or did their
end choose them?
2.
Focus your essay on symbolism and/or theme. Is Willy Loman a symbol of society? Is Nora
Helmer a symbol of women’s independence? How? Are these symbols positive or negative?
What themes can be interpreted?
3.
View the entire movie version of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Compare and contrast the
written play with the movie version. Is it what you imagined? Be specific as you discuss
elements of fiction and such issues as nuances of character, setting, tone, etc.
4.
Your choice. Considering the Elements of Drama, develop an essay that features some aspect of
the written or movie version of one of the plays.
Per Item #45 on page 222 of Kirszner & Mandell’s The Brief Wadsworth Handbook, cite a DVD in this format:
Title of Movie. Dir. First & Last Name. Name of Company/Studio who released the DVD, year of DVD. DVD.
Bowling for Columbine. Dir. Michael Moore. United Artists and Alliance Atlantis, 2003. DVD.
Information from the DVDs to create a Works Cited entry, as needed:
Title:
A Doll’s House
Death of a Salesman
Directors:
Patrick Garland
Volker Schlondorff
DVD Released by:
MGM
Image Entertainment
Year of DVD:
2003
1985
Remember to follow the Writing Process when you write!
“We have discovered that writing allows even a stupid person to seem halfway intelligent, if only that
person will write the same thought over and over again, improving it just a little bit each time. It is a lot
like inflating a blimp with a bicycle pump. Anyone can do it. All it takes is time.”
-Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
ENC 1102
Instructor Sharon Cronk-Raby
scronkraby@atlas.valenciacc.edu
2
Grading Rubric:
Writing Assignments fOR ENC 1102
For all written work completed in Composition II (ENC 1102), the following grading standards will be used;
therefore, use this information as a checklist to make sure you are not forgetting anything.
FINAL COPY:
CONTENT & ORGANIZATION: Worth 50% of the grade for each writing assignment!!!
Consideration of Purpose (What is the point of this assignment? What is the reader to understand?)
Creative Title (fits the content of the writing)
Introductory Paragraph
Thesis Statement (last sentence of Introduction) (1 clear & strong sentence that names the main idea of the writing)
Concluding Paragraph (thesis statement reworded, anywhere in conclusion)
Body Paragraphs (as many as needed to accurately and specifically accomplish the writing task)
Each Body Paragraph starts with a Topic Sentence (in your own words; do not quote in a Topic Sentence)
Each Body Paragraph uses Specific and Accurate Details of Support (Unity & Coherence)
 Mostly in your own words
 Using and Citing information that is summarized, paraphrased, or quoted, per MLA
(as appropriate to the assignment)
Word Choice (avoid wordiness) (formal writing = no slang, no abbreviations, no contractions)
Transitions (flow of paper)
Overall Structure (follows a recognizable and logical pattern)
Quality and Depth of Thought (representative of college-level work)
MECHANICS & CONVENTIONS: Worth 50% of the grade for each writing assignment!!!
Typed (double-spaced; 12-point fonts; 1-inch margins)
Page Heading, per MLA guidelines (top left corner of first page)
Page Headers, per MLA guidelines (last name & page number)
Word Count:
(as appropriate for the writing assignment)
Properly Documented Sources, via In-Text Citations, per MLA style (as appropriate for the writing assignment)
Works Cited page, per MLA style (as appropriate for the writing assignment)
Typos
Structure of Paragraphs (indented) (no extra spacing between paragraphs)
Sentence Structure (avoid fragments, run-ons, comma splices)
Sentence Variety
Consistency of Verb Tense (past tense; present tense; future tense) (as appropriate for the writing assignment)
Consistency of Point-of-View (report writing utilizes all 3rd-Person point-of-view) (no 1st-Person; no 2nd-Person)
Agreement (pronouns; subject-verb)
Punctuation
Capitalization
Spelling
Grammar & Usage
TOTAL:
100%