Name_________________________
ENG 3 A
IN-CLASS ESSAY TEST
Write a carefully reasoned and well-supported essay in response to the prompt below.
Use specific evidence, examples, and quotes from “Bartleby, the Scrivener” as well as
from Emerson and Thoreau’s essays. However, do not include too much plot summary to
prove your thesis and ideas.
Prompt: Is Bartleby a transcendentalist? Why or why not?
Requirements:
 Your essay should be organized with an INTRODUCTION, 3 BODY
PARAGRAPHS, and a CONCLUSION.
 Introduction should include: titles of texts, authors, overview of
transcendentalism as a literary movement (define transcendentalism, explain its
main principles, and identify who Emerson and Thoreau are), and a brief
summary of Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener.”
 Body paragraphs should use evidence from the texts and your own analysis to
prove your thesis statement.
 You must address both Bartleby AND Thoreau and Emerson’s essays in each
body paragraph.
 Avoid plot summary. Instead, you must reference appropriate literary elements
(for example: point of view, characterization, setting, imagery, motifs, themes,
irony, symbolism) to develop your analysis.
 You must include AT LEAST three direct quotes (one per body paragraph).
 You must include AT LEAST one quotation from Bartleby, one quotation from
Emerson, and one quotation from Thoreau.
 Conclusion should restate your thesis, summarize main points from essay, and
end with a universal statement connecting your thesis to contemporary society.
 Organize your ideas in a unified and coherent manner.
 Follow the conventions of standard written English (write FORMALLY; no
personal pronouns, contractions, or colloquialisms).
 Write in the literary present.
 You must comply with MLA Formatting Guidelines.
IN-CLASS ESSAY RUBRIC
The extent to which the introduction is developed
/4
The extent to which the thesis is clear
/9
The extent to which the topic sentences are clear, distinct
and relevant to the thesis statement
/9
The extent to which the writing is clear and formal
(spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, word choices)
/10
The extent to which verb tenses are consistent and it is written in
the literary present.
/8
The extent to which the essay flows logically and
elegantly and transitions are used
/6
Use of three direct quotations from the texts
(one per body paragraph)
/6
The extent to which quotes are properly introduced
(briefly explain the situation and identify the speaker)
/9
The extent to which quotations are effectively embedded
(DON’T LET QUOTES STAND ALONE)
/9
The extent to which quotations are properly cited
/6
The extent to which you include concrete evidence
to support your topic sentences and thesis
/18
The extent to which the conclusion is clear
/4
Your essay has an original title
/2
TOTAL_________________
Name__________________________
ENG 3 A
“Bartleby, the Scrivener” Essay Outline
Thesis Statement:
A.) Body Paragraph I
Topic Sentence:
Direct Quote(s):
Analysis:
B.) Body Paragraph II
Topic Sentence:
Direct Quote(s):
Analysis:
C.) Body Paragraph III
Topic Sentence:
Direct Quote(s):
Analysis: