Instruction
Choose from one of the two options below. Your audience for each option is a general academic audience of
Your peers. Assume the reader is familiar with the play but may need to be reminded of main ideas.
Option 1: Literary Analysis
Write a 1200-1900-word analysis of the play Fences. Please respond to these questions in your essay: What
Argument is Wilson making in the play, and how does he develop and support it? To what degree is the
Argument successful? Final drafts should be in standard MLA format. A Works Cited page is necessary, but you
are not required to incorporate any sources other than the play.
Option 2: Argument (thanks to LPC English Instructor Amy Mullering for sharing this)
Read the following two reactions to the character of Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s play Fences:
James Earl Jones was asked by journalists about the crudest aspects of Troy's personality. "Those are
just abrasions and scars from being a common man," the actor claimed. He assured Janice Arkatov of the Los Angeles Times, "Troy is more than good. He's standing up on his hind legs reaching for Heaven"--
exactly where he arrives by play's end. But not everyone was placated by such assurances. Wilson was fond of recounting an incident from an early performance of Fences where, as Gabe raised his musical instrument to his mouth and impelled the deceased Troy to ready himself to meet his maker, a woman in the audience,
her patience exhausted, stood up. "You don't need to blow that trumpet, "she shouted to the stage, "cause he's
going straight to hell!” (Myles Weber, “Rescuing the Tragic Bully in August Wilson’s Fences.” The
Southern Review) Which interpretation do you agree with? Is Troy a tragic bully, who because of his poor choices and treatment of others deserves a tragic end, or is he a sympathetic ‘good’ character, simply doing his best with what society has handed him? Take a stand, supporting one view or the other, while acknowledging and responding to opposing or alternative views. Your essay should be in MLA format and contain 1200-1900
words.
Paper 2 Objectives (for either option)
1. Does the depth of the analysis or argument reflect careful, thoughtful interaction with the text? Does it
say something new, showing original insight?
2. Is the title original and effective?
3. Is the thesis statement direct and clear? Does it respond to the assignment’s questions? Does it appear at the end of the introduction? Is it a contestable statement that requires proof (i.e., not a fact or description)? Is it original and thought-provoking?
4. Support/Body paragraphs
a. Do supporting paragraphs/sections contain clear topic sentences in the beginning? Do topic sentences successfully preview the main points of the paragraphs/sections?
b. Is supporting information/evidence (including quotes and paraphrases) effective, providing
clear, strong evidence in support of your points? In other words, does the amount and quality
of the evidence support your claims?
c. Does the author explain or analyze the significance of the supporting information (evidence)
after presenting it?
5. Are quotations contextualized so that the reader is not at all confused about their meaning or
significance?
6. Does the conclusion leave a strong lasting impression?
7. Unity: Do paragraphs stay on topic and stick to supporting the thesis? Do paragraphs effectively
transition between major points (e.g., through use of paragraph-level transitions)?
8. Coherence, grammar, spelling, tone: Are sentences free of errors that could confuse a reader? Is the
Language appropriate for the intended audience?
9. MLA guidelines (including in-text citations)