English Question

Similar to the prospectus assignment found in Module 5, this assignment is, in essence, a short proposal from you to me to write an upcoming longer, detail essay. Go ahead and read this module’s essay assignment page for the essay’s requirements and writing prompt. As a guild, the following points can be considered very helpful for successfully completing the prospectus assignment in this module:

• After reading Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place, students should have a general familiarity with the book’s subject of the ill effects of island colonialism on native islanders along with her supporting premises.

Students also should now have more familiarity with online research within LPC’s Library databases.

At this point, students can gather together these two sources of information to formulate an original idea for an upcoming essay, such as: the effects of tourism on native islanders, or the effects of tourism on the ecology, or the effects of tourism on the tourists’ own bland, boring lives.

Additionally, students should analyze Kincaid’s book in terms of argumentative structure: her use of premises, conclusions, counterarguments, refutations, concessions, and Rogerian strategy. Of interest, is her use of a satirical style in both the 2nd and 1st person perspective (“you” and “I”). 

After deciding on what your possible essay could look like, write the prospectus paper as a proposal to the instructor. It’s fine to use the language of proposals: “I propose to write an essay on….” If needing help with visualizing a possible structure of a prospectus paper, see the Prospectus Sample in this module.

• The prospectus should show how Kincaid’s book (the primary source) will be used to support your working thesis, identifying the portions of the author’s book, which will be used to support your thesis. Kincaid’s book should be the focus of the essay, with the secondary sources acting as backup support to a thesis.

The prospectus should show a working thesis, the possible supporting premises from Kincaid’s book for the thesis, 1-2 secondary articles w/citations sourced from only the LPC Library databases, how the secondary research articles will help support the thesis, and what is the importance of your paper—what will the instructor learn from your essay.

• One last thing: This prospectus does not necessarily need to be used for the longer essay. You are welcome to change the subject or thesis if you decide on a different direction for the longer essay.
• Assignment objectives:
• Students will be able to demonstrate in writing a valid thesis, supporting evidence, and researched evidence to include in a following essay.
• Students also will demonstrate the use of MLA citation practices.
• Connection to module objectives:
• Demonstrate compositional skills related to a line of inquiry with a unifying thesis and supporting evidence.

Steps:

• Using a Word or Google doc, write a 400-500-word prospectus paper, in sentence/paragraph form, that offers your working thesis, relevant supporting research, and the significance of your upcoming essay on the subject of tourism found in Kincaid’s book. Please see the introduction above for detailed instructions.

Use a Works Cited page, and format the paper using the MLA style. If needing help, see the Sample Paper example in this module.