Comparing literature times For your first formal assignment this semester, construct an essay of 800-1000 words that satisfies the following requirements: References a literary text that we€â€žÂ¢ve discussed in class already; Avoids a text that you have used in your own group presentation; Links that text to something in contemporary American culture (an event, debate, policy, etc.); Demonstrates broad research (mass media and academic sources) citation (at least 5 sources); Focuses tightly on a specific conversation, scene, description in the the literary text; Argues for the significance of that literary moment on life today in the U.S.; Contributes valuable, creative, sophisticated insight; Utilizes a clear thesis statement in the first paragraph; Demonstrates careful attention to college writing conventions; Experiments, in some way, with the form of conventional, text-based writing; Abides by MLA citation guidelines (see the Purdue OWL for help and/or talk to me). Essays will be assessed using the following criteria on a 30 point scale: Content and ideas (including research gathered and thesis), 10pts Organization (including rhetorical style and order of ideas), 10pts Mechanics (adhering to appropriate writing and citation conventions), 10pts Inspiration (contribution of a new idea, form, or orientation), additional 5pts