Literature Writing on John Smith

1. Based on the readings from weeks one and two, discuss the images of

America the European writers constructed to promote colonization and

settlement. What kinds of unique natural resources and environmental factors

did they extol in their accounts of the New World? Relate these images to

natural resources and environmental factors today. (JOHN SMITH ATTACHMENT IS

THE PASSAGE FROM READING!)

2. Based on the readings from weeks one and two, choose one passage written

by one of the authors we’ve read. Identify the author and the title of the

work. Then analyze the passage you chose in terms of its significance and

historical impact. You should explain why it was chosen, look at the details

provided in the passage, and explain in detail what the passage suggests

about the work as a whole including its value to American history as well as

to American literature.

3. This should be a 500-750 word essay and only be written in the third

person. 

In the upper left-hand corner of the paper, place your name, the professor’s

name, the course name, and the due date for the assignment on consecutive

lines. Double space your information from your name onward, and don’t forget

a title. All papers should be in Times New Roman font with 12-point type

with one-inch margins all the way around your paper. All paragraph

indentations should be indented five spaces (use the tab key) from the left

margin. All work is to be left justified. When quoting lines in literature,

please research the proper way to cite short stories, plays, or poems.

Whatever topic you choose you will need a debatable thesis. A thesis is not

a fact, a quote, or a question. It is your position on the topic. The reader

already knows the story; you are to offer him a new perspective based on

your observations.

Since the reader is familiar with the story, summary is unnecessary. Rather

than tell him what happened, tell him what specific portions of the story

support your thesis. The handout on “Literary Analysis”, (ATTACHED) is a

must for this aspect of the paper.