Assignment: ENGLISH NOVEL
Expectations of a Book Report on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
1. The report is not to exceed four pages (PLUS a Work Cited page), and must be written in MLA format. Do not make any mistakes in MLA formatting. Do not use APA format features. (I see them often). The report will integrate quotations from the novel as it meets the expectations discussed below.
2. You are to analyze the story and not to re-narrate the story.
Many students just want to restate the events that occur. Do not do this; demonstrate your ability to reach the top of Bloom's Taxonomy in your discussion. That discussion of learning activity describes critical thinking and creativity as more important (and valued) than statements of fact and memory.
3. I expect the first paragraph or two to discuss the plot of the story (the causal sequence of events), the main characters and its themes. Since one of the main ideas of this course is social criticism, I would expect some commentary on the social envelope that creates the tension in the story. What are the expectations of that society, and how do these affect the characters and their situations? You must include a thesis statement and then demonstrate that idea in the body paragraphs of your essay discussion.
4. I expect extensive discussion of the main characters of the story: What are their values? What motivates each of these characters? What personal history shapes their motivation? How do they accomplish their goals? What are the results of their efforts? How do they create tension in the story? What is the final result of their efforts?
5. Also expected is a discussion of the main events in the story and how they affect the characters' situations---especially the main character. How do the characters respond to these events?
6. What is your conclusion about the book? What was the writer trying to do in writing this novel: To inform, entertain or persuade? Does the writer achieve his purpose? What is your overall assessment of the novel? Does the writer credibly describe a society you can believe in?