English 1121 -- Critiquing an Argumentative Essay -- Fall 2003 and Spring 2004

English 1121: College Writing and Critical Reading

Spring 2004 / Section 13

Essay #3 – Critiquing an Argumentative Essay

Write an argumentative essay in which you critique -- evaluate and then support or refute -- one (1) of the argumentative essays we've read from The Writer's Presence:

#69 -- Elayne Rapping -- "Daytime Inquiries" -- pp. 497-502
#118 -- Patricia J. Williams -- "Hate Radio" -- pp. 810-817
#110 -- Cass Sunstein -- "Media and Democracy" -- pp. 770-775

In other words, you are writing your own argument about and in response to another writer's argument. According to the BNCH, "a thesis is a statement in which the writer or speaker takes a supportable position on an issue" (66). In your case, your thesis statement will have two parts:

Your position on the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen writer's argument -- i.e your overall evaluation of the writer's argument, and,
Your position on the issue your chosen writer is arguing about -- i.e. your opinion/stance on the argumentative topic.

As you are preparing to write your argument, keep in mind that you will need to have plenty of evidence and support for both your position on the strengths and weaknesses of the writer's argument and your position which affirms or refutes the writer's argument. And, remember, you will have your "opposition" to consider in both parts of your paper: some of your readers may not agree with your evaluation of the writer's argument, and some of your readers may not agree with your position on the argumentative issue, so you will need to be thoughtful about how you will respond to anticipated objections or arguments. Of course, you might be "divided" in your own opinions, which might lead you to "argue both sides," so to speak.

To aid you in writing your essay, you must also do some research and find at least five (5) sources which inform you about both sides of the argument -- look for essays and articles which argue both for and against the argumentative essay you have chosen to work with -- and strive for a variety of researched sources. Use at least three (3) of these sources to write your evaluation and response to your chosen essay. As you do your research, consult the following research tools:

Our Textbook’s Website: www.bedfordstmartins.com/writerspresence
PALS: www.pals.msus.edu
MnLINK: www.mnlink.org
Various Internet Search Engines -- e.g. www.google.com
The A.R.C.C. Library Home Page: www.anokaramsey.edu/library/coonrapids.cfm

The reason I’m asking you to do some research as you write your essay is to encourage you to find some good ideas and evidence/support for both sections of your paper and for both "sides" of the argument. Remember, if you are going to write in support of the author's argument, you will need to offer new arguments, not merely repeat ideas mentioned by the author. Similarly, if you are going to try to refute the author's argument, you need to be prepared to offer good counter-reasons and counter-evidence. And, for example, if you are going to claim that the writer uses "bad" evidence, you might need to demonstrate what "good" evidence is. Researching other arguments might help you in all these areas.

Keeping Track of Your Sources:

When you find your sources, you must print or photocopy them and be sure the following information is included for each source: (1) the author’s name, (2) the title of the source, (3) the title of the “place” where you found the source -- a magazine, a newspaper, a journal, a website, etc., (4) the original publication information including the date of the source, (5) the date you printed the source, if it is an electronic source, and (6) the web address of the source, if it is from the internet, or the name of the database, if it is another kind of electronic source. You will need all of these items as you compile your working bibliographies and works cited pages. In addition, I will require you to submit the sources you use in your essay with the final draft of your essay.

Formatting Requirements:

Your essay should be at least three (3) pages but no longer than five (5) pages -- double-spaced and word-processed -- with 1.0-1.25” margins, and a 12-point “normal” font (Times New Roman or Arial). No title page is needed; put your name, the course, my name, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page (see BNCH pp. 44-48 for a picture of what the format should look like).