WRITING TWO PAPERS ON SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR'S BOOK

Bob Corbett, instructor
PHIL 2110
Spring (I) 2001

THERE ARE 2 PAPERS REQUIRED OF EACH STUDENT. THE TASKS AND DUE DATES ARE:

1. Feb. 26 on pages 7-34 (chapter 1.)
2. March 5 on pages 35 - to the end (chapter 2 to the end of the book).

THE ASSIGNMENT FOR EACH PAPER; PREPARATION HINTS; GRADING CRITERIA

• ASSIGNMENT: Each assignment is for two separate papers, each paper is exactly two pages long.

  The first page must give the best summary of the pages in questino that the student can give in one full page of text. Be sure to emphasize:

  • Completeness: The summary must cover the whole of the assigned text.
  • Centrality to the whole of the book. The student should be sure not to pick "favorite" items, but those which most contribute to the way de Beauvoir chooses to lay out her book.

  The second page is where you take your stand.

  • What is YOUR thesis? The ONE SINGLE BELIEF about the author's positions which you will defend? This belief must be important, controversial, and central to the position of the author. You must state it in ONE single sentence of no more than 20 words.
  • What reasons do you have for believing your thesis? Number and develop each reason.

  This is, in sum, a two-page paper (single spaced, small margins on all four sides) report on the assigned material. But it must be treated as two totally separate one page papers.

• PRE-PREPARATION TASKS:
  1. Read the text with care.
  2. Figure out the most important things to present in such a short summary.
  3. Be sure to consider de Beauvoir's structure, and what she takes to be important, not what you find to be "favorite" items.
  4. The task is to lay bare the central ARGUMENT of the text as she conceives it.
• THE PAPER ITSELF:
  1. First present the author's position. Do this in enough detail to cover EXACTLY one page. This part should not contain a single quote from the author -- tell it all in your own words -- and must not contain a single word of evaluation.
  2. The second page is your evaluation and assessment. Here you tell us whether or not the author is correct about her argument, and what reasons you have to support that claim.
  3. The paper must be carefully edited. It must be two pages, exactly so, no more no less. Absolutely not ONE word of the analytic section may carry over to the second page.
  4. The paper must be single spaced and with no more than 12 point type and with small margins on all four sides, no more than an inch at the top and bottom and less on the two sides.
• THINGS I WILL ESPECIALLY NOTE AND LOOK FOR IN GRADING THE PAPER:
  1. Is the summary complete and accurate to de Beauvoir' intent and ARGUMENT?
  2. Is the summary clear and interesting?
  3. Is the summary presented in clear and articulate language in the student's own words without a single quote from the author in question and none of the language too close to the author's original. In a word -- is this all in the student's language?
  4. Is the first section exactly one page?
  5. Does the evaluation section accurately and persuasively evaluate the author's thesis with strong reasons?
  6. Is the student's evaluative position on the author laid out in clear and articulate language well defended by reason?
  7. Is the evaluation of the author's position carefully tied to the aims of this class so that the student milks the essay for its particular relevance to our searching for an answer to the question: What is the perspective of Existentialist ethics?
  8. Is the paper EXACTLY two pages, singled spaced with small margins and normal sized type?
  9. Is the paper carefully proof-read, in standard English and with a minimum of errors of grammar, spelling or missed typos?
• THE GRADES THEMSELVES:
  • A grade of A will mean:
    The summary is completely accurate of the paper and done in detail of exactly one page. The evaluative and relevance section is completely accurate and the paper exactly two pages long. The whole of the paper would make a useful contribution to our understanding of the central aim of the class and this done explicitly in the paper. The whole of the paper was in standard English with a minimum of errors and a splash of style and taste.
  • A grade of B will mean:
    Both the summary and evaluative sections are quite accurate and the paper meets ALL the basic requirements of size and form. However, the paper is not quite as exceptional as an A paper would be expected to be; or conversely, the content is quite brilliant, but there are excessive lapses in the form.
  • A grade of C will mean:
    A genuinely good paper that is primarily accurate and the form and style are strong. However, the paper lacks any glimpses of something beyond the expected, the reasonable expectation of college work. It is just that. Normal, good, solid work with neither noticeable weaknesses nor special moments of brilliance.
  • A grade of D will mean:
    Some more serious deviations from the criteria expressed above. These might be in inaccuracies of the analysis, noticeable lapses in form or special weaknesses in the use of the English language.
  • A grade of F may mean anyone of three things:
    
    1. The paper was not turned in on time.
    2. Significant failures to meet the assignment at the level of reasonable university level expectations of thought, attention to detail, attention to the time guidelines or presentation expectations. (Specifics will be pointed out).
    3. Some of the particular aspects of the assignment were ignored (length, form, separate of sections, etc.) or presented in quite unacceptable forms.

    Please note that any evidence of plagiarism, that is work that is not the student's own, will result not only is a grade of F for the paper, but for the entire course.

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