Essay Guidelines: All essays should be typed and double-spaced (remember to remove the extra space between paragraphs if using

Essay Guidelines: All essays should be typed and double-spaced (remember to remove the extra space between paragraphs if using a newer version of Microsoft Word) in 12 point font with standard margins. All citations of the primary text(s) or critical sources must be made in accordance with the MLA style guidelines. As a result, a style guide will be required. Each essay should be between 1500–2000 words in length. A minimum of three reputable print sources (or online journal articles with corresponding print editions) in addition to the class texts themselves will be required for each essay. Forty percent of the essay grade is determined by argument/invention, forty percent by arrangement/organization and twenty percent for style/grammar. Part of the grades for both arrangement and argument will necessarily be based on how effectively primary and secondary sources are used and how well their use is balanced with the student’s own observations. Each essay should be an argument, with a clearly defined thesis, rather than a report that takes no position on the selected topic or merely summarizes the text.