Example

Assignment Example:

After reading The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, you’ve been asked by your teacher to write an informational essay in which you compare and contrast the dealings of the play with the McCarthy Hearings of the 1950s. In order to write the essay, you’ll need to draw upon what you already know about McCarthyism. Next, you’ll brainstorm possible criteria. These are points that you will use to compare and contrast the two situations. Your essay will explain how literature often mirrors real events.

Work with your elbow partner to create a list of possible sub-topics. Let’s say, the time period and place, the historical context, public policies or beliefs, the principles involved, the nature of evidence, the types of hearings, the reason for suspicions, targeted groups, public reaction, and consequences for those found guilty. Whew! We’re a bit out of breath! It’s a veritable cauldron of ideas!

Satisfied with these measures, you will complete research online, in history textbooks, and informational texts devoted specifically to the two topics. Essays by enchanters in the field, historians, and professors in the appropriate subject areas (English, history, sociology, etc.) will provide many types of information you’ll use in your report.

Your sources will yield a charming variety of facts, direct quotations, statistics, details, and definitions. These will help explain how The Crucible and the McCarthy Hearings are alike and different. These facts will help support your thesis that there are many more similarities than differences. In addition to written factual material, you’ve been asked to include multi-media. More research on websites such as History.com and YouTube finds many videos that can be embedded into your essay. Clips from the film version of The Crucible would also add interest to your paper, and don’t forget about photographs of those on trial at the McCarthy Hearings.

The shaping of your paper will be important. Be crafty. You could choose to write all about one situation, say the play first, followed by the McCarthy Hearings. Or, you could discuss each element one at a time, but addressing both situations. Looking at your notes, you decide to use the criteria strategy. Transition words, such as similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise, again, compared to, in contrast, in like manner, contrasted with, on the contrary, however, although, yet, even though, etc., will be needed to compare and contrast the two situations.

As you write your paper, use headings to indicate the specific criteria that each section covers. These headings act as a map for your reader. Make sure that the arrangement of criteria is appropriate as well. For example, the time period, the setting, and the principles would certainly come first in your essay. Criteria, such as findings and punishments, would be reserved until the end of your paper.

You’ll have your readers HANGING on your every word. Since this is an academic paper, be sure to avoid slang. That’s right… no hocus-pocus. Instead, use mature vocabulary fitting to your classmates. When using words such as subversion, censure, allegations, filibustering, hearing, and McCarthyism, wave that magic wand over your paper and describe them. Your writing will be more mature with these types of words.

Apply your knowledge about syntax, and use a variety of sentence types, too. Short sentences mixed in with longer ones can be very effective. We mean that. You might also try to use simile and metaphor to liven up your text. Finally, the use of analogy is perfect for this assignment. In fact, you’ve set out to prove The Crucible is an analogy (a parallel comparison) for the McCarthy hearings.

At the end of your paper, be sure to draw a conclusion about the facts you have provided. Answer the original question. Does The Crucible really mirror the McCarthy Hearings as the playwright intended? While you’re using facts to determine this answer, it’s your ANALYSIS of those facts that will cast a spell on the audience.

Quiz Questions