Ask yourself why the 2 texts differ, noting particularly the different historical moments or circumstances in which the texts were produced. Out of this consideration, craft your thesis statement answering the question: How do differ in their handling of, and what circumstances contributed to these differences?

THESIS AND OUTLINE FOR ESSAY: MODERNISM OR POSTMODERNISM ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

OVERVIEW
Writing is a process, and an important step in that process is outlining your ideas before drafting. In preparation for each essay, you will submit a thesis statement and a complete sentence outline based on the provided guidelines. The purpose of this assignment is for you to narrow down and plan the focus of your Essay: Modernism or Postmodernism assignment.

INSTRUCTIONS
Before starting the Thesis and Outline assignment, carefully read over the Essay: Modernism or Postmodernism Assignment Instructions first.
Complete the Thesis and Outline assignment by filling out the provided template (see a sample on page 2 of this document).

Note: You must use the provided template and complete each step by filling in your answers.

In crafting your thesis and outline for this first essay, follow these steps:
I. First, select the 2 literary texts from Modules 5, 6, or 7 you’ll be comparing and identify the topic they have in common. Possible topics might include freedom, alienation, race, identity, individualism, equality, power, death, love, gender, family, religion, work, money.

II. Second, ask yourself how the 2 texts or authors describe, present, or view the shared topic differently—in tone, in message, in form, in writing style, or in something else. For example, one author might define American identity as belonging to a community while the other author might value the individual experience over the community.

III. Third, ask yourself why the 2 texts differ, noting particularly the different historical moments or circumstances in which the texts were produced. Out of this consideration, craft your thesis statement answering the question: How do [your chosen texts] differ in their handling of [their shared topic], and what circumstances contributed to these differences?

IV. Fourth, select your organizational pattern: block format (discuss one text in the first half of the paper and discuss the other text in the second half of the paper) or alternating format (in each paragraph discuss one aspect of each text—the first text in the first half of the paragraph, the second text in the second half of the paragraph—alternating back and forth throughout the paper).

V. Fifth, craft your outline based on your chosen organizational pattern and flesh out that outline with evidence from your chosen literary texts. After the outline, list the two literary texts and three secondary sources in a working bibliography.

Make sure you complete each step in the outline using complete sentences.
See the grading rubric for specific grading procedures.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.