The Rise of the New Woman Essay

The Rise of the New Woman Essay

The purpose of a critical analysis/review essay is to evaluate a book, in our case a piece of non-fiction, of historical relevance. Your review should analyze several aspects of the text under consideration, including the argument, content, organization, main themes, and relevance for understanding the historical time period in which it covers (in this case the rise of the New Woman and Suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th century).

A critical review essay is not a book report. It does not summarize the text; rather it analyzes the author’s arguments, evaluates his/her supporting evidence, and determines its contribution to the field of history. Review essays can be full of praise, disdain, or somewhere in-between but always approach the text with a critical perspective.

Again, this is not a book report. You are not simply summarizing the book and what it is about. Review essays will be graded on your ability to indicate the book’s central thesis, main themes, evidence, and conclusions.

Try to create an understanding of the book’s historiographical significance, and the contribution it makes to the field of history. To do this, it is expected that you will use secondary and perhaps even some primary sources to support your argument from both the course assignments and outside material (specifically the FIT Library and Databases). It might be best to begin by finding several academic reviews of the book you are reading. Use these reviews to help you understand both what a review essay looks like and how to construct your own critique of the text. Remember to make use of the textbook and other external readings we have used so far in this course as a starting point. You should have minimum of three sources (not including the text itself).

You should have a title page, footnotes or endnotes, and a bibliography, as well as page numbers on every page except the title page. A well-written paper is obviously more effective in presenting an argument than a poorly written one; thus the quality of the writing will affect your grade.

You should make a concerted effort to present a cogent and focused argument in your paper. Your first or second paragraph should state your thesis clearly and concisely.

Consider your audience to be an educated layperson who wants to understand the author’s thesis, the key commentary it makes to the historic time period, and your evaluation of it.

If you are unclear about the parameters of a Critical Analysis paper, see this link from the University of Washington’s Writing Center: http://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/Handouts/CriticalAnalysisPapers.pdf (Links to an external site.)

You will turn in your paper online through the link in the Critical Analysis Module section of Canvas. I will be using the anti-plagiarism Turnitin.com software, so do be careful about quotations and material take from other sources. You will have until the end of the day (11:59 pm) on October 18, 2020 to turn it in.

When grading your critical analysis, I will be using the following grade format:

Grade Template for Papers

I Format (must satisfy all the following requirements)
· Student Name on paper
· Correct Margins
· Correct font (Times New Roman)
· Correct font size (12 point)
· Paper double spaced
· Assigned length (no less than 4 full pages and no more than 5 pages, not including title page or bibliography)

II Style& Syntax (must satisfy all the following requirements)
· Evidence of paragraph structure (which included transition sentences for each paragraph)
· No overuse of quotations (avoid long quotes that go beyond three to four lines)
· All sources should be cited using MLA, APA, or Chicago citation. For an overview of the MLA documentation format see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ (Links to an external site.)

• No use of Wikipedia; no citations from Wikipedia

-(Note: The sources I expect you to use should be of an academic nature, meaning you should limit the sources you find from a Google search, and instead use the wonderful resources available both physically and online. Stick to academic sources.)

III Subject Matter of Paper (must satisfy all the following requirements)
· Paper recognizes the purpose of the assignment, that of a critical analysis, and includes a clear and concise thesis statement.
· Paper provides a BRIEF (less than a page) summary of the book and the time period in which the book covers.

IV Beyond the Basics (must satisfy all the following requirements)
· Paper addresses all aspects of the assignment, including a full analysis of the book and its historic context.
· Paper is well written and well organized.
· Paper uses appropriate historical examples.

V Advanced Virtues (must satisfy all of the following requirements)
· Paper makes effective use of reading assignments and research (inside/outside the class)
· Paper demonstrates a historical sense (a deeper historical understanding of the time period and events taking place, which requires similar historical analysis used in our discussions)
· Paper demonstrates originality or creativity