Justin J. Bain
PhD Student in Composition and Cultural Rhetoric
Syracuse University
315-443-1412
jjbain@syr.edu
WRT 105: Unit 1
• Philosophy
• Writing 105
• Writing 205
• Writing 307
• Writing 110
Unit One Essay: Analyzing an Artifact
As you begin this assignment, think back to Wendy Hesford’s "Memory Work." Much of what she does in that essay is what you will be required to do in this essay. Hesford spends a good deal of time describing and detailing her artifact, an old photograph passed down through her family—this assignment asks you to richly describe your artifact as well. Hesford locates her artifact within larger contexts—you are asked to do this as well. A larger context might be political or social, it might also be historical or cultural, it might deal with gender or race or class, or it might enter into other current discussions in the university or elsewhere in the world. To discuss some of the contexts related to your artifact, it will be necessary to do some research. Lastly, Hesford draws on her own experiences and memories of the artifact in order to demonstrate its meaning and significance—this assignment asks you to do the same.
Please do not treat the preceding three elements of this assignment as an organizational pattern. That is, you should not write an introduction that only describes, a body that only brings in contexts, and a conclusion that only states the significance: these elements need to be woven throughout your essay. Think back to our discussions of Hesford’s essay and the way that she successfully and unsuccessfully incorporates these elements.
Wednesday I will return your writing on potential artifacts, and Friday you will commit to one artifact to analyze.
First Draft: DUE Sept 24
Second Draft: DUE Oct 1
Final Draft: DUE Oct 12
A successful essay will contain a full description of the artifact being analyzed, relate that description and the artifact as a whole to a larger context of contexts, and will discuss the artifact’s significance in relation to context and personal experience/memory. A successful essay will also have a clear thesis or controlling idea, though this need not be stated in one sentence, and will be relatively free of errors. All drafts of the essay must be typed and in MLA format (See Longman Writer’s Companion), or they will not be accepted for credit. This essay counts as 30% of your final grade.