ENG 120 Synthesis Essay (150 points)
Minimum length: 3 pages plus Works Cited
Directions: You will read and take notes for each essay in chapter 16 from TSIS for this paper. Please note, there are eight essays from this chapter. You dont necessarily have to read all of them. Your job is to find a connection, an area of overlap, between four or more of these essays. This is an argument paper, so you must advance an opinion while using at least four of these sources. You have tremendous freedom in what you want to write about. You will note that all of these essays are about Why our country is divided? This will not be your topic, its too broad. You need to find a common subtext between the essays and develop a narrow thesis/opinion about it.
Introduction
Introduce the reader to the controversial issue that is the subject of the paper.
Shoot for 7-10 sentences, depending on the complexity of sentence structure.
Make a connection between the texts and assert your opinion: This is your thesis.
Summary
Your topic sentence must make a connection between the texts.
Contextualize the summary of two competing essays.
Present the gist of each authors argument.
Body
Prove your thesis, while using the texts to support your thesis.
Take issue with the counterpoint, while addressing the relevant text.
Conclusion
Rephrase and emphasize your thesis statement.
MLA
Cite your sources, using in-line citations.
Attach a Works Cited
Effectively integrate quotations and paraphrases into your writing.
Refer to your St. Martins Handbook for help.