In The Milkman by Anna Burns, the Milkman dies at the end. What does that death tell the reader about a social in/justice issue presented in the novel? Write an essay Be 1500—2000 words (6-8 pages). CLEAR THESIS PLEASE.
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The editorial committee is composed of worldly, intelligent, and educated people from a range of backgrounds who represent diverse interests, priorities, politics, and agendas. They are very well-informed about social justice issues–and are looking for detailed understanding rather than broad overviews, manifestos, or blame-casting. It is imperative to bring both critical thinking and common sense to the assignment.
To convince this editorial committee, you will need to present an argument that goes beyond vague generalisations, broad overviews, and personal opinions about the death of a character and a broader social justice issue. The committee will not be swayed by emotional manipulation or rhetorical sophistry.
The more precise, accurate, coherent, and logically progressive your argument, the more convincing your argument about the social justice implications of the death of that character in the novel will be to the editorial committee.
The editorial committee is grumpy, and wants to dismiss your argument as spurious and fallacious (and will cheerfully disparage you as a social justice warrior or a fascist weasel) and will challenge all evidence for accuracy, contest all statements for credibility, and test all logic for gaps and omissions. They all want to publish their own students’ work–not yours.
You have eight pages to convince the editorial committee that your perspective about the importance/relevance/significance of the death of a character in the novel being connected to a social justice issue presented in the novel is valid, informed, worth consideration, and your argument is strong enough to convince them that it is worth including in Dying for Justice.
- Be 1500—2000 words (6-8 pages)
- Follow MLA format for in-text citations and Works Cited
- Be an argumentative research essay—with a strong thesis statement and containing an adequate number of peer-reviewed academic sources from UBC library to support your argument sufficiently.
- There is no minimum or maximum—the number of articles/chapters/texts required is the number that you need to cover the topic thoroughly and create an argument that reflects a sufficient depth of understanding.
- Your argument should not be a parroting of another author’s or authors’ opinion(s). Research should support your argument, not constitute your argument.
- Do not replace scholarly analysis with statements of the importance of a commitment to social justice for all. The purpose of an academic argument is not to convince the reader of your personal opinion–it is about making an intellectual claim supported by factual evidence.
- Please DO NOT make speculations that exceed what can be reasonably demonstrated within the context of the novel chosen. Unfounded projections/assumptions are not useful. The idea is to connect social justice to events and people described in the novel–not to argue about assumptions that you have made about people and events in the novel.