Dinner Party with Two Guests with Opposing POVs: Research Essay
Objective:
To demonstrate an intimate, critical understanding of argument as well as to argue a specific issue through the mouthpieces of others, with your “mouthpiece” (point of view) being predominant.
Writing Assignment:
You will host a dinner party and invite 2 guest who hold contrary views on a current topic. Think carefully about what the “argument” at dinner will be. Choose guests that will make the dinner’s discourse interesting, lively, and—most importantly—thought–provoking. The choices are limitless . . . Be clever! Be creative!
Using quote and analysis of those quotes present both guests opposing point of view, but ultimately, the host has the “winning” point of view. You should persuade your “guests,” but also your readers of your research paper.
Requirements:
*YOU are the host; thus, the essay must be written in first person. You can “color” who you are but keep it close to reality. Maybe a projection of yourself in ten years (a nurse, a politician, a professor, a biologist, etc.)
*Set up the context of the dinner party. Where is it happening? Why are these “people” all there? Are they all invited? What will you serve?
*Think critically about the menu, music, and surroundings. Do these play a role in regard to the argument? There should be symbolic reasons for these choices.
Other Requirements:
**Very important** The lengthier part of the “essay” needs to deal with a specific issue, theme, or concept that can be argued using logic and credible scholarly research/evidence. In regard to specifics, you can choose, for example, water pollution in Los Angeles, NOT pollution in general; to stop the war in Syria, not war in general, etc- so be SPECIFIC and narrow in your focus
Length of argument: MORE SPECIFICALLY around 60% approximately of your paper’s length needs to be argument, counter-arguments, and rebuttals. The “I” narrator should represent your real feelings and your point of view should ultimately be the winning argument for the argument portion of your essay to be successful.
The readers of your “dinner party” essay should be clear of the host’s perspective as well as be influenced by that perspective (by the end). By page three or so of the essay, the focus of the argument needs to be clear.
*There needs to be quotes from each of the original works as well as ample research. Use parenthetical citations. That’s how I will distinguish between research and new, made up dialogue.
Creative License and Limitations:
*Cannot change the character’s personality
*Need to stay within the page limitations 4-5 pages
*Need to use proper grammar.
*Use language appropriate for the character. You can use slang and colloquialisms ONLY when using dialogue. The prose portion needs to be very formal. Think about the rhetoric behind your choices—don’t write anything “just because”; KNOW why you’re using a certain image, symbol, allusion, or word choice.
*Use COLORFUL, sensory, unique language and descriptions. Invent fresh similes and metaphors. Play with language. Have fun. Be creative.
* Should be complete with a Works Cited page at the end.
*This “party”—if prepared with savvy critical thinking—should allow you to be creative while expressing a particular view on an issue that you may be passionate about.
Required Sources:
- Two Scholarly sources (peer-reviewed academic journals, and/or credible books—or e-books—from “real publishers).
- Two Open (newspapers, magazines, videos, YouTube, TED Talks, blogs. But do review quality).
- All guests need to use some of their original quotes and cite all original texts.