1. ENG 102 – Bolton
Essay Assignment 2: Cultural Context
Important Dates and Requirements
Draft Due to TurnitIn for PeerMark: Thursday, February 28 (by 11:59 pm)
PeerMark Must be Completed By: Saturday,March 2 (by 11:59 pm)
Paper Due to Instructor: March 5 (by 5:00 pm)
Length: 1100-2500 words*
Sources Required: Four—one literary work itself and three additional scholarly
sources*(see below for details)
Submission Methods: Hard copy (to me), electronic copy to TurnitIn
* Essays that are too short, too long, or don’t meet the source requirements will receive half credit.
When you interpret a work based on its cultural context, you explore the time period in which the story
is set (or written—see pages 67-76 and/or 1989-1992) of your textbook for details and examples). For
this assignment, you will complete a cultural context reading on one of the following works:
Chang – ―Hangzhou 1925‖ – pg. 288
Wright – ―Big Black Good Man‖ – pg. 349
Faulkner – ―Barn Burning‖ – pg. 366
Chopin – ―The Story of an Hour‖ – pg. 223 Helpful hint: Since this essay will involve
Ellison – ―Battle Royal‖ – pg. 319 research, it would be wise to choose a
Olsen – ―I Stand Here Ironing‖ – pg. 331 time period or culture that interests
Walker – ―Everyday Use‖ – pg. 464 you—it will make learning about it (via
Hughes – ―Dinner Guest: Me‖ – pg. 1009 research) more enjoyable!
Hughes – ―Theme for English B‖ – pg. 1004
Piercy – ―The Secretary Chant‖ – pg. 845 Also, note that some of these works
Alexie – ―Evolution‖ – pg. 769 involve both culture and history—you can
Owen – ―Dulce Et Decorum Est‖ – pg. 826 choose to focus on one aspect or both for
Williams – ―Spring and All‖ – pg. 924 your essay; the choice is yours.
Lorde – ―Rooming houses are old women‖ – pg. 838
Updike – ―Ex-Basketball Player‖ – pg. 843
Glaspell – Trifles – pg. 1242
Hwang – Trying to Find Chinatown – pg. 1795
All of the works are closely rooted in a particular cultural and/or historical context. Your essay should
explore this connection, explaining what the work teaches about the culture/history and/or vice-versa.
Here are some additional guidelines:
Include an interesting, engaging title
Provide a thesis that is specific, well-developed, and appropriate
o Your thesis and the rest of your essay must effectively interweave the historical/cultural
information with your interpretation of the play—I do not want a ―report‖ on the time
period or culture; you are making an argument via your interpretation of how the time
period or culture affects what happens in the work

2. Cite at least once from each source in your essay (meaning include a parenthetical citation!)
Choose appropriate sources when researching
o Sources must come from the HGTC library databases or be a published book—no
websites are acceptable
o Include at least one PRINTED book as a source (not an eBook, though you can certainly
use eBooks in addition to your one printed book)
o The only acceptable dictionary is the Oxford English Dictionary, which is scholarly but
only counts once (no matter how many words you look up) and does not count as your
book
o Note: You are welcome to use more than three sources as long as they all come from the
HGTC library databases or are books
o Note: Essays that include sources that are not scholarly will receive half credit; the
same penalty applies to essays that don’t include at least three outside sources
Follow MLA Format(which means you will have a Works Cited page that includes a correct
entry for each source used!)
o See Chapter 7 of your textbook for help with your citations
Proofread carefully for grammatical, technical, and mechanical errors
Read the rubric carefully to ensure you include all requirements and expectations in each
category
As mentioned above, consult pages 67-76 and/or 1989-1992 in your textbook for additional information
and examples of this type of essay.

3. Student Name: _________________________ PeerMark Grade: _____/20
Essay 2: Cultural Context (150 points)
Scale: 15= perfect/excellent, 12= good, 9= fair, 0 = poor or missing
15 12 9 0
Title is appropriate and interesting; Introduction introduces text and author,
provides necessary background information about literary work and
history/culture, and makes reader want to keep reading
Thesis statement is clear and well-developed, explains how the
history/culture affects the work, and is the last sentence of the introduction
Each body paragraph includes a topic sentence that outlines that paragraph
and connects to the thesis
Body paragraphs (support)are appropriate, concrete, and well-developed;
examples are logical and effective; research helps support thesis
Conclusion avoids introducing new ideas and adequately summarizes essay
In-textcitations (quotes) are formatted correctly, properly framed (introduced
and discussed), and effective in supporting thesis
Transitions effectively enhance essay’s ―flow‖ by guiding reader
Vocabulary, language use, and word choices are correct and appropriate
Note: You should avoid second-person (“you”) and unnecessary/excessive
first-person (“I think,” “In my opinion,” etc.)
Grammar, spelling, and mechanics demonstrate correct use of Standard
Edited American English
MLA Format is followed throughout essay (including Works Cited page)
Consult your essay for details; if you do not understanda comment I made, please don’t hesitate to come
see me duringoffice hours to discuss your essay.
IMPORTANT
Grade: _____/150
You must print out and turn in this rubric
with the final hard copy of your essay, or
your essay grade will be penalized 15 points.