San Diego Mesa College Egyptian Book of the Death Essay

This essay asks you to explore some key element of literary importance in the novel Signs Preceding the End of the World. You may explore the work using several techniques of literary analysis, including study of cultural contexts, such as the current situation of immigration at the border. You may also focus on literary elements such as irony, symbolism, setting, the anti-hero, character development, the hero’s journey, fiction noir, etc.

As it was in your first essay, the story you want to tell is your choice.

This essay will test your ability to synthesize your own ideas about the novel with those of leading journalists and academic scholars. You will use your observations and research to produce a text that successfully argues in favor of some particular interpretation of the work. You must use one professional source to support your idea. Tip: (Find the source before you begin your essay, it’s much harder later…)

You should choose to write about a topic suitable to the assignment’s length, 4-6 pages. In choosing, be aware that you are expected to research at least one outside source for this essay. You will also be using the novel itself as a primary source. Your essay should include multiple quotes from the text that support your interpretation of the work.

Your research should be focused on professional, scholarly sources that provide insightful and relevant information about the topic you choose. You can use the library databases and search for scholarly articles written by professionals, but because our novel is only a few years old, you will probably use primarily internet sources.

Your essay must additionally have a clearly stated purpose and must present the student writer’s synthesis of their own carefully crafted ideas and those of their source, clearly making distinctions between the two. A successful essay will exhibit the following characteristics:

1 Present an appropriate and creatively ambitious topic centered around a single thesis.

2 Have a clear sense of purpose, easily stated if put on the spot to do so.

3 Provide informed and detailed analysis, no wikipedia or general knowledge based sources please.

4 Incorporate a professional and credible source seamlessly.

5 Provide clear, thoughtful organization and exhibit skillful narration.

6 Follow MLA Guidelines.

7 4-6 pages in length