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Lacy 101
English 101 Blink Essay Assignment
Comparison essay
In the book Blink, we meet two unique individuals: psychologist John Gottman, a man who can accurately predict a marriage’s long-term success and Bob Golomb, a car salesman who manages to withhold judgment and limit stereotyping. Compare yourself to one of these men. If you compare yourself to Gottman, examine how well you can evaluate relationships. If you compare yourself to Golomb, examine how well you can withhold judgment or limit your use of stereotypes.
Throughout the essay, you should cite the text when describing either Gottman or Golomb (even when paraphrasing).
Your hook will be a story about how well you avoid stereotypes (if you’re comparing yourself to Golomb) or how you judge relationships (if your focus is Gottman). The thesis compares your ability to evaluate relationships (Gottman) or your ability to avoid stereotyping (Golomb).
Your body paragraphs will provide support for your thesis. At least one developed paragraph should examine Gottman or Golomb. At least one developed paragraph should examine your abilities.
Essay parameters:
– 750- 900 words (around 3 typed, double-spaced pages)
– Underline thesis
– at least three direct quotes from the text
MLA format required
Rough draft due: ____to Canvas by Friday April 7 at midnight____
* The completion of a rough draft and active participation in a peer review workshop count toward 10 percent of the essay’s grade; failure to turn in a rough draft and/or actively participate in the workshop makes it impossible to get an A on the paper. At least one hard copy must be brought to class on this date.
Final draft due: ____Thursday, April 20____
Grading Rubric
Scoring Guide
√ + = Excellent √ = Good, but could use work √- = Needs improvement
_____Hook: A focused, detailed story gains readers’ attentions and draws them into the essay. The hook isn’t a series of questions or the old Dictionary definition gambit.
_____Thesis: The essay includes a focused, clear, underlined thesis. The thesis is a clear and focused comparison between you and Gottman or Golomb.
_____Paragraph
Development: Paragraphs are complex, detailed, and contain strong topic sentences that connect back to the thesis. Personal experience and accurate citation is used to develop the paper.
_____Organization: The paper is easy to follow and reads smoothly. Transitions help the essay flow easily, and quotes are well framed. The essay isn’t merely previous assignments pasted together.
_____Grammar: The writer can discern homonyms and properly conjugate verbs. The writer knows sentence boundaries. The author carefully proofreads the essay. Meaning is clear.