Posted: September 16th, 2017

Achilles finally makes a conscious decision: not to kill Agamemnon.

Achilles finally makes a conscious decision: not to kill Agamemnon.

Why does Achilles give up Briseis? What do you think of Achilles’ refusal to fight?

 
Project description
Reader Response #1
Linda Rosenkranz: Instructor
Reader Response #1 counts 10% of your grade.
Read the following guidelines closely and let me know if you have a question. Please don’t ignore this advice, or I can pretty much guarantee that you will do poorly on the assignment and may even fail it.
1. Click on the Advanced Forum link and open the assignment handout for Reader Response #1. (Let your mouse hover over the title of the reader response on the left hand side of the screen—then click and open the file.)
2. Click “Add a new discussion topic,” and you should have an open message window. When you’re finished writing your response, click “Post.” Do not upload your response as an attachment — copy what you have written offline directly into the message window or write directly into the message window. Be sure to double- space and underline the thesis statement. I recommend that you compose your message in Word where you can edit and revise it if necessary before you copy it into the message box.
3. ASSIGNMENT(Chooseone): Topic #1
In the Iliad, Achilles and Agamemnon are fighting about women. Who do you think is in the right in this quarrel? Who do the Achaeans (the Greeks) think is in the right? Why? Why do you think Achilles and Agamemnon do not take Nestor’s advice?
Topic #2
Achilles finally makes a conscious decision: not to kill Agamemnon. Why does Achilles give up Briseis? What do you think of Achilles’ refusal to fight?
4. Theresponseisonedocument(onefile),anditismadeupofoneresponse,which should be 300-35o words and begin with a thesis statement (underlined).
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5. NOTE:
? Please type the total word count in the heading of your response or
immediately after the title (in parentheses). Do not include quotes and in- text citations in this count.
Again: Quotations and in-text citations do not count in determining word length.
? Responses that do not meet the minimum required word length
(300 – 350 words) will receive a grade of zero. To find the exact word count for your reader response, go to “Tools” on your computer and click on “Word Count,” or you can use the Online Word Counting tool posted. Be sure to type this word count up at the top of your reader response.
• Remember to provide textual support and in-text citations to back up what you say. Without supporting evidence and in-text citations, the assignment is an opinion – not an argument. The assignment is incomplete, and no grade greater than “50″ will be recorded.
? No more than 20-25% of your reader response should include direct quotes and in-text citations. Using more than 20-25% shows too great a reliance on someone else’s ideas, rather than your own.
? Post your reader response one time. Posting more than one time is confusing and will result in a grade of zero on the assignment.
? Type the title of the poem in italics. Example: The Iliad or the Iliad.
? You do not need a Works Cited, as the only text that should be used is the
Norton text – or the online site posted in Eagle Online (Week #1).
? I recommend that you type your response in Microsoft Word so that you can edit and revise it and then copy it to the message screen of the Advanced Forum — do not upload attachments. Double-space the reader response and underline the thesis statement. Be sure to follow guidelines in the assignment handout.
? When you are finished writing your response, don’t forget to send it to Turnitin for the Originality Report. Look over the Report and make any changes if you like and then copy your response to the message box. Do not post the Originality Report, as this is a public forum, and everyone can read what is posted by everyone else, and do not send it to me (I can access it if needed).
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6. ABOUT THE READER RESPONSE:
The first paragraph of the response is an analysis in which you answer the
question, while the last paragraph is a confrontation, a personalized statement of meaning.
Part One: The Analysis
The analysis section should be a good paragraph or two that begins with a thesis statement, followed by your discussion and supporting evidence, including in-text citations. Remember to support what you say with textual evidence (examples and quotations from the novel); otherwise, you write an opinion, which is not the assignment.
IMPORTANT: Avoid “dropping in” quotes. Instead, choose your quotes judiciously and be sure to explain the significance of each.
QUOTATIONS SHOULD NEVER BE SUBSTITUTES FOR YOUR OWN IDEAS. They support your argument by providing evidence. Remember, the importance of quotations is not self-evident. Explain why you are introducing them and what conclusion a reader should draw from them.
Part Two: The Conclusion (as a Confrontation)
The confrontation is a discussion of meaning. It should be at least a paragraph. This is the part of the assignment where you talk about yourself — it is a personalized statement of meaning. Let us know how you relate to anything in the literature and go on to provide an example from your own life’s experiences (or someone you know) to “show” us what you mean. In this paragraph, you’re free to say whether you like the play or not and to explain why.
The confrontation does not mean that you are “meeting” the author head on to argue, although you may. The conclusion, instead, is subjective; it’s discussing how you relate to anything in the literature; it’s your way of airing what you like, dislike, or what it means to your everyday life.
The “textual evidence” you provide to back up your statements in the confrontation should include an example or experience from your own life (or someone you know well). Remember: this section is about you and the text.
7. In-Text Citations: Since you should provide support for your ideas by acknowledging material from the play, in-text citations should be used. The following guides are excellent:
• “How to Integrate Textual Evidence into Your Paper”
• “Basic Rules for MLA In-Text Citations”
• “How to Cite Lines of Poetry”
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8. After you write your reader response and send it to Turnitin, you should copy the assignment to the message box of the Advanced Forum. Do not upload it as an attachment — copy what you may have written offline directly into the message box. There is no need to send me a copy of the Originality Report from Turnitin (I can access it if needed).
9. ABOUT THE PEER RESPONSES
After you post your reader response to the Advanced Forum, wait until most students have posted (not on Sunday night) to return to offer comments about what others have written. From this process, you may discover some ideas that may help you when you write your next essay. (Again, wait until after Sunday night when most students have posted before you add your peer responses.)
Choose at least two other students’ reader responses and make comments, ask questions, or offer suggestions. Your peer responses are due no later than Friday of each week, 11:55 pm. Please: offer more than “I agree with you . . . ” or “I disagree with you . . . ” Individualize yourself. This is the opportunity for you to demonstrate your own critical thinking skills. Allow your own style to distinguish yourself.
A good paragraph for each peer response should do it (minimum of 200-250 words each). This isn’t long or formal. The purpose, again, is to ask questions and offer suggestions — to help and get help. While you’ll be discussing points about another student’s response, you’ll also be taking a closer look at your own writing.
Failure to post substantive and honest peer responses will result in a 10-point penalty on the weekly reader response. A reader response will lose 20 points for each missing peer response. Peer responses posted after the last day, per the Late Paper P0licy, will not be accepted – no exceptions.
10.Late Paper Policy: Reader Responses 1 – 3 days late will lose 10 points. Assignments 4 – 7 days late wil