Posted: April 27th, 2015

monograph analysis of Lawrence R. Samuel’s The American Dream: A Cultural History

monograph analysis of Lawrence R. Samuel’s The American Dream: A Cultural History

HISTORY 1378-05 (20044)/United States History Since 1877;Professor Pegoda ~ Spring 2015;

Monograph Analysis
Students should write a thoughtful monograph analysis of at least 4-6 pages where they
analyze and evaluate Lawrence R. Samuel’s The American Dream: A Cultural History.
This paper is due Friday, May 1, 2015, at 10:00 pm. A hardcopy should be brought to class
and submitted Saturday, May 2, 2015, at Noon, with the Academic Honesty Pledge attached.
No late work will be accepted. Papers may be submitted early.
Additionally, the professor will happily go over reviews and provide feedback before the
deadline so students have an opportunity to improve. Students seeking early feedback should
contract the professor several days before the due date.
Students should write according to the following general outline. All of these questions should
be considered but should be addressed in a narrative fashion that is clear and makes sense. Do
not answer each question one-by-one, as the assignment calls for a coherent essay.
I. This review should open with an introductory paragraph where the writer tells the
reader what to expect in the review. This paragraph should also provide a BRIEF
summary of Samuel’s work. It should also identify Samuel’s overall thesis. Why does
Samuel say his topic is needed? What themes or topics does Samuel address?
II. The next three paragraphs should explain the three most important major arguments
Samuel uses. One per paragraph. Why are these the most important compared to all of
the other arguments? What are the implications of these arguments? What
assumptions do these arguments rest on? Be sure to give brief examples. (There are
many, many correct answers as to the best arguments.)
III. In the fifth paragraph, discuss what kind of evidence Samuel uses. What kind of
sources does he mention or reference? Does Samuel do an effective job of using said
evidence to support his overall ideas? Can you imagine other kinds of evidence that
would support, or possibly contradict, Samuel’s argument?
IV. In the next paragraph, consider how Samuel’s work compares with the textbook,
assigned primary sources, and course lectures. How do these perspectives agree or
disagree? Does the textbook even deal with the questions explored by Samuel? What
observations can you make about what seems to be important to historians or what
they disagree about?
V. In the concluding paragraph or two, please evaluate the work by providing your
opinion. Were you persuaded by Samuel’s argument and use of evidence and
explanations? Are you persuaded as to the larger significance of this material? Did
Samuel write in a clear, coherent, organized way? Does Samuel seem overly biased in
any way? What did you like about the book and why? What did you not like about the
book and why? Has your interest in the American Dream and its cultural history been
satisfied, piqued, or bludgeoned out of you? What did you learn? Where you surprised
about anything? For all of these questions, answer why and how and provide
examples.
Review the following again as needed for information about successful university writing.
“Five Characteristics of College Writing”
http://andrewpegoda.com/resources/five-characteristics-of-college-writing/
“Checklist for Writing Assignments:
http://andrewpegoda.com/resources/checklist-for-writing-assignments/
The Oxford Comma, plus Every Comma Rule You Need to Know”
http://andrewpegoda.com/2014/06/24/the-oxford-comma-plus-every-comma-rule-you-need-toknow/
“Mastering the Semicolon, Colon, and Apostrophe”

Mastering the Semicolon, Colon, and Apostrophe

“14 Must Know Rules of Grammar Guaranteed for Successful Writing”
http://andrewpegoda.com/2014/06/25/14-must-know-rules-of-grammar-guaranteed-forsuccessful-
writing/
“Grading Rubric”
http://andrewpegoda.com/resources/grading-rubric/
Additionally, please remember that all out-of-class work must be typed in Times New Roman
size 12, with one-inch margins on all four sides, and double-spaced. Spelling, grammar, and
format count – please use Academic English (this means NOT using first person [e.g., the
word “I”], text-message language, contractions, clichés, or slang, for example). Students tend
to make more mistakes on grammar than on content, so be careful. Out-of-class assignments
must be submitted online for plagiarism detection in Blackboard. Additionally, students
must bring a hardcopy to class with the turn-it-in digital receipt and the academic honesty
pledge attached—all pages must be stapled.
Quotations must be kept to a minimum. No more than four (brief) total sentences may be
quoted throughout the paper. When quoting, put the page number in a parenthetical citation.
For example, “I am quoting this line” (4).
Please note that The American Dream is not a “novel” (novels are fictional accounts). This book
is considered a “monograph.”
Be sure and take the appropriate and necessary time to write a good, formal, publishable
paper.
Academic honesty is very important and is required. For out-of-class assignments, including
this review, students are prohibited from using any outside sources or each other, doing
so constitutes cheating. This means students MAY NOT reference any online sources or
reviews about the book. Students must complete the review INDEPENDENTLY. Students
may only reference material specifically assigned or discussed in this class, such as weekly
packets, lectures, the textbook, or class discussions. Students are also prohibited from, for
example, turning in the same paper as another student, submitting an online review as
their work, or having someone else write the paper for them. Students who cheat or
plagiarize will be punished. Cheating or plagiarizing will result in an “F” for the course. In
all cases, all violations of academic honesty will be reported to the Dean of Students, and
students will run the risk of being expelled from Alvin Community College. Students with
questions should ask. Students are responsible for policies in the student handbook, as well as
rules of common sense.
Academic Honesty Pledge for The American Dream assignment: This document is intended
to remind all students about the importance of academic honestly. This is especially true for
any students who wait until the last minute to work on this assignment. Do not make a poor
and regrettable decision that will tarnish your academic credentials and academic future (i.e.
do not use someone else’s ideas/paper and call it your own).
By initialing each item and signing this document below, I acknowledge that:
• __________ I completely read The American Dream: A Cultural History.
• __________ The ideas in this paper are mine and mine alone.
• __________ I did not use any sources from the Internet (including academic
databases) to help write this paper or develop these ideas.
• __________ I did not seek nor provide any assistance to other students in this course
(current or former students) while preparing or writing this assignment.
• __________ I did not buy this paper.
• __________ I did not pay someone to write this paper.
• __________ I understand that if any part of this paper is plagiarized, I will be caught
and punished.
• __________ I understand that the consequences for plagiarizing lead to an automatic
“F” for the semester and a report with Academic Affairs.
Full Name (print): _____________________________________________ Date: __________
Signature: ____________________________________________________ ID#: __________