Technology and Art
Rough Draft Due: Tues. 2/10 for in class peer review.
Final Draft Due: Tues. 2/17
In your first project, you will write a 750-word essay asserting an argument analyzing the relationship of technology and art in at least one of the novels, stories, or poems we have read. We have considered various forms of technology this term, from the telegraph to transportation, science, and industry. Art is not limited to the visual arts, but to extends to the use of language, writing, and creativity. A motto for the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech is "Humanistic Perspectives in a Technological World," and whether or not a work of art appears to represent technology, its creator, characters, and subject are the products of technologically informed worlds. The book, critics have argued, is a form of technology, and in the Victorian period, as you read in Nicholas Daly's essay on "Technology" from the Cambridge Companion to Victorian Culture, methods of producing books were also changing.
750 words is approximately three pages, so you will need to select a narrow focus that you can analyze in depth. It may help to examine a particular character, moment, or set of moments in the text. You could also compare characters, moments, or aspects of art and technology in more than one text. Tracing the use of a word or phrase in the text might also help to focus and anchor your analysis. You can search texts electronically and see what words appear frequently using tools like Voyant. You can also use Voyant to see what words you might overuse or what underlying themes might be present in your essay.
You must analyze quotations from the text you have selected and address at least two additional sources we have read, which includes the critical articles on T-Square. You are also welcome to address additional materials in the Norton Anthology, just make sure to cite all sources that you consult.
You must also incorporate and analyze one image in your essay. Your image must be integral to your argument. Make sure to cite the source of your image in your list of works cited.
As you draft, compose, and revise your essay, review the techniques for analyzing texts in WOVENText, Chapter 2, (Section 17b and c), including visual texts (Section 17f). You should also review the explanations in of composing arguable statements (Section 19b), thesis statements (Section 19c), drafting essays (Section 21), and developing paragraphs (Section 29a-f).
You should also review WOVENText Section 37b “Working With Quotations,” Section 42b “In-Text Citations,” and “Section 39, Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism.” You must use your own words and cite all sources appropriately in all of your work this term. You may not cut and paste passages from the internet into your essay, unless you are quoting a passage. You must demonstrate appropriate use of quotations and cite all sources that you consult, including webpages.Use parenthetical citations to acknowledge when you are quoting or citing others’ ideas. It is plagiarism to use others’ words or ideas without citing them.
Remember, you do not need to summarize the texts in your essay. Assume your readers have read the texts and only explain what readers need to know to understand your points. This is an academic essay, so it should demonstrate appropriate conventions, including tone, language, and word choice. See Chapter 2, Section 17a of WOVENText, “Understanding Your Audience.” You should avoid using the first person, I.
For your final portfolio, you will need to submit multiple drafts of this project. You will be submitting a rough and final draft on T-Square, but you should also save earlier and intermediate drafts of your essay as separate files so that you can assess your writing process.
Your essay must be typed and double spaced in twelve-point, Times New Roman font.
You must include a list of works cited. Your list of works cited and parenthetical citations throughout the essay must demonstrate correct use of MLA style.
You will lose points for not correctly using MLA style.
You will also lose points for lack of proofreading.
Submit your rough draft and final drafts in a Word document on T-Square at least thirty minutes before class on the dates indicated above.
Developing Your Argument
Essay Structure
Project 1 is worth 20% of your course grade and will be evaluated using the English 1101/1102 Evaluation Rubric.
Final Draft Due: Tues. 2/17
In your first project, you will write a 750-word essay asserting an argument analyzing the relationship of technology and art in at least one of the novels, stories, or poems we have read. We have considered various forms of technology this term, from the telegraph to transportation, science, and industry. Art is not limited to the visual arts, but to extends to the use of language, writing, and creativity. A motto for the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech is "Humanistic Perspectives in a Technological World," and whether or not a work of art appears to represent technology, its creator, characters, and subject are the products of technologically informed worlds. The book, critics have argued, is a form of technology, and in the Victorian period, as you read in Nicholas Daly's essay on "Technology" from the Cambridge Companion to Victorian Culture, methods of producing books were also changing.
750 words is approximately three pages, so you will need to select a narrow focus that you can analyze in depth. It may help to examine a particular character, moment, or set of moments in the text. You could also compare characters, moments, or aspects of art and technology in more than one text. Tracing the use of a word or phrase in the text might also help to focus and anchor your analysis. You can search texts electronically and see what words appear frequently using tools like Voyant. You can also use Voyant to see what words you might overuse or what underlying themes might be present in your essay.
You must analyze quotations from the text you have selected and address at least two additional sources we have read, which includes the critical articles on T-Square. You are also welcome to address additional materials in the Norton Anthology, just make sure to cite all sources that you consult.
You must also incorporate and analyze one image in your essay. Your image must be integral to your argument. Make sure to cite the source of your image in your list of works cited.
As you draft, compose, and revise your essay, review the techniques for analyzing texts in WOVENText, Chapter 2, (Section 17b and c), including visual texts (Section 17f). You should also review the explanations in of composing arguable statements (Section 19b), thesis statements (Section 19c), drafting essays (Section 21), and developing paragraphs (Section 29a-f).
You should also review WOVENText Section 37b “Working With Quotations,” Section 42b “In-Text Citations,” and “Section 39, Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism.” You must use your own words and cite all sources appropriately in all of your work this term. You may not cut and paste passages from the internet into your essay, unless you are quoting a passage. You must demonstrate appropriate use of quotations and cite all sources that you consult, including webpages.Use parenthetical citations to acknowledge when you are quoting or citing others’ ideas. It is plagiarism to use others’ words or ideas without citing them.
Remember, you do not need to summarize the texts in your essay. Assume your readers have read the texts and only explain what readers need to know to understand your points. This is an academic essay, so it should demonstrate appropriate conventions, including tone, language, and word choice. See Chapter 2, Section 17a of WOVENText, “Understanding Your Audience.” You should avoid using the first person, I.
For your final portfolio, you will need to submit multiple drafts of this project. You will be submitting a rough and final draft on T-Square, but you should also save earlier and intermediate drafts of your essay as separate files so that you can assess your writing process.
Your essay must be typed and double spaced in twelve-point, Times New Roman font.
You must include a list of works cited. Your list of works cited and parenthetical citations throughout the essay must demonstrate correct use of MLA style.
You will lose points for not correctly using MLA style.
You will also lose points for lack of proofreading.
Submit your rough draft and final drafts in a Word document on T-Square at least thirty minutes before class on the dates indicated above.
Developing Your Argument
- Select quotations and an image to analyze. You only need to quote when the language of the quotation matters to your argument. Otherwise, you can put a quotation in your own words.
- As you return to the text, begin to formulate an argument by asking what links the evidence that you have selected. Ask yourself how they differ from each other and from other moments. These questions will allow you to answer why each instance is significant to the novel as a whole.
- Also consider the form and style of the examples you select. Analyze the word choice and tone. Where in the novel do the instances that you note take place? Why is this significant?
- Be creative and take intellectual risks. Show readers of your essay what you want them to see. Remember that each reader interprets a text differently.
Essay Structure
- As you are planning your essay, consider analyzing two to three quotations or examples per paragraph. If quotations are more than four lines in length they need to be indented as a block quotation. Be selective and only quote the words, phrases, or lines that are necessary to your argument. In addition, fully analyze the quotations you have selected. Sometimes you might deal with only one quotation or example in a paragraph if it demands that much explication.
- Your introductory paragraph should introduce your claim and why it is significant. Remember that your introduction can change up until the last minute and often it is a good technique to make your conclusion your introduction.
- Each topic sentence should assert the argument in the body paragraph it begins. Your analysis in each paragraph should support the topic sentence. The topic sentence of each paragraph should support your claim in the introduction.
- The conclusion of your essay does not need to repeat what you have already said. In light of what you have argued, make a connection to a larger context and suggest ideas for further research.
Project 1 is worth 20% of your course grade and will be evaluated using the English 1101/1102 Evaluation Rubric.