College Prep 11th Grade English – American Realism/Naturalism Paper Assignment
Date Due: Tuesday February 12
Point Value: 50
Required Format (no exceptions): Typed on white printer paper in Calibri font, size 11, 1-inch margins,
double spaced. These are the default settings for Microsoft Word 2007. They are also the settings used
on this page (except for the double-spacing). Your work will be compared directly to this page if there is
any doubt whether you followed directions. Handwritten papers will not be accepted. Students can
make arrangements to type their papers in my classroom or the library during or after school if
necessary.
Title page required: YES. It should have your name, the date the paper is due, and an actual title. (The
title can be very simple, such as “American Realism.”)
Length: Not less than 2 pages, not more than 4.
Does spelling count? – YES
Topic: Your paper can be about one of two things:
1 – A comparison and analysis of one of the works by the authors we’ve read (Ambrose Bierce, Stephen
Crane, Mark Twain, Jack London, Kate Chopin) with one of the works by another author from the same
group. This is limited to the stories in the textbook we’ve read as a class.
2 – A comparison and analysis of the two Mark Twain stories with each other, or the two Kate Chopin
stories with each other.
In either case, your paper must:
a – show how all the works belong to the Regionalist, Realist or Naturalist genre, with quotations from
them to back up your point as needed. Each individual quotation should not be more than 2-3
sentences. It IS possible to write a paper without quoting, but only if you’re really sure of what you’re
doing.
b – analyze the style and content of both works, contrasting the writing of each to demonstrate the
author’s intent. For example, London wrote about a man freezing to death, Chopin about a woman
shopping, yet both are considered Realist. Why? How do they both fit the label? What was each trying
to say?
c - Use your Literature textbook as the primary source for background information and quotations. The
textbook should be listed on a separate page in MLA format as a source.
BE CAREFUL!!! Many students choose to write about Chopin, thinking that because her stories are the
shortest and easiest to understand they will be the easiest to write about. The opposite is actually true.
Her unadorned style actually gives you less to work with than Twain, London, or Bierce. It can require
more knowledge of writing and literature to analyze, not less.
GRADING RUBRIC
Requirement
The paper follows the
expected format of font, font
size, margins, length, etc.
The paper demonstrates or
accurately describes how the
chosen authors fit their
respective genres
(Regionalist/Naturalist/Realist)
If quotations are used, they
are used accurately and
effectively, not thrown in at
random.
The student makes accurate
observations about each
author’s writing style and the
content of his/her work.
Each paper has a separate title
page and source page in MLA
format.
% worth of total
5
35
20
35
5
Yes, it’s there
No, it’s not