Their Eyes Were Watching God: Essay Guidelines

Objectives:
You will be able to

Show understanding of the relationship between themes and concepts in Their

Eyes Were Watching God by composing an analytical essay
Summarize your main argument and identify the authors literary or rhetorical
strategies in a specific and cogent thesis statement
Support your argument with relevant textual evidence
Analyze selected quotations for specific strategies Hurston employs in her
writing (diction, imagery, detail, figurative language, syntax, tone,
characterization, symbolism, point of view, etc.)
Cite sources correctly by following MLA formatting guidelines throughout your
paper

You may choose from one of the prompts to guide your writing. The prompts are merely a
starting point, and you do not have to answer all of the questions for each prompt. If you
decide to embark on your own paper topic, you must acquire approval from the teacher first.
Essay Prompts:
1. In many novels and plays, tension arises between a characters outward conformity to
societal norms and his or her inner struggle to achieve a sense of individuality. Write a wellorganized essay in which you detail how Janies struggle lends meaning to the novel. Do not
merely sum up the ways in which she conforms.
2. How important is Hurston's use of vernacular dialect to our understanding of Janie and the
other characters and their way of life? What do speech patterns reveal about the quality of
these lives and the nature of these communities? In what ways are "their tongues cocked and
loaded, the only real weapon" of these people? How does the dialect contrast with the thirdperson omniscient narration?
3. Many of Hurstons critics initially dismissed Their Eyes Were Watching God as fiction with no
meaning or purpose. Readers have discovered, however, that, while her novel is not overtly
political, it does address many pertinent social issues. In a well-written essay, identify and
discuss the central questions the novel raises and the answers that it offers. You may consider
issues of race, gender, and class.
(Additional resource: How it Feels to be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston)
4. To qualify as a symbol, an element must consistently point beyond itself toward a greater
idea. Select a symbol from the novel and write an essay in which you justify its use by detailing

its relationship to the characters, the setting, or the plot. Do not merely offer a catalogue list of
symbols and their meanings.
5. What are the differences between the language of the men and that of Janie and the other
women? How do the differences in language reflect the two groups' approaches to life, power,
relationships, and self-realization? How do the novel's first two paragraphs point to these
differences?
Essay prompts adapted from https://piazza.com/class_profile/get_resource/.../ha4j7zodp3o59i

Timeline:

Due Date

Assignment

Monday, October 27

Checkpoint 1: Bring working thesis statement

and list of relevant quotes (TYPED, 2 copies) to
use as textual evidence for the paper.

Tuesday, October 28

Checkpoint 2: Turn in an essay outline for

instructor feedback.

Thursday, October 20

Checkpoint 3: Turn in the quote analysis

exercise for instructor feedback.

Wednesday, November 5

Checkpoint 4: Bring rough draft for peer

review

Friday, November 7 at 5 p.m.

The instructor will accept rough drafts or

excerpts for review if the student
submits/emails before this deadline. This
assignment is optional.

Monday, November 10

FINAL DRAFT due in class

Contact Ms. Sohn at chsohn@virginia.edu for questions about the assignment.

Essay Scoring Guide

9= 100 8=94 7=90 6=86 5=80 4=77 3=70 2=60 1=50
NOTE: You will lose points from your final essay grade if you fail to adhere to MLA formatting
guidelines.
9: Excellent use of thoughtfully chosen, apt, and specific-to-the-text evidence: concrete details,
references and quotes (10 or more). Response to the prompt is a convincing, insightful,
perceptive commentary and interpretation, free of plot summary. Personal style is evidenced in
pleasing sentence variety, vocabulary (precise and fresh diction); sentence structure is
sophisticated; it has finesse, creativity without going too far. Ideas are expressed with clarity
and skill; the paper addresses the what, the how, the why. Well-organized with careful
development, smooth transitions, sound sentence structure, uses literary present tense, no
passive voice, strong and varied verbs. The thesis statement is clear and compelling; it not only
states the authors purpose but also the methods Hurston employs to achieve that purpose.
Topic sentences summarize each supporting paragraph. The conclusion elaborates upon the so
what of the argument, placing it within a broader context beyond the novel. Virtually no errors
exist in spelling, grammar usage, and mechanics.
8: All of the above, but perhaps the style of the student paper is not as evident. There are at
least 8 or 9 quotes.
7: This paper has a few minor problems, fewer examples and quotes, but at least 6 or 7. It is
less insightful, less developed than an 8/9; it may miss the why of the question. The conclusion
is effective. The paper is still well-written, developed, and analyzed. There is good control over
sentence structure, diction, and mechanics.
6: This is a safe paper, carefully done, but it needs more. It uses at least 5 quotes. More than a
5, less than a 7.
5: Superficial, obvious, vague details and quotes (4) from the text, but they are used correctly;
commentary is generic, but there is some analysis. The conclusion is only adequate. The paper
slips into passive voice or uses to-be verbs. No serious errors in spelling, grammar, usage,
mechanics.
4: The supporting evidence of this paper is weak paraphrasing, vague and inaccurate. The
analysis and commentary are misguided and unclear. There is plot summary instead of analysis.
The writer uses a vague and predictable introductory paragraph and/or a repetitive and weak
conclusion. Ideas drift off the topic or prompt. The answer restates the question. The paper
lacks transitions. There is repetitive diction and/or awkward diction/vocabulary. The writer uses
passive voice and to-be verbs excessively. The writer uses the past tense instead of the literary
present. The writer does not embed quotes.

3: This paper has weaker writing skills than a 4. It has less organization, more
misinterpretations, inadequate development, serious omissions. Quotes are missing. The
student uses contractions and/or a chatty, non-academic tone. The writer uses a negative
and/or judgmental tone. The writer does not answer all the parts of the question. There is no
conclusion.
2: There are very few, if any, concrete details. Thesis is weak or non-existent. There are
distracting errors in sentence structure, diction, spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics. The
paper rambles because of a lack of control, organization, and/or development. The paper is
illegible.
1: This paper is unacceptably brief or incoherently long, full of mechanical errors. It misses the
focus of the topic. The writer does not answer the question. The writer draws or writes
silly/cynical things.

Reference
Effinger, Sandra. "Just For Advanced Placement Teachers." Sandra Effinger -- MsEffie's
LifeSavers for Teachers. N.p., 28 July 2014. Web. 08 Oct. 2014.