Essay One:                   Family, History and Memory in Southland
Page Length:               3-5 typed pages, double spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 point font
Draft Due:                    9:00 am, Wednesday, July 6 IN CLASS
Final Paper Due:            9:00am, Friday, July 8 IN YOUR PROFESSOR’S OFFICE

Before you arrived on campus, we asked you to think about the themes of family, history and memory (which are so important in the novel Southland). That assignment involved discovering how major historical events intersected and impacted your personal family history. Drawing upon your personal research and your knowledge of Southland, write a paper that illustrates the ways the themes of family, history and memory intersect in your life and in the novel, and what the significance of these themes are in both. 

Advice:

            Make sure you have a clearly stated thesis and that you cite appropriately. Proofread your paper and have someone else proofread it also before handing in the “final” version.

            Before writing, decide on an arrangement for your paper. What comes first? What aspect of the assignment will each paragraph focus on?  How will you conclude your discussion so that you are clear that the reader has understood your main point? What is your thesis? What are the strongest connections you are able to make between your personal history and the novel?