LSIC 179

Comparative Analysis: Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and

Diary of Madam Knight  Click here for copy of Knight's diary

In his Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin lays out a number of moral virtues that he considered “necessary or desirable.” (p. 95)  Although Madam Knight did not make her list of virtues so explicit, she too set certain standards for behavior to which she held herself and others.  In a 5 to 6-page paper, discuss what Knight and Franklin considered to be virtuous behavior. 

Tactical advice for this paper:  There are many ways to approach this assignment, and you are welcome to find your own angle. A few questions that you might address: What personal qualities did they believe were most important, and how did they describe other people’s behavior within their frameworks of virtue?  What can we learn about Franklin and Knight from their descriptions of others’ personal characters? Here are a couple of ideas about how to narrow the scope of your paper: Because the paper is rather short, you may want to choose a particular theme, such as how our memoirists treat racial, ethnic or religious difference.  Or, you could choose one or two of Franklin’s virtues and apply them to Franklin and Knight’s writings.  You will want to choose very specific examples from both of the memoirs in order to develop your points.

Remember that your essay must have a thesis, a series of paragraphs that support your thesis, and a conclusion.  (We will discuss these elements of a good paper in class.)

Your essay should conform to the following standards:

• 5-6 pages in length, using formal prose (proper grammar, proper sentence construction, proper paragraph construction, an introduction and conclusion, etc.)
• Double spaced
• Number your pages in the lower right hand corner of each page
• 12-point, Times New Roman or Garamond font – no larger or smaller
• one-inch margins all the way around the page – no more, no less
• This is an exercise in self-control as well as an exercise in thoroughness.  Papers that are too short or, for that matter, over one page longer than the prescribed length will be graded down accordingly.
• Run your paper through spell and grammar check before submitting it – but make sure that you also proofread your paper before submitting it.  I expect papers to be in proper prose, using effective grammar, proper sentence and paragraph construction, and a concise and clear introduction and conclusion.  If you are uncertain about how to construct a proper essay, see me for a list of reference works that may help. Don’t forget about the Writing Center.  Then, if you still have questions, see me.

You will hand in a draft of the comparative analysis on September 19 in class.  Two of your peers will read your paper and provide feedback. Of course, I too will provide feedback on your draft. Then, you’ll have the opportunity to revise your paper and submit a final draft.  The final draft is due October 3.

Peer Review Process and Guidelines

• On September 19, bring three copies of your paper: one for each reviewer and one for me.

• On September 24, bring two copies of each comment sheet: one for the paper’s author and one for me.

• On October 3, bring one copy of your final draft, along with the draft of your paper on which I made my remarks. 

Each student will review two other students’ papers and give both verbal and written feedback.  Well before the due date for the first draft, I will distribute a checklist of standards to which students will refer while reading and reviewing their peers’ papers.  There will be plenty of space for comments on these checklists, so that reviewers can provide specific feedback on the parts of the paper that have been done well, and so that they can make specific suggestions for improvements. 

On September 19 we will meet to exchange paper drafts with peer reviewers.  On September 24 we will meet and peer reviewers will give verbal as well as written feedback to the paper authors.  I will provide a sign-up sheet so that each student can set up individual appointments with me to discuss their draft. 

Peer critiques of papers will be evaluated by the following standards:

• Thorough and specific comments about the positive aspects of the paper.  What has the author done well?
• Thorough and specific comments about the areas that need improvement. 
• Substance of comments.  Do they go beyond simple grammar/punctuation correction and into the substance of the paper? (ie. Thesis, progression and substance of argument, conclusion, etc.)
• Constructive nature of the comments.  In other words, does the reviewer present suggestions for improvement in a helpful and positive manner? All comments should be presented without personal attacks or negative or harsh tone.