Writing Resources

Assignment: Comparative Essay — Scholarly Articles

Near Eastern and Judaic Studies 

Description

Your comparative essay (750-1,000 words) critiquing and comparing two articles, accompanied by a reverse outline, is due electronically via LATTE by 5 p.m March 11. This assignment will comprise 20% of your grade.

The purpose of this paper is to show that you can digest two very different articles on the same topic, summarize them and explain why you think one is better than the other, using the tools you have acquired so far in this class. There is no single right answer.

Instructions and Requirements

You should answer all the questions in the assignment. In this case, you should address each of the following issues (in any reasonable order):

• Succinctly summarize each of the articles (cited in the MLA citation form)
• Clearly note, using specifics, why you favor one over the other.
• You must submit a reverse outline, as discussed in class, along with the essay.

You should not use any additional secondary literature for this paper, which emphasizes clear thinking, clear organization and clear writing. We will explore other issues such as finding your own paper topic, finding bibliography, sorting through good and bad sources, etc., in the next paper.

Please include a word count in your paper; it must be between 750-1,000 word. I believe that 750-1,000 words (about 3-3.5 typed pages, double-spaced) is the right length for this assignment. If your paper is longer, tighten your writing and/or choose especially good illustrative examples, eliminating others. If your paper is too short, do not simply add adjectives and adverbs or other fillers. Look for ways to enhance your argument and find additional compelling examples that prove your point.

You are in college — there are now no magic formulae for writing papers (e.g., unlike high school papers, you need not begin each paragraph with a topic sentence.) But there are some general rules that will be true for most of your life (and that I care about). These include:

• Use proper spelling and grammar.
• Your paper should be interesting.
• There should be a logic to the flow of the paper.
• There should be a logic to the flow and contents of each paragraph.
• There should be an introduction and a conclusion, and they should differ one from another.

Hint (for this and all other papers and exams): After you have completed a draft of your paper, use this assignment sheet as a type of check list. Do this again after you think you have completed the final draft.

If you have any questions about this assignment, please ask Molly or me. You are expected not to help each other, even if you are roommates or close friends. I reserve the right to compare the electronic versions of your papers using a computer program that highlights significant similarities.

The pairs of articles are on LATTE, and their citations are found below:

Concerning the Biblical Law

• Moshe Greenberg, "Some Postulates of Biblical Criminal Law," in The Jewish Expression, ed. Judah Goldin. Yale University Press, 1976, 8-37.
• Bernard Jackson, "Reflections on Biblical Criminal Law," Journal of Jewish Studies 24 (1973): 8-38.

Concerning Genesis 3

• Sarna, Nahum M. Understanding Genesis. Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1966, 24-30.
• Carol L. Meyers, "Gender Roles and Genesis 3.16 Revisited," in A Feminist Companion to Genesis, ed. Athalya Brenner. Sheffield Academic Press, 1993, 118-141.

Concerning the Rape of Dinah

• Meir Sternberg, The Poetics of Biblical Narrative. Indiana University Press, 1985, 441-481.
• Danna Nolan Fewell and David M. Gunn, "Tipping the Balance: Sternberg's Reader and the Rape of Dinah." Journal of Biblical Literature 110 (1991): 193-211.

Note: You are welcome to find your own pair of articles, essays or commentaries to write on. Just be sure that you do not choose articles that are too technical or Hebrew-dependent (unless you have the skills to deal with them), and your pair needs to be approved.

The following explains how we will grade this assignment:

An ideal A+ essay answers all parts of this assignment, using an interesting argument that is thoroughly well-executed and easy to follow. Its content and presentation are superior, and it is interesting to read. It offers a very clear, concise and representative summary of each article, and offers important points of comparison. The following chart, which will also apply to your final essay, outlines more specific characteristics of an ideal essay. Essays that are lacking in one or more of these criteria will receive lower grades; those that show some effort, but contain poor content and presentation, will receive the grade of D. You should use the following as a checklist as you compose your essay, and before you submit it.

• Thesis. The thesis covers the assignment in an ample fashion by responding to a true question, tension or problem that derives from the assignment. The major claim of the essay is complex, insightful, and if possible, unexpected. The essay makes clear why the thesis is interesting and important. It is stated clearly at the outset (though not necessarily in the first sentence) and evolves throughout the paper.
• Evidence and analysis. The essay uses the evidence fairly and shows a clear and sophisticated understanding of the evidence. Evidence is introduced throughout the essay at the proper time, helping to move the argument forward in an interesting fashion. The evidence is used in a nuanced fashion, not only to support but also to complicate the claims of the essay. Quotations are used appropriately, and good judgment is shown in terms of when material is quoted as opposed to paraphrased.
• Structure. Ideas develop over the course of the essay so that the foundations established early on push the argument toward a more complex conclusion that is not identical to the introduction. The structure is engaging, and if possible, suspenseful. The structure is clear and logical, but subtle, avoiding phrases such as: "I will begin with" and "Moving on to the next problem."
• Style. The writing is clear, concise and sophisticated, demonstrating sentence variety and appropriate vocabulary. It is clear that particular attention has been lavished on the introduction and the conclusion. Proper footnote and bibliographic form are used throughout. The essay is a pleasure to read.

Not Passing. An essay will not pass if it does not answer the assignment, is excessively sloppy in terms of style, does not meet the page requirement, or plagiarizes. (Any essays suspected of plagiarism will also be dealt with according to university regulations.)

Late Papers. A fraction of a letter grade (e.g., from A to A-, or from B- to C+) will be deducted for each 24-hour period that the paper is late unless you have received written permission to submit the paper late.

Proper Formatting. Essays (drafts and the final versions) that do not adhere to the proper format guidelines of the assignment (page numbers, double-spaced, proper margins, etc.) will be returned for corrections and resubmission. If they are (re)submitted after the due date, they will count as late.

Marc Brettler
Developed at Brandeis University through a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation