English 421.01/504.02 Fall 2006

The Critical Response assignment (700-800 words, titled, due Sept. 5 in class) on one or more of Haywood's fictions directs you to explore a significant issue or rhetorical strategy that you identify in relation to specific cultural, historical, or theoretical contexts and concerns. Your topic may be prompted in part by our discussions in class and online, by a recent article, and of course by your reactions and understanding. You might think of the response as a scaled down, sharply focused critical essay, one that contains the kernel of a hypothesis and topic that might serve as the cornerstone or shaping idea for a longer essay. Your analysis can be quite "thesis-driven"—that is, you may find it effective to compose a thesis for your response that maps out for readers the challenging, engaging, important points that you want to develop and discuss—or you may prefer a more reflective, question and problem-posing approach.