Essay Assignment #2: Misperceptions

Essay Assignment #2 – Misperception

In his essay “Darkness at Noon,” Harold Krents uses specific examples from his personal experience to illustrate how, as a blind person, he is consistently misperceived as unable to function as an autonomous* human being– unable to hear, unable to speak for himself, unable to work.     (*Autonomous means independent, self-directed, not subject to control from outside.)

Using examples from your own personal experience, write an illustration (example) essay on one of the following topics.

(1)  Discuss experiences you have had being misperceived based on your appearance.

(2)  Discuss experiences you have had misperceiving others based on appearance.

(3)  Discuss experiences you have had with culture clash or cultural misunderstandings.

All of the experiences you discuss can relate to the same misperception (or cultural misunderstanding). For example, you could discuss three separate experiences in which others have misperceived you as unreliable because of your numerous tattoos and piercings.

Guidelines

• Your final draft should be at least two full pages long and have at least five paragraphs.
• Begin your essay with a brief summary of “Darkness at Noon.” Include the author’s name and the title of the article.
• Your essay should contain an explicit thesis statement that expresses the point you are trying to prove in your essay.
• Support your thesis statement with evidence in the form of specific, detailed examples from your personal experience and personal observation.
• Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that expresses the main point of the paragraph.
• You may use the first-person voice (but you don’t have to).
• Please title your essay!

Due dates

Outline  -- due _____________________________

Your outline should include (1) a working thesis statement, (2) topic sentences for each of three or more examples, (3) supporting specifics & details listed under each example. You will receive 10 points if you bring your reasonably complete outline to class and participate in the outline workshop on the due date. No points for late outlines!

Draft (typed or neatly handwritten) – ______________________________

You will receive 10 points if you bring your reasonably complete draft to class and participate in the draft workshop on the due date. No points for late drafts!

Final draft – worth 100 points – due ______________________________

Complete this form to create your outline for Essay 2…

Tentative title for your essay: ________________________________

I. Introduction

Thesis statement: ______________________________________________________________

Your thesis statement should be a complete sentence that (1) identifies the specific misperception you will discuss in your essay and (2) indicates whether you were the one who was misperceived or the one who did the misperceiving. Note: The thesis statement need not be the first sentence of your essay. A good place for the thesis is usually the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.

II. Supporting point 1: _____________________________________________________

Try to express your point in a complete sentence that can serve as a topic sentence for the paragraph.

List specifics and details that you plan to use to develop your point.

A.    _______________________________________________________

B.    _______________________________________________________

C.    _______________________________________________________

D.    _______________________________________________________

E.     _______________________________________________________

III. Supporting point 2: _____________________________________________________

A.    _______________________________________________________

B.    _______________________________________________________

C.    _______________________________________________________

D.    _______________________________________________________

E.     _______________________________________________________

IV. Supporting point 3: _____________________________________________________

A.    _______________________________________________________

B.    _______________________________________________________

C.    _______________________________________________________

D.    _______________________________________________________

E.     _______________________________________________________

(Add more supporting points if necessary.)