English 093
Professor Miller mmiller@mcc.commnet.edu Essay Topic #2
In light of reading the essays “Dumpster Diving” or “Serving in Florida” analyze your own understanding of homelessness, poverty and making a living with minimum wage in the U.S. You might consider whether the essay(s) changed preconceived notions that you had? Compare these preconceived notions to what you learned through the experiences of either Eighner or Ehrenreich.

The following are topics and thesis statements on “Dumpster Diving” or “Serving in Florida.” Please feel free to use these topics and/or the accompanying thesis statements “as is” or with your own modifications:

• How Eighner discussed such an informal topic in a formal way:
Lars Eighner's discussion of dumpster diving is very methodical, intelligent and polished in contrast to the subject matter of digging through the trash.

• Eighner’s attitude toward his lifestyle:
Lars Eighner's account of dumpster diving was surprisingly positive given the fact that he is homeless. • The common problems of an employee:
Although Barbara Ehrenreich set out to discuss the life of a minimum wage worker specifically, her experience was universal to most working class people. • Problems specific to minimum wage workers:
Barbara Ehrenreich's essay "Serving in Florida" revealed the daily struggle of a minimum wage worker in America.

General Essay Reminders:

Essays are to be submitted via hard copy and electronically on the date due.

A plagiarized essay will result in an F on the assignment. Improper citation of source material will result in an F for the essay and should be resubmitted in the correct format.

See the course rubric for the qualities of an essay that will receive a C or above. To achieve an A or B—your paper meets the minimum requirements of the C rubric with finesse AND contains original thoughtful insight beyond analysis and insights discussed in class AND is written in a polished prose style.

See Rules of Thumb for MLA format.

See in class examples for models of a good essay.

OBJECTIVES OF FORMAL ESSAYS IN ENGLISH 093 AND ENGLISH 101: 1. Demonstrate an ability to present information and ideas from texts with accurate quotation, paraphrase and summary and, when appropriate, enough explication/ interpretation/ evaluation to develop a coherent analysis and/or synthesis.

2. Demonstrate an ability to use important conventions particular to expository essay writing, including the use of a clear thesis, effective paragraphing, and an organizational pattern, including effective transitions, that develops an idea over the course of an essay rather than simply listing supporting ideas.

3. Demonstrate an ability to use language that clearly conveys meaning to readers and contains few errors; an ability to ethically and accurately use MLA format to cite and document sources.

How to Use Quotes in an Essay
What is a quote?
A quote means any words or sentences taken directly from the text. The words do not need to be spoken by a character in order to be a quote.

When should a quote be used?
Quotations should be used as specific examples to prove your interpretations and observations of the text.
They answer the question, “How do you know?” Do NOT use quotations simply to prove “this happens in the text.” Plot elements and events are givens and do not need to be proven.

Good use of quotation:
The thought that went into the process of dumpster diving was truly surprising. I never that one dumpster diver would consider the plight of another. Yet, it seems that there were at least, as Eighner puts it, a “few courtesies among scavengers” (169). “--It is a common practice to set aside surplus items: pairs of shoes, clothing, canned goods, and such” (169). Therefore, someone else besides the diver could take advantage of useful items and nothing would be wasted (169).

The quotes support the observation that divers are thoughtful and hate waste.

Useless use of quotation:
In this essay Eighner goes into a lot of details about what could be found in a dumpster. “Yogurt, cheese, and sour cream are items that are often thrown out while they are still good” (165).
The quote merely repeats the plot detail presented in the previous sentence as a paraphrase. You’ll notice no interpretation follows and none is needed- which indicates that this quote is pretty useless.

Rules About Quotations
1. Quotations must be exact. You cannot change the author’s words, spelling or punctuation at all.
-However, you may shorten a long quote by using […]
-Or you may insert a word inside [ ] to clarify the quote or to make it fit smoothly into your sentence.
-You may NEVER change the meaning of a quotation.

2. Quotes should support your ideas, observations and interpretations; they cannot take the place of them.
When you provide a quote (or an example), you must also explain what the quote shows or explains to you. Generally speaking, the proper place for this explanation is after the quote. You should explain exactly why you chose this particular quote to support your idea—without writing, “I chose this quote because…” See example of a great quotation, above.

3. The quote should blend in seamlessly with the rest of your paragraph. Don’t “drop” your quote down without introducing it and explaining its connection to the rest of the paragraph. Notice in the examples above, the “great” example blends the quotes smoothly; the “useless” example just plops the quote into the paragraph.

Hints:
Select your quote carefully. Very, very, very often, you do NOT need an entire sentence from the text to support your point. Choose just the words you need, put them in quotation marks, and build YOUR OWN sentence around the quote. This is the BEST, most effective way to blend quotes into your writing!

Your original ideas are the cornerstones of a good essay. The source material, such as “On Dumpster Diving” is providing interesting material for you to have a dialogue with and offer interpretations and insight.