Note The lion the witch and the wardrobe is the one book to write the essay about comparing to Harold and the purple crayon and the key to everything and 3 short essays. If you need anything from me please let me know. The information below explains everything!
As seen in the three primary texts this week (Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and The Key to Every Thing), what role does imagination play in children’s literature?
How is this role developed by the peculiarities of each text?
How is your understanding of the role of imagination reinforced by what you read about fantasy, imagination, and/or escape in Lewis’s (or Tolkien’s) essay(s)?
Before writing this essay, you should make sure that you have read the three primary texts for this week, as well as the three essays by C.S. Lewis.
You can also draw from the VoiceThread discussions about each primary text, as well as the discussion about Lewis’s and Tolkien’s essays.
Before developing your argument, you make sure you have a clear understanding of the distinction between imagination and fantasy literature, as it is defined in my VoiceThread lecture about Lewis and Tolkien. Make sure that you are using these terms precisely, to keep your overall argument clear.
Not all three texts deal with imagination the same way–you might see it as being the primary theme in one, but barely mentioned in another. That’s ok! Incorporate these differences into your thinking about your overall argument.
Essays should not include research beyond the texts we have covered in class. Essays should, however, include direct quotations from texts we have covered in class. Any text you use, whether quoted directly or paraphrased/summarized, should be cited using the MLA format.
If you need a refresher on what is expected in an essay, the Purdue OWL, Tutor.com, and the Normandale Writing Center are excellent resources. All of them are linked in the “Syllabus and Course Information” module.
Expectations/Reminders
Essays will be primarily graded on the following criteria:
A central thesis that offers a clear argument about the role of imagination in children’s literature
Textual evidence from both the three primary texts for this week, as well as at least one of Lewis’s (or Tolkien’s) essays.
Your own analysis that connects the textual support to the overall claim of the essay
Essays should also have a clear organizational structure, an engaging introduction and conclusion, well-crafted sentences and paragraphs, and good grammar and spelling.
Essays should be typed in a 12-point font such as Calibri or Times New Roman and double-spaced. They should be submitted as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.