Argumentative Essay Guideline (6-7 double-spaced pages)
Choose one theme that you wrote on this summer in one of your critical writing assignments. Narrow and expand on one argument, using at least two academic journal articles. To support your thesis, show how your theme is defined, expressed, or characterized by scholars in the field. Discuss the role of the gods in your analysis. If they do not play a role, discuss the importance of that, too. Your thesis statement (no more than one or two sentences) must be in boldface and underlined in the essay.
Your thesis should make an argument that you think is right. The paper is an attempt to persuade others that your argument is right. Here is one example of a thesis with a clear argument: “While some Hindu theologians have recently argued that the popularity of Bollywood films is due to a degradation of ancient religious values, I believe the colorful dance numbers help viewers reaffirm and reinterpret their relationships with their gods.” (Then you would go on to describe specific scenes in particular films, explain what other scholars have said, and show why your argument is best.)
Most public websites, news outlets, blogs, etc. are not academic journal sources. Here are four useful search engines you can use to find academic journal articles:
- JSTOR (contains over 2,000 journals)
https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/
- Scholar’s Portal
https://www.library.yorku.ca/find/MyResearch/EZProxy?qurl=http%3a%2f%2fjournals.scholarsportal.info
- ATLA Religion Database:
http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=atlas - Humanities International Index (for an interdisciplinary perspective):
http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=ahi
* All outside research must be properly cited in a Works Cited page, according to APA, MLA, or Chicago styles (https://spark.library.yorku.ca/creating-bibliographies-citation-style/). You can choose any style so long as you stay consistent throughout the Works Cited page.
On a separate document: state your thesis in your first sentence. Explain (briefly) what you wrote in your critical writing assignment and how that has morphed into your new thesis. Then specifically state how you will support your argument, including which sources you plan on using. If you’re not sure yet, explain the problem so we can help. Finally, state why you think your argument is important to you or to others.
