Guidelines for Second Paper Assignment (Article Critique)

Your second paper is a 3-5 page analysis of ONE (1) of the articles we have read thus far in the course. The first draft of the paper is due in tutorial on October 21. A mandatory re-write of the paper is due in tutorial on November 4. The purpose of this assignment is to develop your ability to read critically and write clearly. These skills are necessary to write an effective history paper, and they will be useful wherever your academic interests and career path may take you.

Please write a 3-5 page critical analysis of ONE (1) of the following articles:

Jane Hunter, “Daughters’ Lives and the Work of the Middle-Class Home,” from How Young Ladies Became Girls: The Victorian Origins of American Girlhood (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002), 12-37.

E. Anthony Rotundo,“Boy Culture,” in The Children’s Culture Reader (New York: New York University Press, 1998), ed. Henry Jenkins, 337-362. From American Manhood: Transformations in Masculinity from the Revolution to the Modern Era (New York: Basic, 1993), 31-55.

Bettina Bradbury, “The Fragmented Family: Family Strategies in the Face of Death, Illness, and Poverty, Montreal, 1860-1885,” in Childhood and Family in Canadian History ed. Joy Parr (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1982), 109-128, 204-209.

Christine Stansell, “Women, Children, and the Uses of the Streets: Class and Gender Conflict in New York City, 1850-1860,” Feminist Studies 8 (Summer 1982): 309-335.

James Marten, “War Ain’t Nuthin’ but Hell on Dis Earth,” from The Children’s Civil War (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1998): 6-30.

Your paper should include both a brief summary of the article and a critical assessment of its
strengths and weaknesses. Begin your study by making sure you understand the article. Ask yourself the questions in the handout "How to Read a History Book (or Article)," and draw on your notes from in-class discussions and the reading worksheet. Think about the author's
method, underlying assumptions, and evidence, and ask yourself if the evidence presented in the article supports the author's thesis. Could the same facts be used to support a different thesis?

It is difficult to organize an effective paper, but you may find the following structure a useful guide. In the first paragraph, or even the first sentence, state your thesis (or opinion) about the article. Describe the author's thesis, evidence, and assumptions early in the paper. Summarize the main point of the article, noting the author’s underlying assumptions (viewpoint) as well as her/his thesis. Then describe the evidence the author uses to support that thesis. Next, you should critically evaluate the article. Evaluate the author’s use of evidence, and say whether you find the argument convincing. Remember that it is not enough to say simply that you like or dislike the article; you must say why. For example, do you find the article unconvincing because the author does not provide enough (or the right kind) of evidence to support her/his conclusions? Or do you disagree with the author's underlying assumptions? You may choose to compare the article with another work on a similar subject. Conclude with a final assessment of the article.

Evaluation of the papers will be based on the following: (1) how well you have understood the article; (2) the thoughtfulness of your critique; (3) the clarity of your prose, and (4) how much your paper improved between the first and second drafts.

Please be considerate and put your paper in proper form. In addition to your name and the due date, be sure to include the name of the author, the title of the article, and full bibliographic information on the first page of your paper. If you quote from a specific passage in the article, the page number should follow in parentheses. Also, please check for spelling and grammatical errors and typos, and make sure you number the pages. Late papers without an extension will be penalized.