ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION
Read Elizabeth Svoboda’s essay “The Power of Story,” (Links to an external site.) then examine Svoboda’s essay through the lens of critical thinking by offering a response to it. This response will take the form of an argument that you will construct in a formal essay of your own.
Chapters 3 and 4 of our course textbook clarify much about the nature of argument. And Chapter 6 can help you avoid a variety of rhetorical pitfalls. You may wish to revisit these chapters as you approach the writing of your essay.
Elizabeth Svoboda offers an intriguing position on storytelling when she states stories have proven their worth not just as works of art or entertaining asides, but as agents of personal transformation.”
Do you agree with Svoboda’s stance on the power of storytelling? Why do we tell stories? What role do stories play in our lives? How can stories “transform” us? Have you ever been transformed by a story? Have you ever felt moved by a story to alter your behavior, act on a particular impulse, or change the way you view the world? What kinds of stories are most likely to resonate with people? Why do those stories resonate, in particular? Why do so many of the most popular stories in our culture share so many traits and qualities? Is there a reason that we tell the same stories over and over again?
NOTE: The above questions are not meant to be treated like a checklist. They are simply examples of questions at issue that can help to spur your writing process along and determine a course of action for your thesis. Consider them a useful tool for annotating, pre-writing, and thesis generation.
Finally, this essay should be at least 1,500 words in length. It should have a clear and focused thesis. It should be substantial, thoughtful, and well-organized. It should 1) cite Svoboda’s piece, and 2) cite at least three additional outside sources. And it should adhere to the standards of MLA formatting.
