the rocking horse winner

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English 110 Essay #1 [20%]
Due: by 1 p.m. Sept. 30 [Regina time]
Send the essay to my email: Sherry.Klein@uregina.ca
An assignment submitted after the deadline will be penalized 5% per day. If it is
submitted after Oct. 7, the grade will be 0. Lack of submission of the assignment
will produce a final failing course grade of NP.
Take into account problems that could arise with illnesses, email delivery,
computers and “personal issues,” and don’t wait until the last minute to do the
assignment.
Extension requests of up to one week, and any questions, but NOT proofreading
or editing–such as sending me a draft to read/revise–should be sent to my email
no later than 1 p.m. Sept. 28. You should know by this date if you need an
extension or not.
Make sure your first and last name, and class section number, are on all emails
headings and directly on the assignment itself. I cannot evaluate anonymous
assignments, nor respond to anonymous emails.
Don’t send the assignment until you are 100% sure it is ready to send. This
should be the final copy. Submit one copy only of your essay. I will evaluate the
first copy I receive.
Do not email me asking if I’ve received your essay. My response will be in the
form of an emailed evaluation sent to you in approximately 1-2 weeks after the
assignment due date.
This assignment, along with the comments given for the sample essay used at
the beginning of the semester, will help you get a better idea of how your
assignments are evaluated.
Your assignment must be a credible attempt to write a university-level essay in
order for it to be accepted and prevent an NP.
When you think you are finished your essay, print out a copy [a draft] for
proofreading and revision. Review the following list of mandatory requirements
to make sure you have not forgotten or changed anything since these are basis
for assignment evaluation.
Deadlines and requirements apply to all students, including international and
special needs students.
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REQUIREMENTS: Read carefully
1. Length: 1000 words, which is the equivalent of approximately 4 full typed
pages IF standard presentation/formatting is used. Do not use a computer to
determine word count.
2. Standard formatting/presentation: i.e. one-inch margins, page numbers,
double spacing, indented paragraphs, 12 point Times New Roman font.
3. Fully developed [5-8 sentences], unified paragraphs.
4. A good title
5. An introductory paragraph–ENDING with a one-sentence, underlined thesis
statement that sets out the central argument of the essay and directly
answers the topic–and a concluding paragraph. Do not underline the opening
sentences of either of these two paragraphs, since they do not have topic
sentences.
6. Middle paragraphs, each BEGINNING with a one-sentence, underlined
argumentative topic sentence that advances the argument of the thesis, and
sets out the one point/focus of the paragraph.
7. Relevant quotations from the story, correctly integrated, documented, and
formatted MLA style, must be used to support your analysis. Essays with no
quotations from the literary text will receive a failing grade.
8. Formal tone and point of view. There should be no uses of “I” or “you.”
9. Do not include any references to yourself, to the author or to readers of the
text.
10.There must be no explicit references to the essay. For example, do NOT
include in the introductory paragraph or construct a thesis statement using
wording such as the following—“This essay will examine….” or “In this paper I
will look at …”, etc. Such “announcement” thesis statements are not
acceptable and will produce a failing essay. If you don’t remember what an
announcement thesis is, please refer to evaluation notes for the sample essay
posted week two.
11.There must be no “life in general” ideas and sentences in the essay,
especially in the essay’s structure [the thesis statement and topic sentences].
Keep the argument and analysis based directly on the literary text [its specific
characters and incidents] or the essay will be off topic and will fail. Good
literary analysis is always based on what characters say and do. Points you
raise in an essay should be easy to prove because there will be concrete
evidence and quotations in the text to support them. Thus, do not write about
mothers or sons in general. The essay is asking you to write about the
specific mother and son in the story and this MUST be the focus of the
ENTIRE essay. This is a LITERARY essay and analysis of the short story is
expected and needed.
12.This is not a research essay, so no research is required or needed. Outside
sources can weaken, not strengthen, an essay, particularly if they
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overshadow or replace your own analysis, or they use vague, speculative,
creative, or symbolic interpretations. If for some reason you MUST NEED
outside sources, they will be part of your essay’s evaluation. Sources will be
evaluated for their reliability/credibility, if they have been correctly cited, and if
they are relevant to your essay, or if they are not needed and/or are off topic.
The essay is allowed a maximum of two outside sources which must be
documented MLA style to prevent plagiarism.
13. A Works Cited page is not needed, unless the essay has used outside
sources.
14. REGARDING THE ESSAY’S CONTENT: The essay must not include
biographical, historical, or background information on the author and
publication of the text, even if intended to be used as filler or introductory
information. Keep the focus of the essay on the assigned text.
The thesis and the analysis should NOT be based on speculation,
psychological interpretations, and symbolism. If literary terms are used, make
sure you are 100% sure that they are relevant to your analysis, that they are
used correctly and that your readers [classmates] understand their meaning.
Note: The text for this essay has been posted and must be the one you use for
the essay. Use its page numbers for quotation documentation. Do not look up or
use any other edition that you find elsewhere such as the internet.
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A popular, but weak, reading of “The Rocking-Horse Winner” claims it is a
supernatural story that has a house that talks, and a young boy who has powers
that allow him to win when gambling on horse races.
Topic: Produce an essay wherein you prove how and why the true horror of the
story is based on realism by examining the mother’s relationship with her son.
As indicated above, you are strongly advised NOT to do any research for this
essay. Since this is a fairly well-known text, there are a great deal of very poor
readings of this story, such as on the internet, even by well-known critics and it is
not a good idea for your essay to have been influenced by such flawed
interpretations. All you need to write this essay is contained within the story and
for you to believe in, and prove, the validity of your ideas about the characters.