Due to Canvas at 11:59pm, Feb. 11, as a PDF
This assignment asks that you use careful and attentive analysis of one of the primary texts we have read thus far (Carlyle, Darwin, Prince, Smith, Turner, Wordsworth) to craft an argument in answer to one of the prompts detailed below. In constructing your essay, you may want to engage the ideas of one of the scholars whose work we have encountered (Brockway, Freedgood, Tsing, Yussof); this is not required, however, and you should be careful not to let the critic speak for you.
- How does the primary text construe and deploy the concept of “Nature”? Who has access to this version of Nature, and in what ways? Is this access evenly distributed, or do certain bodies access Nature in different ways/under different conditions? What does contact with Nature do for or to those who engage it?
- How does the primary text understand the construction and deployment of knowledge about the natural world (e.g., naturalist practices vs indigenous knowledge)? Who creates this knowledge, and what (or who) is subject to being known? How is this knowledge used, by whom, and for whose benefit? What are the implications of this mode of knowledge creation and distribution?
- What can we learn from the primary text about the construction of the British Empire? Focus on the manner in which one aspect of Empire (i.e., different places in the Empire, laws governing subjects, citizenship and/or belonging) shows up in the text: what are the different ways in which this aspect is depicted and manifests throughout the text? How is this aspect understood as contributing to the Empire?
Your essay must be 800-1000 words. Your paper must be formatted according to MLA8 or Chicago Manual conventions, including a works cited page. Use a 12 pt, standard serif font (such as Times New Roman or Garamond), double spaced, with one inch margins. Please include a title indicative of your argument (not “Essay 1,” “Poem X Essay,” etc).
Essays will be graded based on the following criteria:
- Strength & creativity of the argument & interpretation of prompt
- Use and analysis of primary text
- Argumentative structure, including adherence to essay scope and flow of ideas
- Clarity and precision of writing
While a C essay demonstrates a basic adherence to the prompt and promise for further development, the difference between a B essay and an A essay is likely to hinge on the depth and creativity of the textual analysis and its effective deployment toward constructing a surprising, original argument.
Unless typos, misspellings, and formatting issues present a problem for legibility and my ability to understand the argument, points will not be deducted for such technicalities.
Ecological Empire 