First Draft due Wed.

March 3
Final Draft due Tuesday, March 9
AP Language and Composition Thesis Author Essay #3 2009-2010
After completing the second reading and annotation of your third novel written by
your Thesis Author, write a 3-4 page (double spaced) literary essay in which you
address the following assignment:

“Bartleby the Scrivener” ends with the words “Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity!” Many
stories and novels express a similar sentiment about the state of affairs of our species
or culture or some other aspect of society. For this assignment, you are to analyze
your novel in terms of what it and its main character(s) “say” about humanity. If your
novel were to be concluded with a cry or plea like the one in “Bartleby,” what would
it say? (Ah, _____________! Ah, humanity!”)

In your essay, show how this slogan is appropriate and how it is central to
understanding a major meaning of the novel (otherwise known as “theme.”)

Use appropriate and convincing support from the novel in the form of quoted
passages and specific evidence.

Your essay should make a compelling argument about why this particular view of the
novel is valuable for furthering our appreciation and understanding of the novel.

Be sure to use proper MLA formatting when you quote text from the novel (use parenthetical
page numbers to indicate where in the novel the quoted material is located.)

Due dates:
First Draft: Wed. 3/3
Final Draft: Tue. 3/9

A reminder about my late-work policy: I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE

WORK. You earn a “0” for the assignment, which will
jeopardize your grade in the class.
 All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the assigned due date. There are no
exceptions. COMPUTER PROBLEMS ARE NOT AN EXCUSE.
 If a student is absent due to illness, medical appointment, or field trip, the student must still
turn in the assignment that day, which can be done in the following ways:
a. Send your assignment with a friend or neighbor, or bring it to me yourself.
b. Ask a teacher or secretary to place the assignment in my mailbox before you leave on
a field trip.
 In dire circumstances, e-mail your assignment to vwarfield@pps.k12.or.us, and then provide
a hard copy upon your return, or mail your assignment to me (postmarked on the due date) at:
Grant High School
2245 NE 36th Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97212
Attn.: Ms. Warfield
 If you know you will be away on a due date, turn your assignment in early.

If these steps are not followed, then the assignment is late. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK.
The best practice is to complete your assignment WELL AHEAD of the due date, rather
than waiting until the night before or morning it is due. Manage your time effectively!