Essay 3

Essay 3: Why Here?


In a 3-5 page essay, explain the similarities between the Grapes of Wrath and our valley.

Rough Draft Due: Tuesday November

Bring 4 copies.

Double spaced. 12 point font. MLA paper format and citations.

20 points. This will be graded for completion, not quality. Part of 30% grade.

Final Draft Due: Friday November

Bring two copies.

100 points, graded using the rubric. Part of your 70% grade.

Background and Tips:

Why was this book a popular and appropriate choice for the Yakima Valley Reads Project? What challenges are shared by the people, places and times of both the Grapes of Wrath and the Yakima Valley?

Your first source will be Grapes of Wrath.

Your sources for our valley will probably be newspaper reports from the Yakima-Herald, internet searches and possibly library databases such as Proquest.

NOTE: FINDING SOURCES ON THE YAKIMA VALLEY WILL BE ONE OF THE HARDEST PARTS OF THIS ESSAY. START EARLY. SHARE YOUR SOURCES. CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION IF YOU HIT DEAD ENDS.

For a description of what I'm looking for in excellent papers (and what to avoid) refer to the rubric we used for your first essay.

Your organization should be something like:

• Intro—Hook, background, title of book, author's name, brief summary, thesis

• Body paragraphs—each dealing with a single idea, in this case, a similarity.

• Conclusion







1. Okies/Mexicans (or SE Asians or Chinese or…)

1. Reasons for leaving

2. Difficulty of the journey

3. Treatment upon arrival

4. Housing

5. 2005 protests as sign of Grapes of Wrath ready to be picked?

2. Farmworker Housing

1. Tent camps

2. Farmer provided

3. Subsidized permanent homes

3. Farm labor contractors

1. Coyotes

2. Global Horizons

3. Express Personnel

4. Book “Nobodies”

4. Machines taking Over

1. Robots in the orchards

2. Robots in the sheds

3. Robots in the parlors.

4. Robots till I’m dead.

If you’d rather do an essay that does not require research, you may pick from one of the “literary analysis” choices presented in essay 2 choices.