ENG 107

Assignment:  Marjane Satrapi grew up in Iran in the 70s and 80s, during the Islamic Revolution.  Malala Yousafzai grew up in Pakistan in the early 2000s.  Ta-Nehisi Coates grew up in Baltimore, coming of age in the late 80s / early 90s, during the crack epidemic.  All three of them had educated parents (or at least one educated parent), all three encountered violence and extremist world views at a young age, yet they are all very different people.  This assignment is asking you to analyze their similarities and differences, as well as to explore the similarities and differences of the social and political circumstances they grew up with, and the role that education played in all three of their lives.

Some questions you may want to ask yourself as you work on this assignment:  Did they grow up with privilege and/or wealth?  All of them are rebellious people, but in what ways are their rebellious natures different?  In what ways are they the same?  What, if any, are the social, political, and religious similarities of their childhoods?  How important was education to their development as people?  Did they embrace education or struggle with it (or both)?  Would they return to their homes if they could, or are they happier living in their current respective cities?  What other important questions can you think of when comparing and contrasting these three significantly different people?

Requirements:

1. 1,000-1,500 words, plus a Works Cited page.
2. No less than five (5) sources, three of which MUST be The Complete Persepolis, He Named Me Malala, and Between the World and Me, plus two additional sources, both of which MUST be academic.
3. Your essay MUST examine ALL of the following:
   1. Marjane Satrapi, Malala Yousafzai, and Ta-Nehisi Coates
   2. The social and political circumstances in their stories
   3. The role that education played in all of their lives
4. Essay must be written in a formal, academic (third person) tone.
5. This essay must have college level grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and should avoid any awkward phrasing.
6. This essay should have nearly flawless MLA formatting, including font, margins, page numbers, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page.  Please use the Purdue OWL web site for correct formatting.
7. When submitting this essay online, it MUST be submitted in either DOCX or PDF format.  There will be a small point deduction for submitting essays in any other format.

The successful paper will do the following:

• Focus on the topic provided with adequate examples/examination of this topic
• Provide evidence (quotes) that demonstrate the theme/topic you’re analyzing
• Demonstrate critical thinking, reading, and writing skills by making sound claims and supporting them with evidence in an organized and logical manner
• Include a well-defined thesis statement in the introduction
• Have well organized body paragraphs that stick to the structure discussed in class (Topic Statement, Context, Evidence, Analysis, and Transition)
• Come to a conclusion that moves beyond summary

Please Do NOT:

• Use this essay to discuss the qualities of any specific religion or faith.
• Use quotes that are longer than 4 lines – No Block Quotes Please.