A-level assignment: His Only Wife
Final Essay option, A-level assignment: His Only Wife
The final essay you can write is on His Only Wife, by Peace Adzo Medie, which offers an entertaining look at marriage and society in present-day Ghana. Your assignment is to use the book to examine gender, wealth and social ties in contemporary Ghana.
This essay is the main option for writing the final essay, although you can choose to write the final essay on Gerety instead. Regardless of whether you choose to write your final essay on Gerety or Medie, the final essay is due on Sunday, November 27.
Here are some questions to help guide you:
1) His Only Wife has been marketed by its publisher as a universal story, one that can be read by lots of people who don’t know much about Ghana – but at the same time, there are many aspects of the story that are shaped by its Ghanaian setting. Write an essay in which you identify how the events of His Only Wife are influenced by the historical and social dynamics of Ghana. How is Medie’s story a specifically Ghanaian story (other than using Ewe words)? How would an understanding of African history, and African societies, allow a reader to better understand the events in Medie’s book?
2) We’ve spent a fair amount of time in this course talking about the importance of gender in African history. Now we arrive at one account examining the role of gender in present-day Africa. How do gender roles function in Ghanaian society, as seen through the book? Then too, a lot of people in the US have highly stereotypical views of women and gender in Africa. In what ways does the book reinforce stereotypes about women in African countries? In what ways does the book undermine, or counter, people’s preconceptions about women in Africa, and about “Africa” more broadly?
3) His Only Wife has a lot to say about wealth and social class in Ghana. How does the book portray the wealthy within Ghanaian society? Another way to think about this question: how might the book look different if it were written from the viewpoint of the minor characters, who are less economically fortunate – such as Mawusi, or Mensah, or Savior and Lucy?
Notes on this essay:
Actually, this essay is pretty much the same as previous essays. You can write more than 1,000 words if you’d like to; you shouldn’t be writing filler, but you should write as much as you need in order to fulfill the assignment. You don’t need to use outside sources; if you do, make sure to cite them properly. You are not required to respond to these prompts – you can answer a different question, or you can integrate multiple prompts into a single essay – but it would be a good idea to check with me to ask if your approach is a good idea, or the essay might not end up very good. Do your best to perfect the writing and the organization in your paper. And don’t hesitate to ask for my feedback on a draft, or an outline, or a thesis, if you’d like some guidance.
The Rubric (is the same as the previous papers, but in case you need to see it again)
An A-range paper is clearly written and well-organized. It demonstrates that the writer has conducted a close and critical reading of all of the assigned texts, grappled with the issues raised in the course, and formulated a perceptive, compelling work of analysis.
A B-range paper demonstrates many aspects of A-level work but falls short in one of several ways. The writing may lack organization and clarity, or the essay may have shortcomings in the formulation and presentation of its argument. It may be well-written, but be lacking in analysis and interpretation. Alternatively, it may not present its insights clearly or convincingly, due to weaknesses in writing, argument, organization, or use of evidence. Lastly, it may be a well-written and well-argued essay that does not effectively use all of the available sources in formulating and supporting its argument.
A C-range paper offers little more than a mere summary, does not respond to the assignment adequately, suffers from frequent factual errors, unclear writing, poor organization, inadequate research, or presents some combination of these problems.
A D paper demonstrates serious deficiencies or severe flaws in the essay, reflecting that the student does not understand the material, or did not respond to the assignment.
An F paper demonstrates no competence. It indicates a student’s near-total neglect or lack of effort in writing the essay.
May you PLEASE use book only for references and cite text in writing.
We was not giving the book as a file for me to share but I believe it is online for free.
Answer preview to A-level assignment: His Only Wife
APA
1345 words