Fact Sheet: Research Essay on Prominent Figures

Objective

For this assignment, you will compare and contrast yourself or someone you know with a prominent current or historical figure.

By comparing and contrasting your life or the life of someone you know with that of a prominent current or historical figure, you will explore the interconnectedness of individual experiences. This will serve to deepen your understanding of the complex narratives that shape our current and historical consciousness and personal identities.

Background

Throughout history, many individuals have left indelible marks on society, politics, culture, science, and the arts.

Each of these individuals made significant contributions to their fields and society at large, overcoming personal and societal challenges to leave a lasting legacy. But they were real people too, with lives just like our own. This assignment invites you to compare often underrepresented stories with the realities of contemporary lives, fostering a deeper appreciation for your own story, and for the diversity of human experience.

Prerequisites

Topic: Your essay must compare and contrast yourself or someone you know with a prominent current or historical figure.
Primary Source: one of your sources needs to be a book or publication 100 pages or longer about your prominent figure.
Format: please submit in correct MLA format by utilizing the MLA Checklist. If MLA format is incorrect, the paper will be rejected and you will be asked to resubmit in correct format. You will receive a zero until the resubmission is received.

Requirements & Grading Criteria

The Final draft of your paper must be a minimum of 1500 words (~4 pages) long, not including your Works Cited page, and should include the following structure:

1. Word Count (30 points): 1500 words
2. Introduction Paragraph (10 points):
  - Hook: Begin with a hook to engage the reader.
  - Bridge: Provide some background information about the two people you are writing about.
  - Thesis Statement: End with a clear argumentative thesis statement that claims the two people demonstrate or share superpower (see below for more details). Remember the template: [Prominent Figure] and [Person/the Author] both demonstrate [a specific “superpower”].
3. Body Paragraphs:
  - Background paragraph (9 points): Include at least one (1) background paragraph with a clear topic sentence. Each background paragraph should provide effective context for the paper or essay’s topic.
  - Argumentative paragraphs (9 points): Include at least three (3) argumentative paragraphs with clear topic sentences. Each paragraph should introduce a main point in support of the claim, provide supporting points, and then include evidence.
  - Quote Structures (9 points): Within the evidence section of each argumentative paragraph, your paper or essay should include at least one quote structure with a correctly formatted ITC, for a total of three for the paper or essay. You may use direct quotes only. No paraphrasing. Remember: papers or essays in this course are limited to one long quote structure, of no more than 75 words.
  - Point-by-Point method (5 points): You should utilize the point-by-point method to talk about both people you are comparing, chiefly within your argumentative paragraphs.
  - Example paragraph (9 points): Include at least one (1) example paragraph with a clear topic sentence. Your example paragraph should provide a concrete sequence that supports the main point of a preceding argumentative paragraph.
4. Conclusion Paragraph (10 points):
  - Restatement of Thesis: restate your thesis statement to remind readers about your claim.
  - Summary of Findings: summarize the work you did in your body. Pay particular attention to the topics you identified in your topic sentences.
  - Call To Action: Ask the reader to take some sort of action based on the information in your paper, such as considering a different choice if they find themselves in a similar situation.
5. Works Cited Page (9 points):
  - Correctly formatted Works Cited Page.
  - Paper must use a minimum of three (3) sources. Note: at least one source must be a book 100 pages or longer, related to your prominent current or historical figure.

Instructions

Select a Prominent Figure: You may choose to write about whichever prominent current or historical figure interests you. There’s a list below to give you ideas. You can select someone who is still alive. This person should be someone whose life story resonates with you or mirrors aspects of the life of someone you know. Your choice should reflect an interest in exploring diverse perspectives and contributions. Step #1 is making sure there is a book or publication at least 100 pages long written about the person. If you cannot find a source on the the person, you should choose someone else.

Research: Conduct thorough research on your chosen figure. Look for reputable sources that offer in-depth biographical details, including their background, major accomplishments, challenges, and the cultural or historical context in which they lived. Also, for the purposes of this essay, it’s important you can get to know them as people. What is their personality like? What was important to them? Here is a helpful NVC Library Research Guide tailored to this assignment, with a number of databases that may be helpful to you.

Reflect: Reflect on your own life experiences or those of a person you know. Identify key themes, milestones, challenges, and achievements that may parallel or starkly contrast with those of your chosen figure.

Write: Your essay should include no fewer than 1500 words.

Areas for Comparison/Contrast

Upbringing and Education: Compare the early life and education of your chosen figure with your own or someone you know. Consider factors like socioeconomic status, family life, educational opportunities, and early influences.

Challenges and Overcoming Adversity: Reflect on the personal and professional challenges faced by both individuals. How did they overcome these obstacles, and what does this reveal about their character and resilience?

Achievements and Impact: Examine the major achievements of your prominent figure and compare them with your own or those of the person you are writing about. Consider the impact of these achievements on their respective fields and societies.

Cultural and Historical Context: Analyze how the cultural and historical context of each individual’s life influenced their choices, opportunities, and challenges.

Personal Philosophy and Values: Explore the beliefs, values, and philosophies that drove your prominent figure and compare them with your own or those of the person you are comparing them to. How did these beliefs influence their actions and decisions?

Possible Candidate Prominent Figures

Wangari Maathai: a Kenyan environmental political activist and Nobel laureate, known for founding the Green Belt Movement, an organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights.
Maya Angelou: American author and civil rights activist, best known for her autobiographical series including “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez: Known as the “Queen of Tejano music,” Selena was a highly influential singer and songwriter before her tragic death in 1995.
Frida Kahlo: Mexican painter celebrated for her deeply personal and symbolic works, often focusing on her own pain and suffering.
Katherine Johnson: American mathematician whose work for NASA was crucial to the success of U.S. spaceflights, including the Apollo missions.
Rosa Parks: American civil rights activist known as “the first lady of civil rights” for her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Cesar Chavez: An American labor leader and civil rights activist, Chavez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW).
Chien-Shiung Wu: Chinese-American physicist who made significant contributions to nuclear physics and confirmed the theory of beta decay.
Malala Yousafzai: Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, known for her advocacy under Taliban threat.
Sandra Cisneros: An American writer known for her novel “The House on Mango Street,” Cisneros explores the lives of the working-class Hispanic population in America.
Indira Gandhi: The first and only female Prime Minister of India, serving as a central figure in Indian politics.
Shirley Chisholm: The first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress, known for her advocacy on education and women’s rights.
Ellen Ochoa: A former astronaut and the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1993.
Octavio Paz: A Nobel Prize-winning poet and essayist, Paz is considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century and a major figure in Mexican literature.
Wangari Maathai: Kenyan environmental and political activist, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for founding the Green Belt Movement.
Martin Luther King Jr.: American civil rights leader best known for his nonviolent activism and his “I Have a Dream” speech.
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: A self-taught scholar and poet of the Baroque school, and a nun of the 17th century, she was known for her advocacy for women’s rights.
Nelson Mandela: South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and the first black President of South Africa, advocating for peace and reconciliation.
Yuri Kochiyama: Japanese American activist known for her work in civil rights, black liberation, and the Asian American movement.
Sylvia Rivera: A transgender rights activist of Venezuelan and Puerto Rican descent, Rivera was a founding member of both the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Alan Turing: British mathematician and pioneer in computer science, whose work laid the foundations for modern computing and artificial intelligence.
Julián Castro: A politician who served as the Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, and was the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama.

Crafting A Thesis Statement

As you embark on writing your research essay, a crucial step is developing a strong, compelling thesis statement.

To assist you in this endeavor, here’s a template designed specifically for your assignment, where you’ll compare yourself or someone you know to a prominent figure.

Thesis Statement Template

[Prominent Figure] and [Person/the Author] both demonstrate [a specific “superpower”].

Here, the “superpower” is a placeholder for a shared ability, attitude, or set of values. Examples of superpowers are determination in the face of setbacks, a passion for learning, overcoming obstacles through self-belief, or supporting and empathizing with others. It can be thought of as attitude + action.

Your thesis should be debatable – someone could reasonably argue against your interpretation. Avoid obvious statements that everyone would agree with. Instead, argue for a specific insight that your chosen lens helps you discover in the text.

Examples Using The Thesis Statement Template

Prominent Figure: Marie Curie
Person: The author’s grandmother, a pioneering scientist in her own right
Superpower: personal resilience in the face of societal expectations

Resulting Thesis Statement:

Marie Curie and the author’s grandmother both demonstrated a personal resilience in the face of societal expectations.

Conclusion

This assignment is an opportunity to engage deeply with history, reflect on personal narratives, and understand the broader societal and cultural forces that shape our lives. Your comparative analysis should not only highlight differences and similarities but also foster an appreciation for the diverse contributions and experiences that enrich our understanding of the human condition.