Professor: Alisse Theodore
Email Address: alisse@umich.edu

Grader: Jess Row
Email Address: jrow@umich.edu

Below I list basic descriptions of A, B, C, D, and failing papers. Please feel free to speak with me if you have any questions about these criteria. If you have questions about your work, I would be happy to talk with you during office hours or by appointment. If your interest is simply in challenging a grade (for reasons such as arbitrary or capricious grading), present a case for the grade you believe you earned based on your paper and the grading criteria given below.

"A" Papers

An "A" paper is outstanding in many ways.

• The writer demonstrates a clear understanding of the text, one which integrates and also moves beyond interpretations posited during class discussions.
  
• The writer offers an interesting, fresh, and insightful thesis about the text, one which has clear exigence for people asking themselves "what is literature?".
  
• The writer supports her or his thesis with relevant evidence from the text and analyzes those passages convincingly.
  
• The paper is well organized; it coherently develops the argument, and the writer's conclusions are compelling.
  
• The prose is clear, apt, and occasionally memorable. The paper is free of grammar, typographical, and spelling errors and other similar flaws.

"B" Papers

A "B" paper is a good paper, but it is not as remarkable as an "A" paper. In many cases, the difference between an "A" paper and a "B" paper has to do with the originality and/or exigence of the thesis and the analysis. In any case, the writer of a "B" paper clearly understands the text and its subtleties.

• The writer of a "B" paper needs to push his or her critical thinking a bit further, or
  
• The writer needs to demonstrate in a more compelling manner the importance of his or her analysis, its relevance to other issues, or
  
• The writer offers a strong thesis and analysis but needs to develop it more fully or support it more convincingly with evidence from the text, or
  
• The writer needs to organize the paper so that the analysis is more persuasive, or
  
• There are spelling or grammar errors that transform what would otherwise be an "A" paper into a "B" paper.

"C" Papers

A "C" paper is an adequate paper that meets the demands of the assignment, but generally is not sufficiently persuasive. The writer usually will demonstrate a good understanding of the text, but may or may not demonstrate an awareness of its complexities and subtleties.

• The writer needs to show more critical thinking or analysis in the paper, or
  
• The writer's thesis may be too broad or general in nature, or
  
• The writer needs to support her or his thesis with convincing (or enough convincing) evidence, or
  
• The writer offers evidence to support her or his thesis, but needs to analyze that evidence in a convincing manner, or
  
• The writer needs to organize the paper in a more logical and convincing manner, or
  
• The paper include enough mechanical errors to pull the paper down from an "A" or a "B" level.

"D" Papers

A "D" paper is one in which the writer in some ways meets the demands of the assignment, but falls short of meeting the assignment in its entirety.

• The writer seems to understand the text, but his or her analysis is confusing in nature or indicates that he or she has not considered certain aspects of the text, or
  
• It is difficult to discern a thesis or main argument, or
  
• The writer attempts to analyze the text, but does not succeed in a convincing manner, or
  
• The writer may have failed to present relevant evidence or to analyze that evidence, or
  
• The organization of the paper is muddled, or
  
• There are enough errors in the paper to distract the reader's attention from the writer's points.

"E" Papers

An "E" fails to meet the demands of the assignment.

• The writer does not demonstrate an understanding of the text, or
  
• There is not a thesis or a main argument present, or
  
• The writer summarizes rather than analyzes the text, or
  
• There is no apparent organizational pattern in the paper, or
  
• There are enough errors to indicate that the writer has not devoted enough time to this paper, or
  
• The paper fails to meet minimum length requirements.