We’ve all heard the popular motto “No pain, no gain.” The origin of this phrase is often attributed to one of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, who wrote in 1758 that “There are no gains without pains.”

We recently read about the educational pains and gains of Frederick Douglass and Sandra Cisneros’s character Alicia. But you won’t be writing about Douglass or Alicia in your essay. You won’t be writing about Franklin, either, though you will use his quote as a starting point. Here is what you will write: 

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Write a 5-paragraph essay, that first provides Franklin’s quote above and then discusses the extent to which Franklin’s words apply to today’s college students and, most importantly, to you. Support your thesis with reasons and examples from your own experiences and observations.

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SPECIFIC TASKS

a) provide Franklin’s quotation in your introduction, and explain how it fits within the context of your education;

b) in the body of your essay, support your thesis by discussing at least one pain (obstacle/challenge/hardship/etc.) that makes it difficult for you to pursue your college education;

c) in the body of your essay, support your thesis by examining at least one gain (goal/benefit/reward/etc.) that you hope to achieve as a result of your efforts.

— Remember, for tasks b and c, that your pains can be caused by external factors (cost of education, social distractions, etc.) or internal ones (lack of confidence, habitual procrastination, etc.), and that your gains can also come from the outside (e.g., financially rewarding career, etc.) or the inside (knowledge, discipline, sense of accomplishment, etc.).    

 

ESSAY STRUCTURE

You have various organizational options, but key to all of them is basic 3-part structure: Beginning (intro paragraph), Middle (body paragraphs), and End (concluding paragraph). Your essay will need the following: 

— Introductory Paragraph with a lead-in, Franklin’s quote, relevant background information on you and your pursuit of an education, and a Thesis Statement: the central point you want to make about you and your education (e.g., it’s hard work, but it will pay off), stated in one clear sentence toward the end of your intro.  

— Three Body Paragraphs, each with a clear topic sentence focusing on one main point or idea that you will then support in the paragraph with concrete, specific details and examples. (Suggested order: first two body paragraphs focused on the pains, preferably one per paragraph; the third one focused on the gains. Write about the gains last because chronologically that’s what happens: you overcome the pains and problems to achieve the gains and goals.)

— Concluding Paragraph with re-statement of thesis and final thought(s).

 

WORKS CITED

Since you’ll cite Franklin’s quote in your text, you will need to include a one-entry list of Works Cited at the end of the essay. You’ll need this sort of thing for every essay you write this semester; might as well get used to it.

Your in-text citation and list of works cited will be formatted in the current Modern Language Association (MLA) style. 

The in-text citation will be pretty simple. Just give your reader the Franklin quote, introduced with his full name. As long as the author’s name (or, in certain cases, the source’s title) is in your sentence, the reader can find additional bibliographic information by checking out the Works Cited at the end of your essay. 

To add your Works Cited at the end of your paper, drop down one double-spaced line from the last sentence, or go to a new page. Type and center “Works Cited,” (without the quote marks), then drop down another double-spaced line and enter the information for your source, which will also, like the rest of your essay, be double-spaced. Follow the instructions and use the formatting as it appears in the PDF linked here Download here

 

RUBRIC

Your essay will be evaluated according to the 5 criteria in the rubric below. 

Note 1: An essay that is off-topic or that fails to meet the minimum length will be scored a D or F. 

Note 2: Although we are early in the semester and have not yet specifically addressed issues of Clarity & Correctness (Criterion 5), college-level competence in basic grammar and sentence structure is assumed. 

RESPONSE Essay responds directly to the prompt; complies with basic formatting requirements as stated in syllabus; thoughtfully addresses all assigned tasks; meets required minimum length.

UNITY Essay is unified & focused; uses 3-part structure, with clear thesis statement & topic sentences

SUPPORT General statements are fully supported by specific details & concrete examples, and by documented research if required.

COHERENCE Essay is coherent & logically organized; sentences & paragraphs connected by transitions and other linking techniques (parallel structure, repetition of key words/phrases, etc.)

CLARITY & CORRECTNESS Essay communicates clearly; is correct in grammar, mechanics, syntax, word choice, and sentence structure (avoidance of fragments & run-ons); uses appropriate MLA format for citations & works cited, if required.

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