This document provides instructions for writing the second formal paper, due on April 16th. It should be 4-5 pages long, or 1000-1300 words, and use evidence from at least three of the provided sources: "My Family's Slave" by Alex Tizon, "Kidnapped, Then Forced into the Sideshow", "Twelve Minutes and a Life" by Mitchell Jackson, and "The Boys in the Bunkhouse" by Dan Barry. The paper must have a clear thesis statement that is supported with multiple paragraphs analyzing how marginalized groups have been subjected to exploitation, abuse, and violence. Circumstances like isolation, social status, and racism should be discussed. Quotations from sources

1. How to write
the Second
Formal Paper
Due Friday, April 16

2. How are marginalized
people stripped of
their humanity and
subjected to
exploitation, abuse,
and violence?

3. Requirements
ONE
Length:
4-5 pages
1,000-1,300
words

4. Requirements
TWO
 Use evidence
(quotations) from at least
three:
 Alex Tizon’s “My Family’s
Slave”
 “Kidnapped, Then Forced into
the Sideshow”
 Mitchell Jackson’s “Twelve
Minutes and a Life”
 Dan Barry’s “The Boys in the
Bunkhouse”

6. Alex Tizon, “My
Family’s Slave”
 How did Lola wind up being
exploited?
 Isolation
 Immigration status
 Language barrier
 Education
 Social expectations
 Bonds of affection

7. George + Willie Muse.
Kidnapped and sold to the sideshow.

8. Mitchell S. Jackson,
“Twelve Minutes
and a Life”
 Why was Ahmaud Arberry
murdered?
 Community context
 Social status / how Blackness is
valued in the U.S.
 “Stand Your Ground” laws
 White Supremacy / white
entitlement
 Social expectations / racial
stereotyping

9. Dan Barry, “The
‘Boys’ in the
Bunkhouse”
• How did the Atalissa men wind
up exploited?
• Separated from their families
• Disability status
• Labor laws
• Education
• Social status
• Social expectations

11. Requirements
THREE
• Use 5-6 quotations
altogether; multiple
quotations from the same
source.
• Your own writing—NOT
QUOTATIONS—should make
up about 80% of the text of
your paper.

12. Requirements
FOUR
• Use lessons and practice
developing three-part
paragraphs.
• Include an introduction and
conclusion (see lessons
from Week Six).

13. Requirements
FIVE
• Proofread, edit, and correct
your writing.
• MLA FORMATTING (use
template)
• MLA DOCUMENTATION
• in-text citations
• Works Cited entries for each
source (copy from weekly
writing)

19. THESIS
 Paper must have a main
idea or THESIS.
 Paragraphs + evidence
should help the reader
understand your THESIS.
 State THESIS (main idea)
clearly in the introduction.

20. THESIS examples
FOCUS: ISOLATION
Violence thrives in hidden
spaces, so people are more
subject to exploitation and abuse
when they’re separated from
family, friends, and community.
FOCUS: RACE/RACISM
Racism plays a major role in
exploitation and abuse.
FOCUS: SOCIAL VALUE
Because some people, like
disabled persons, women, and
people living in poverty are less
valued in our society, they can
become targets for exploitation,
abuse, even violence.

21. supporting paragraphs
• In the BODY of your paper,
SUPPORT your THESIS with
multiple paragraphs that:
• DESCRIBE situations of
exploitation, abuse, or violence
from the assigned reading
• Show SPECIFIC
CIRCUMSTANCES surrounding
the situation
• EXPLAIN the connection
between the circumstances
and the abuses
• Stick to ONE IDEA per
paragraph.

22. FOR EXAMPLE
If you focus on HOW
ISOLATION makes people
vulnerable to abuse and
exploitation, you can
show how Lola, Ahmaud
Arberry, and the men in
Barry’s article were all
separated from the
communities that really
loved them and cared
about them.

23. NEED
MORE
HELP?
… or, Prof. Rodas is
happy to conference
with you!
make an appointment at
Bronx Community
College’s
Online Writing Center