A Shadowland of Secrets and Light

Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the NSA, is the man responsible for the release of countless documents that fully disclose and illustrate some of Americas darkest secrets. The information he leaked still reverberates in todays political environment and will continue in the unforeseeable future.

Write an essay (1,500-1,800 words)) in which you formulate a position about the themes outlined in the May 2014 Vanity Fair article titled The Snowden Saga: A Shadowland of Secrets and Light. (Links to an external site.) Is he a hero or traitor, and what do you believe what you believe (hour topic sentences). In addition, if you have access, you will watch the documentary titled: “Citizen Four.”

“Citizen Four.” (Links to an external site.)

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Your essay must have a focused thesis that outlines your perspective on the primary scientific, cultural, financial, societal, and/or political events, trends, and/or perceptions that have shaped the history of these issues. Your essay should be thesis-driven, focused, descriptive, specific, logical, and targeted to academic readers.

Your argument should be based on your summary, analysis, and evaluation of the research (and, in some respects, the documentary). You must evaluate the arguments from your research. In addition, you must support your position with at least six (6) sourcesat least one of which must be a scholarly source. You can use the May 2014 Vanity Fair article titled The Snowden Saga and the documentary Citizen Four as the foundations for your essay, but definitely do not just reiterate the themes and concepts from these sources, or just retell the various narratives.

Remember: Your essay should be thesis-driven, focused, specific, and targeted to academic readers. And your controlling idea must be discussed, argued, and proven.

Between the time when you write this essay and the time when its due, you will have had a chance to continue researching and reading about your topic; therefore, significant revision and expansion of your essay is required for a superior grade on this assignment.

Argumentative Essay Requirements

    1,500 – 1,800 words and a Works Cited page
    Presents a compelling and persuasive argument
    Formulates a specific, focused, and complex thesis statement
    Supports the argument with compelling topic sentences, followed by detailed and perceptive analysis of evidence
    Offers arguments and counterarguments
    Smoothly frames quotations and uses appropriate paraphrasing
    Structures the essay in unified paragraphs
    Uses effective transitions to move from paragraph to paragraph
    Develops a reasonable conclusion that provides a satisfying closure for the essay
    Displays an ability to use dynamic sentences and precise words, avoiding errors in grammar, punctuation, and language
    MLA Format, including the use of subheadings

Research Notes

Get the best quality research you can, as your grade will depend on it. Make sure your research is credible. Use approximately 30% research in your essay, about one source per page, although you may balance your research in any way you deem most effective. Cite all your sourcesideas, numbers, words, summaries, paraphrases, quotes, and graphicsboth within the essay (in-text citations) and on the Works Cited page.

Notes

    Please underline your claim (thesis statement) and topic sentences
    If you miss a deadline (introduction, rough draft, etc.) you will lose points on your final grade
    Do not use dictionaries or Wikipedia