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\centerline{MONT 106Q -- Mathematical Thinking}
\centerline{Third Writing Assignment}
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The third of the larger paper assignments this semester will be devoted to the pairing
Shakespeare's {\it Othello} and Mehmet Ali Sanlikol's {\it Othello in the Seraglio}.  
For this assignment I want you to think about the relationship between these two
versions of the basic story, the choices Sanlikol made in constructing his 
``coffee-house opera,'' and whether this alternate version adds an interesting
sidelight to the story. This will mostly involve mostly discussing your personal 
reactions, so it will not be as formal as the previous paper and there is 
definitely more room for your opinion and personal voice to come through.

Your essay should be about 2 pages in length (double-spaced, single-sided).
Please submit via Google Docs or as a MS Word .doc or .docx file to
{\tt jlittle@holycross.edu} by 5:00pm on Monday, October 31.

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{\it Paper topic}

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First, there is a {\it consistent ``maneuver''} that Sanlikol and his librettist
(i.e. the writer of the text that is sung in the opera) Robert Labaree
apply to the Othello story to construct the story of 
S\"umb\"ul the black eunuch in {\it Othello in the Seraglio}.  What is this?  Then, in your 
opinion, does this ``maneuver'' illuminate the many borders involved in this
story, for instance the borders between Venice and Turkey, between white and black, 
between Muslim and non-Muslim?  If so, how?  If not, why not?    
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{\it Guidelines for this assignment}
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Follow these specifications:
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\item{1.} It is OK to discuss preliminary ideas for what you want to say with
your classmates if you want.  {\it I'm going to be pretty much out of contact at a
regional meeting of the American Mathematical Society out of town over the weekend 
of October 29 and 30, so I'm not going to be able to offer the usual comments on 
drafts this time.}
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\item{2.} Start by clearly stating your understanding of the ``maneuver'' alluded
to in the topic description above in your first paragraph.
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\item{3.}  In the following paragraphs, by drawing on your understanding of
the Shakespeare {\it Othello}, our class discussions, and your experience
of the ``coffee-house opera,'' present your opinion about whether the play and the opera
work together to create a deeper understanding of the boundaries involved in
the story.  
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\item{4.}  If you think they do, then explain how, by citing specific situations
from the play and the opera, how they interact, and how one of them provides
another point of view or a different slant on the other.
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\item{5.}  On the other hand, you're certainly within your rights to say, 
``no, the play and the opera don't connect in a meaningful way, or provide 
any illumination of each other, for me.'' 
But if so, then it's your job to explain why not.  (It's not sufficient just to 
state your opinion without providing the reasons that lead you to say that.)
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\item{6.}  You may present evidence consisting of quotations of passages 
from the Shakespeare play if you want, together with interpretations of those passages 
that come from your own thinking about them.  
Your evidence should be as specific, detailed, correct, and as varied
as possible (focus on small details and mention
the little things that support your point of view).  If you do use quotations,
identify the act, the scene number, and the line number(s) in the Folger Shakespeare Library
edition of {\it Othello}.  
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\item{7.}  Your essay should be well-organized as a whole and ``flow'' 
from one point to the next.  Do not repeat pieces of evidence unless
there is a very good reason for doing so.  Do not get ahead of yourself.
Say one thing at a time.  If you decide you want to add something, 
do not just tack it on somewhere.  Instead, figure out where it fits in the overall
scheme of your argument and put it where it belongs.
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\item{8.}  As always, your sentences should be clear, readable, and
not overly wordy.  Aim for a reasonably formal but lively style.  For this
assignment, use of the first person is more or less {\it expected} while you
are presenting your opinion about the effectiveness of the pairing of 
{\it Othello} with {\it Othello in the Seraglio}.  Generally,
colloquial ways of saying things that are acceptable in casual conversation
are not as appropriate in this kind of writing, but if you have a really
good reason for using a colloquial expression and it fits well, that's OK.  
Also, {\it please do not use a thesaurus to find impressive-sounding words} 
when simpler alternatives are available. 
An important lesson to learn for writing in college is that thesauri 
do not capture the {\it nuances in meanings} that underlie good writing.  
If you must use a thesaurus, also look up any words you select in a 
dictionary to make sure they mean exactly what you think they do!
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\item{9.} And as on previous assignments, errors in mechanics and usage 
should not annoy the reader.  (As a warning, I tend to be {\it easily annoyed by 
this sort of thing!}) Try as much as possible to avoid mistakes in 
grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice.
\bye
