Hist 1302 Essay Response Prompt, Dead Wake, by Erik Larson Fall 2018
Instructions: Please answer the prompt question(s) in essay form. Your essay must contain clear and concise analysis, be printed, at least three pages in length (no more than five), double-spaced, with one-inch margins and twelve-point font. Each response essay is worth 100 points. The essay must be turned in via the link on D2L by the day it is due. Students who do not turn in their essays on time will be immediately docked a letter grade, with an additional letter grade docked for each day the essay is turned in past the due date. If you are ill and provide valid documentation for your absence, you will be able to turn in the essay without a grade penalty.
Prompt Question (due Thursday, October 18, 2018):
According to Erik Larson, the details he presents in Dark Wake help shed light on the drama and emotional power of the sinking of the Lusitania. How does his style of writing and sharing of various stories enhance (or conversely, overwhelm) the narrative? How successful is Larson at placing the importance of the Lusitania’s demise within a larger historical context, especially regarding U.S. involvement in World War I and the debate over Germany’s decision to attack civilian ships?