IMPORTANT, ESSAY SHOULD BE WRITTEN THIS WAY:
- Need for in text citation every time a source is cited using harvard style (ex: Commins, 2015, p.15).
- This essay should be built on the readings i have provided in pdf and below cited, they are my primary readings and need to be the central source of information. (i have also provided a detailed essay plan in the documents)
Baron, Beth. The Orphan Scandal: Christian Missionaries and the Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2014.
Gershoni, Israel. “Rejecting the West: The Image of the West in the Teachings of the Muslim Brotherhood, 1928-1939.” In The Great Powers in the Middle East, 1919-1939, edited by Uriel Dann. Boulder: Lynne Reinner, 1988.
Lia, Brynjar. The Society of the Muslim Brothers in Egypt: The Rise of an Islamic Mass Movement 1928-1942. Reading: Garnet, 1998.
- Essay needs to only focus on interwar period and not before or after!
- Substantive engagement with the authors’ ideas, not oblique passing references to help bulk up the bibliography. What matters most is that you offer a clear answer to the essay question, that you build convincing arguments to defend that answer, and that in doing so you select and draw upon relevant literature in ways that serve your arguments. In this sense, your essay should certainly be analytical rather than just descriptive.
- It’s always good to anticipate any likely objections to the argument that you are making and to pre- empt those objections. What points might a critic make to try to call your argument into question? How would you respond to those points?
- At the same time, it’s important not to end up sitting on the fence. It’s not a good thing to say “there are arguments for X and arguments for not-X” and just leave it at that. You should take a position in response to the question and argue in defence of that position. Dealing with any potential objections to your arguments should be part of that process.
ESSAY PLAN:
Your essay should include:
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an introduction which clearly states your thesis (your answer to the question, summarised in one or two sentences), briefly explains the arguments that you’ll make to defend that thesis, justifies your choice of case studies (if applicable), and offers a brief “roadmap” of the essay explaining very concisely how it will be structured
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a main body, in which you build those arguments to defend your thesis. introductory sentence – explanation – sources – critical analysis of the information – consider counter arguments and defend your argument.
• a conclusion, in which you briefly summarise your thesis and arguments, evaluate them and reflect on their significance – why do these arguments matter?