ENG 102

Paper 2

Overview

I have given you a prompt below that is typical for Herman Melville’s “Benito Cereno.” Rather than write this essay, I would like you to ask an artificial intelligence tool of your choosing to write it, and I would like you to write an essay–with a thesis–that evaluates what the A.I. produces. As you do this project, you will compile all of the materials (the A.I.-generated essay, the evaluation activity, and your analysis) into a single document and submit it to this Google Drive folder.

Step 1: Producing the A.I. essay

• Pick an A.I. tool (Here is a partial list of tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Co-Pilot, Perplexity)

• Ask the A.I. to write a 1000-word essay for the following prompt:

“Analyze the role of perception and deception in Herman Melville's "Benito Cereno." Consider how Captain Delano's observations and assumptions throughout the novella affect the reader's understanding of events. Discuss how Melville uses narrative technique, symbolism, and character interactions to explore themes of appearance versus reality. How does this novella challenge readers to question their own biases and preconceptions?”

• SAVE the essay the A.I. produces

Step 2: Develop a critique of the A.I.-generated essay

• Complete the A.I. review worksheet

Step 3: Write a review essay of the A.I.-generated one

Prompt:

Write an essay with a thesis statement that evaluates the degree to which the A.I.-generated one answers the prompt from step 1. Your thesis statement should convey your evaluation of the essay (this is your claim) as well as a sense of the significance and/or the reasoning behind this claim (this is your rationale). Your body paragraphs should each deal with one aspect of this thesis statement using examples from the A.I.-generated essay and “Benito Cereno.” In planning your review, draw from your the analysis you did in the A.I. review worksheet.

Some questions you should consider:

Do you think the interpretation is true and valuable? Why or why not?

What are the stakes of the essay and do they hold up to scrutiny?

What could the essay do more effectively and how could it be changed?

How can the thesis of the essay be made more specific?

Are there any vague terms and how could they be revised to be more specific?

How could the examples be used more effectively?

Are there textual examples that would do a better job of proving the point?

Format:

1500 words

Typed

Double-spaced

Due date:

08/05

Upload a single document with the following: the A.I.-generated essay with the tasks from the A.I. review worksheet completed and your review essay.