Is Blanche a victim of forces she cannot control, or is she partly responsible for what happens to her? It is a question readers have argued over for decades, and it makes an excellent prompt for an argumentative essay. It is also a prompt that can bring out students' strongest feelings.

The most important grading principle is that neither side should be favored. The play supports both readings to some degree. Your rubric should reward the quality of the argument regardless of the conclusion.

Strong essays on either side do the same things. They make a clear claim, support it with specific moments, and account for the strongest evidence against them. A one-sided paper that ignores the other view is easier to write and weaker to read.

Tell students up front that counterargument is expected. Explain that acknowledging a strong opposing point makes an argument more convincing, not less. This idea is often new to students and worth teaching directly.

What Separates Strong from Weak

Weak papers assert. They say Blanche is a victim because of what happened to her, or she is responsible because she lied. Strong papers show how the play builds each case and explain why one weighs more.

• States a clear position that goes beyond simple yes or no
• Supports the position with specific scenes and dialogue
• Presents the strongest counterargument fairly
• Responds to the counterargument with evidence, not dismissal
• Avoids importing outside judgments that the text does not support

Watching for Bias in Grading

Teachers have opinions too, and they can seep into scoring. If you notice yourself rating papers higher because they agree with you, pause and reread against the rubric. Blind grading or anonymized papers can help when possible.

A structured rubric is one of the best protections against this kind of drift. It keeps your attention on the features you said you would reward. AI-assisted grading adds another check by applying the same criteria to every paper without a preference for either view.

Feedback That Builds Argument Skills

Good comments on argumentative essays often take the form of questions. What would someone on the other side say about this scene? Does your evidence hold if we look at the moments before it? Questions invite the student to strengthen the argument themselves.

Consider asking students to argue the opposite position in a short follow-up. Writing the other side often reveals holes in their original case. It is also a useful exercise for building intellectual flexibility.

Using the Debate in Class

A structured class discussion before writing helps students test their ideas. Let them defend a position, then switch sides. The essays that follow are usually sharper and more balanced.

After grading, share anonymized examples of strong counterargument paragraphs. Students learn from seeing peers do it well. It shows them that fair treatment of another view is a sign of strength.