|
|
|
Introduction
to Literature II Paper: guidelines and suggested topics
The following are some guidelines for your papers, with some suggested subjects.
These are only suggestions, and you should feel free to choose your own
topic to write on (however, you must choose a work on the syllabus).
Your paper should be a critical analysis that reflects your own point of
view, argued by a specific thesis that is demonstrated in a focused, narrowly
defined approach. A subject is only
a beginning; you must then concentrate on finding a topic (your idea
considerably narrowed down). For
instance, the mechanical versus the natural in "Odor of
Chrysanthemums" is a subject, while a more specific topic might be [I
intend to argue that] the tone of the opening paragraphs of Lawrence’s story
metaphorically describes how industrialism corrupts humanity as well as nature,
because all of the comparisons between people and "things" are
negatively described.
To help narrow down your idea, concentrate on one scene or one event within a
scene, or compare two scenes, two characters, or several events within a story,
or one act or one section of a play--don't write on the entire play/story or
everything a character does. You
may also wish to explicate a poem or compare two poems.
You may want to check with me on your topic idea: write down your thesis -- if
it helps, phrase your sentence, "I intend to argue that ______, because
_____." That way I have
something specific to help you with. (Note
that the "because" of the above sentence adds the specific to your
argument and keeps you from being too general or vague in your thesis.)
A word on citing quotations: poetry or prose that is more than four lines should
be set off from the text (indent 10 spaces from the left margin), as in this
passage from "Odor of Chrysanthemums":
The
trucks thumped heavily past, one by one, with slow inevitable movement, as she
stood insignificantly trapped between the jolting black wagons and the hedge;
then they curved away towards the coppice where the withered oak leaves dropped
noiselessly, while the birds, pulling at the scarlet hips beside the track, made
off into the dusk that had already crept into the spinney.
(1728)
But keep large passages at a minimum and don't cite more than is germane to your
discussion. Quotations should
follow a developed argument as an illustration--they illustrate (argue)
something that you have already established.
Quotations that are set off from the text are by definition quotes, so
they are not placed in quotation marks. Note
too that the page, or Act, scene, and line numbers, come after the period (skip
two spaces). If you use anything
other than the Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, cite in a note the
edition of the play, short story, or novel from which you take the
quotation—use only one edition throughout the paper.
The above quotation from "Chrysanthemums" is an example: as an
endnote I might write, "This and all subsequent quotations are taken from D.
H. Lawrence: The Complete Short Stories, vol. 2. Or, I could merely add it parenthetically after my first
quote: (283; D. H. Lawrence: The Complete Short Stories, vol. 2).
f you cite three lines or less, make the citation part of the sentence, as in
the following: The tone of story is illustrated when, in the opening paragraphs,
Lawrence describes a scene where "the trucks thumped heavily past, one by
one, with slow inevitable movement, as she stood insignificantly trapped between
the jolting black wagons and the hedge" (1728).
Or consider this piece of poetry from T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J.
Alfred Prufrock": Eliot begins his poem with a startling image that
compares the calm of the night to a person undergoing surgery: "Let us go
then, you and I, / When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a
patient etherised upon a table" (ll. 1-3).
Note here that the / mark indicates where the poetry line ends in your text.
The quotation should fit your sentence: that means that while you quote
the words exactly, the punctuation at the end of your sentence depends on
whether the idea is a complete sentence (this line ends with a semicolon, but
the sentence is a complete idea in itself.
Also note that when you give a quote within a sentence, the parenthetical
citation is part of your sentence; thus the period (or semicolon or colon) comes
after the parenthesis while all other punctuation comes before.
Be faithful to the edition of the text you are using when citing; break poetry
according to the editors' decisions, and write dialogue or description as the
author gives it. When quoting from
one of our texts or a secondary source, your guide should be the MLA Manual of
Style, 1985 (or later) edition, located in the reference section of the library,
PR 3521. A last reminder: type your paper, 3 to 5 pages—no more than 5.
Please do not put your paper in a folder or add a cover sheet.
Put your name, class section, and date in the upper right hand corner of
the first page; put your last name and page number on all subsequent pages; give
your paper a specific title, centered on your first page, that reflects your
thesis idea; use a paper clip or staple your pages.
Handwritten or late papers will not be accepted.
For the first paper, indicate (a written statement in pencil on the first
page is sufficient) whether you want a grade or not.
After I have marked your paper, I will put a grade on it in order to let
you know how the work compares with what an average sophomore-level paper should
be. If you request a grade, I will
enter it in my grade book; if you do not want the paper graded, you will still
have some idea as what improvements you need to make or how you stand in
relation to other students' work. The second paper will be entered as a course grade for
everyone.
Be Specific. Proofread your paper
carefully, but do more than merely reread it: revise your work.
Revision is a major part of writing; one of the easiest problems to spot
in reading student papers is the lack of revision, which usually indicates
haste, laziness, or indifference. Writing
is a skill that takes effort, patience, and the willingness to improve it, so
start early.
Some
suggested writing subjects:
“
The family as destructive entity
Gregor as metaphor
The tone of the story, narrator's voice, and/or readers'expectations
Indications of guilt: its manifestations and meaning Unreality and objectivity Odor of Chrysanthemums":
The relationship between husband and wife
The tone of the story: autumn, death
The metaphors of darkness and fire
The close attention to details in the story
Isolation: how is it suggested in the story, and why?
What does it mean?
Description and its contribution to characterization
Male foolishness vs. Female stability
The story as tragedy
Differences in characterization and their purposes
Deception and religious belief
A comparison with Kafka's Metamorphosis: the "aloneness" of the
individual
How important is reality to the story? Does
it matter what is real?
A psychological reading of the events (authority, sexual temptation, etc.)
Names, symbols, religious allusions
Robin's naivety vs. his "shrewdness"
The purpose of the "initiation"
How good and pure is Robin?
The changing view from the narrator's perspective
The sense of dream and nightmare in th
Atmosphere, setting, dramatization
Romanticism/anti-romanticism
The importance of imagery
The significance of the dream
Christian symbolism and its importance
The importance of description in describing isolation
Characterization and its thematic purpose in the story
Moral duty and its implications
The question of heroism
Thematic importance in the title
The idea of solitude: its effect, purpose, meaning
Symbolism in the story
Nature and death: how are they linked? why important?
Illusion and beauty: how are they linked? why important?
Hedda Gabler:
The question of tragedy
The stage as image--symbolism
Stage contrasts/character contrasts
The complexities of Hedda: good or bad?
Creativity and passion vs. logic/reason
The roles of heredity and environment
Anti-Romanticism
Endgame:
The significance of the stage setting--symbolism
The significance of the title
The relationship of Hamm and Clov
The play as metaphor
The play as meaningful/meaningless
The purpose and uses of Brecht's "alienation effect"
Religious irony and its uses
Capitalism as evil
Mother Courage as "anti-heroic"
Th
Analyze a poem with regard to its symbolism, thematic interest, or imagery
Explicate one of the poems we have read
Explain the persona and its relevance for appreciating a particular poem
Effective strategies or rhetorical devices
Masters' use of carpe diem: its thematic importance
Humor or satire in Masters' poems
Small-town revolt in Masters
Realism and horror in the W.W.I poets
The importance of Blake's "simplicity"
The feeling of the modern in Eliot Imagery, symbolism, or theme in "Prufrock"
|
|
This page maintained by Wayne Narey; suggestions and comments appreciated--please contact wnarey@astate.edu |