For the sixth and final essay of the semester, you are to choose one of the previous essays you have written for this class and develop it into a research project. To do this, you should go back through your previous five essays, and choose which one you would like to expand on. Then you should re-read the work on which the essay is based--or at least review it thoroughly. Using the skills that the librarian introduced you to in class, you should conduct research about that work, and then develop the essay into a thorough argument of between one thousand and twelve-hundred words. As with your previous essays, you are to create a thesis that states what you believe the central theme is of the work you have chosen. Remember that this thesis should be argumentative, something that you must support with quotations from the work and with borrowed material from your sources. The thesis you choose may be the same thesis that you developed in your previous essay about the work--or you may change your focus. That decision is yours. The thesis you choose will drive the remainder of the essay, and each paragraph should support it. As in the past, avoid a thesis that is obvious, and, of course, one that is factual. Since we've discussed many topics in class, it will be difficult for you to find something we haven't discussed. That's fine. Just be careful not to write an essay in which you merely regurgitate what we've said in class. Go deeper into your topic--or take a different approach to something we've already argued. And remember that you are to analyze, interpret, and evaluate the literature. You are not simply to summarize the story. Support your thesis by taking events and quotations from the work. Then incorporate your sources into your paper. From these sources, find appropriate and powerful quotations that support your view. Usually direct quotations are the most effective way to support your thesis--and the easiest way to use your sources. However, you may also use paraphrases and summaries, as discussed in class. Don't forget that you may bring into the paper critics whose views contradict, as well as support, your interpretation. If you use critics who disagree with you, then show how you believe that critic's response to the work is erroneous. A good argument acknowledges its opponents and then shows how they are wrong. So don't shy away from critics who disagree with you. You are to use five outside sources for your research. These sources should be taken from scholarly articles about the work. They should not consist of quotations from dictionaries, encyclopedias, the Bible, summaries of the work, other fiction, plays, or poetry. Incorporate those critics' view into your paper by using in-text citations--as we have done for the previous five essays--and then using a works cited page--as we have also done for the previous essays. We will review in class how to document these outside sources. Take your time, argue well, and proofread your essay. Consult your syllabus for the due date of this paper. |