English 2773 paper topics


Paper 1

Write an analytical or argumentative essay on a topic from the list of options below, meeting each of the following requirements.  Read these requirements carefully.

4-6 pages in length, 1200 word minimum (in the body of the essay, excluding headers, name, date, title, works cited entries, etc.).

Submission of final draft in both hard copy (printed on paper) and electronic form (on floppy disk or as an email attachment). Failure to meet this requirement will result in a letter-grade penalty.

Formatted carefully and correctly, following MLA guidelines as outlined on my "simple stuff" web page.

A minimum of six quotations from the primary work(s) you examine (i.e. from our readings): six is an absolute minimum—you should probably offer more than six to illustrate or substantiate your primary claims thoroughly and effectively.

Quotations and other source material must be documented according to MLA guidelines as outlined on my "quotes and documentation" page. A works cited page is mandatory even if you cite only one primary source (from our readings).

You are not required to incorporate research into this paper as you will be with paper 2, but you may if you wish bring in quotations and other support from secondary sources of legitimate scholarly criticism or commentary so long as you do not get your "research" from the world wide web. In fact, you should most emphatically not consult any world wide web pages outside of our course materials while preparing your paper. If you want to use secondary sources, you have access to many scholarly articles and other materials through the RSU Library (especially full-text electronic journal articles through subscription databases such as JSTOR).

By or on Monday, October 17th, you must turn in a paper proposal in the form of a topic sentence outline beginning with the question your essay will strive to answer, followed by each body paragraph's complete topic sentence as it will appear in the essay itself, and ending with a thesis statement that a) answers the question you are addressing, and b) ties together the primary points in your topic sentences. The question you raise for this outline should be a literal question—an interrogative sentence ending in a question mark, not merely a statement of what your topic is. You may submit your topic sentence outline in the body of an email message (that is, it's not necessary to send the outline as an attachment). For full explanation of a topic sentence outline, including examples, see the paper proposal assignment page.

Options:
For clarification or elaboration of any of these topic options, see me during office hours, send email, or call me at home. If you would like to meet face to face but my office hours don't mesh with your schedule, let me know, and we'll make other arrangements.


Paper 2

Write an analytical or argumentative essay on a topic of your own choosing, focusing narrowly on the portions we've read or are reading from any one or more works or writers we've covered from Ralph Waldo Emerson forward through Walt Whitman (between October 17th through November 21st on our schedule of readings and assignments).

Your paper must meet each of the requirements below. Read these requirements carefully, before and after starting the paper.

4-6 pages in length, 1200 word minimum (in the body of the essay, excluding headers, name, date, title, works cited entries, etc.).

Submission of final draft in both hard copy (printed on paper) and electronic form (on floppy disk or as an email attachment). Failure to meet this requirement will result in a letter-grade penalty.

Formatted carefully and correctly, following MLA guidelines as outlined on my "simple stuff" page.

A minimum of six quotations from the primary work(s) you examine (i.e. from our readings): six is an absolute minimum—you should probably offer more than six to illustrate or substantiate your primary claims thoroughly and effectively.

Quotations and other source material must be documented according to MLA guidelines as outlined on my "quotes and documentation" page. A works cited page is of course mandatory.

You must do some research and incorporate quotes from at least two sources of legitimate scholarly criticism into your discussion of the literature.  ("Legitimate" means truly scholarly sources, so items from the popular press, reviews of performances, encyclopedias, and study aids such as Cliff's Notes, SparkNotes, Master Plots, etc., are not acceptable.) No world wide web sources of any sort are valid—only sources available through the RSU library or its subscription databases are acceptable. In fact, you should most emphatically not consult any world wide web pages while preparing your paper. You have access to many scholarly articles and other materials through the RSU Library (especially full-text electronic journal articles through subscription databases such as JSTOR).

You must turn in photocopies or printouts of each secondary source from which you take quotes.  Highlight the quoted passages (on the photocopy of the criticism, not in your paper).

Very important note: Papers that do not meet the research requirements—at least two secondary sources of literary scholarship or criticism, with photocopied pages attached—will automatically receive failing grades.

By or on Monday, November 28th, you must turn in a paper proposal in the form of a topic sentence outline just as we did with the first paper, beginning with the question your essay will strive to answer, followed by each body paragraph's complete topic sentence as it will appear in the essay itself, and ending with a thesis statement that a) answers the question you are addressing, and b) ties together the primary points in your topic sentences. The question you raise for this outline should be a literal question—an interrogative sentence ending in a question mark, not merely a statement of what your topic is. You may submit your topic sentence outline in the body of an email message (that is, it's not necessary to send the outline as an attachment). For full explanation of a topic sentence outline, including examples, see the paper proposal assignment page.

The real challenge here will be to arrive at a viable topic, one worthy of exploration in a 2000-level college English course. See especially the first item below (excerpted from "grades and grading criteria" we discussed at the beginning of the semester). I have been of two minds on whether I should assign specific options for you to address in this paper, but I think it's an important element of any literature class beyond the freshman level that you explore and establish angles of critical analysis in formal papers on your own. I know that assigning an open topic is also problematic because it permits far more opportunities for wholesale plagiarism—I strenuously advise you to recall the CFA definition of plagiarism we discussed earlier this semester, and also the serious penalties for plagiarizing in this class.

"Matters of course: the bedrock basics" (from the grades and grading criteria handout, see "2000-4000 grades").

In order to receive a passing grade:

If you want guidance arriving at a topic or help with the development of the paper once you've got your topic set, do see me for help outside of class. Call me at home, send an email, see me during office hours!

Tips:
Offer concrete evidence (i.e. quotations) to support each of your major assertions.
Make every body ¶'s topic sentence answer the topic sentence outline question directly.
Avoid plot summary: see nugget 1; introduce all quotes: see nugget 3.
Sweat the details: use the Golden Rules, Nuggets, Simple Stuff, and Quotes & Documentation pages and proofread carefully.

I encourage you to seek my help with your paper outside of class. If my office hours don't fit with your schedule, let me know. I also encourage you to seek help from the writing tutors in Baird Hall 207 (take a printout of this assignment page with you).