Your research paper will demonstrate your ability to analyze a work of literature and its socio-historical context. The papers will be 4-5 pages long. You may select your own topic but do not write on any work we cover in class. You are strongly encouraged to use other sources if you would like, but I am more concerned that you develop your own argument. Your thesis should be your own idea, so consult other sources after crafting a working thesis. Use critics to support your idea.
Content, use of primary and secondary sources, organization, grammar, syntax, and diction are all important considerations in determining your grade. Your essay should be 1300-1500 words (4-5 pages), conform to citation guidelines (MLA, APA, whatever citation style you use in your major), include a reference page, and be typed in 12 point Times New Roman font with standard 1.0 inch margins. ODU’s Computer Labs can be used by all ODU students who present valid campus identification cards, so no paper will be accepted that has not been typed, spell-checked and grammar-checked. Papers should be submitted using Blackboard. Remember to underline your thesis statement and avoid contractions.
This paper should present your own in-depth interpretation of a particular thematic or technical aspect of the work(s) you choose. You may focus on one particular feature of one work or you may present your own in-depth study of a theme or technique as it is used in two or more of the works we have read. For example, you might analyze the role a particular image or symbol plays in the work(s) you’ve picked. You might choose to examine the intersection of history, politics, and literature in one or more of the works we have read. Or you might analyze the function of one or more secondary characters.
Whatever you decide to do, remember that this essay is argumentative. That is to say, you will need to convince the reader that the topic you are presenting is significant and that it works the way you say it does. How convincing you are depends on how well you use the material at your disposal. That material should be drawn primarily from the work you have chosen, but you should also consult other research sources.
This paper should be mainly an interpretive paper; it is not a review or summary of criticism on a work. Use material from the other resources you select to support your interpretation or to raise additional critical issues.
