Research Paper Honors 10 English
Assignment:
Chose one of the major works we have read this year 1984, Brave New World, Once and Future King, Lord of the Flies, or Tale of Two Cities and research three different elements of the novel. In part one you will examine how the author's background affected his writing, in part two you will discuss what the critics have written about your chosen novel, and finally in part three you will chose an allusion and research the background of the allusion and discuss why it was used and how the allusion added depth to the novel. Each part will have its own thesis statement. However they should be a common theme running through each of the three parts.
Part I: Biography/Milieu/Influences/Literary Movements (1-2 pages)
This part focuses on how your author's life, friends, personal beliefs, and time period in which he lived influenced his writing. Research the author's childhood, life experiences, and the people who influenced him. You may choose to also explore the time period in which that author lived, and the social and literary movements that were taking place during his lifetime. Below are some of the things you may want to focus on in your paper:
-major childhood events/family
-social experiences
-schooling
-marriages
-belief systems (philosophies, religion, etc.)
-historical events of the time
-social issues of the time
Remember that you only want to focus on people and events that are of major importance and that influenced the author's writing and the literary elements you will discuss.
Part II: Critical Analysis (2 -3 pages)
Find critical analysis on the novel you have read. After reading some of this criticism, you will choose one or two literary elements to focus on in your paper. You should base your choice on a couple of things:
- What are the majority of critics discussing?
- Which of the aspects they are discussing do you understand best and which critics to you agree with?
In this part you will a) combine what different critics are saying about a certain aspect of your novel and b) include some of your own observations, supported by quotations from the novel itself. The list below will give you an idea of what sorts of literary elements you may choose to focus on in your paper.
- Themes
- Symbols
- Character
- Setting
- Motifs
What you choose to focus on depends on your book and what the critics say. You need to read many criticisms before you decide on which literary elements to focus. In this section of your paper you must utilize the comments of at least four different critics. You must, within each paragraph, combine what different critics say about the topic you chose. You must comment on/explain each criticism. You should also include some of your own commentary supported by quotations form the novel itself to confirm that you know what the critics are talking about. You should use both paraphrasing and direct quoting to present the information from the critics.
Part III: Literary Allusion (2 -3 pages)
Requirements:
- Research and explain a literary allusion in 1984, Once and Future King, Brave New World, Lord of the Flies, or Tale of Two Cities.
- 6-9 pages typed double-spaced in MLA Format (Times New Roman size 12 font)
- MLA style, works cited page with at least4 credible and varied sources
- Print out all sources and turn them in with your final draft
Allusions
An allusion is an indirect reference to something or someone from literature, history, current events, etc. that the author expects the reader to understand. Allusions can add layers of meaning to a work. In this paper you will first research the person or thing being alluded to in its own context. Give background information and explain any significant achievements or important influences of the person or thing. The second half this section will explain how the author is using the allusion in the context of the novel. Consider its connotations or associations. What added level of meaning does the allusion create?
The first part of your paper will be straightforward research on your chosen topic. The second part will be more analytical. You will explain why your author chose to use the allusion and how the allusion has added depth to the novel.
Criteria
- 6-9 typed pages: double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font
- Minimum of 6 sources one of which must be from a hard copy.
- Works Cited page (not part of the 6 pages)
- MLA format (including citations for all paraphrasing and quotations)
- You are required to attach photocopies of all research used in writing this paper as an appendix to your paper; all works cited must be represented in this section. The photocopies should be annotated with your notes. No .com sources are to be used, but databases of texts and scholarly materials available through library databases are acceptable. If you have any doubts, bring me a page of research with the web address prior to working with it.
Sample thesis statements taken from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.
- Part I: Due to Hawthorne's strict Puritan upbringing he argues that the devil is real and has the capacity to corrupt anyone, even the seemingly pure.
- Part II: Hawthorne uses flower and color symbolism in The Scarlet Letter to convey the idea that all people sin and have evil inside them.
- Part III: By alluding to Matthew 4: 1-1 1 and "the temptation of Christ" Hawthorne powerfully conveys his point that we can all be morally corrupted.
Due Dates
Thesis/Outline: March 23rd
Work Cited: April 7th
Outline (signed): April 10th
Rough Draft/ Peer revision #1: April 20th
Final Draft: April 24th