College English-Analytical Research Paper

Task: Write a 4-6-page analytical research paper about a work of literature that is on the Analytical Paper Reading List. Other works may be acceptable, but must be approved by Mr. Kirsten. The purpose of this paper is to take a work of literature and analyze the piece carefully and thoughtfully in order to arrive at an original and meaningful analysis. You should consider an author’s writing style, their use of literary devices and rhetorical strategies, the themes they try to develop, and their purposes for writing the work. You may also consider historical or modern connections to your work and incorporate those into your paper.

Timeline/Checkpoints:

Prior to Week #1: I strongly urge you to purchase your own copy of the book so you can highlight and take notes in it for your paper. Then, carefully and thoughtfully re-read the work with a notebook beside you, taking notes on important elements that you notice while reading. As you read, look for themes, the author's use of literary devices, characterization, structural elements, and rhetorical strategies used by the author to make a statement or argument about a topic or idea.

Week #1: Complete the "Prewriting" worksheet, answering questions about the work you have read for your paper. Explore topic, choose topic, write purpose statement, and writea working thesis and three points.

*Prewriting Worksheet,topic, and purpose statement due Tuesday of Week #1;
Thesis and 3 main points due Wednesday of Week#1.
Note: All topics need to be approved by Mr. Kirsten. I suggest that you do this as early as possible so that you do not do too much unnecessary work. Topic changes need to be approved by Mr. Kirsten as well, and will not be granted after Wednesday of week #1.
Wednesday, Thursday,Friday: Research topic, compile working bibliography, create source cards and note cards, create working outline.

*20 note cards, 5 source cards,due Monday of week #2.

Week #2: Outline, Final Thesis, Write essay.

*Working Outline due Tuesday, final thesis statement and 3 main points due Wednesday of Week#2, Final Outline Thursday, Rough Draft due Monday of Week#3;

Week #3: Write Essay, Peer Critique/Conference about Rough Draft, write Final Draft.

*Rough Draft due Monday, Peer Critique Monday. Rough Draft #2 Due Wednesday, Peer Critique #2

The final paper is due_Friday, January 22_by 3:30 pm. No late papers will be accepted.

If you are absent on any of the due dates, make arrangement to have your work brought to school and turned in to me. No late work will be accepted.

Requirements

  • All papers need to be completed using MLA format. Consult the MLA handout. 12pt. Times New Roman is required.
  • Papers need to be 4-6 typed pages in length(Approx. 1,800-2,200 words). This is text, not including your outline or works cited.
  • A list of works cited will be included at the end of your paper.
  • An envelope, containing all of your source and note cards, your outline, your rough draft, andyou final draft will be submitted. An electronic copy of your final paper in Microsoft Word must be turned in to the Kirsten Folder by the due date. The file name of your electronically submitted paper should be your first and last name followed by the title of the work(s) you have written about. (jonsmith-huckleberryfinn)

Tips

  • Get an early start and don’t procrastinate!
  • Choose a topic/novel that interests you or you will hate this!
  • Purchase your own copy of the novel-highlight, take notes.
  • Be organized. Get a manila envelope to keep all of your work in progress.
  • Use 3x5 note cards, they’re easier to handle and they will keep you from using page-long quotes.
  • Write down your source information as you research. It’s much easier than going back to complete it later. Write down where you got your sources from on the bottom of each card if you are using multiple libraries.
  • Use your class time wisely because there will not be a lot of it. Remember, you are being graded on your in-class work as well. We will spend 2-3 days per week working on the research paper in class.
  • Take very careful notes. Quotes must be the author’s exact words.
  • Follow the timeline and get all of your work turned in on the checkpoint days. This is also part of your grade for this paper. Using this process for writing a research paper will help you organize yourself in the future. In college, you can decide what works best for you, but for now, stick to the process here.
  • Use the MLA handout. All the formatting and citing sources information you need to complete the paper is in this booklet. Look it up first before asking Mr. Kirsten. 12pt. Times New Roman is required.
  • Evaluate your sources before using them. Make sure they are credible, accurate, reliable, up to date, and trustworthy.
  • Novel Study Guides such as Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, Pink MonkeyWikipedia, etc. provide a merely generic analysis of a work. You may not use these sources!!!
  • Your sources must be from scholarly journals or from reputable sources.Some databases you may want to try are EBSCO (in Badger Link), JSTOR, and the IPL (Internet Public Library).
  • Brainstorm key words and search phrases to help narrow your search. We are looking for “literary criticism” or “literary analysis” of your work. You may only find bibliographies of articles or books, in which case you will need to order these from another library. Check with our library or the public library for this.
  • Don’t even think about plagiarizing any part of your paper. It will result in an automatic 0 for your grade. I realize there are a lot of sites on the web that try to sell student papers. Use of any part of these types of sources is totally unacceptable.

Grading

Checkpoint 1- Prewriting Worksheet20pts.

Checkpoint 2- Intro: Thesis and 3 points20pts.

Checkpoint 3- 20 Note Cards, 5 Source Cards,

Rough Outline, Thesis Statement20pts.

Checkpoint 4- Outline20pts.

Checkpoint 5- Rough Draft20pts.

Final Paper200pts.

Total300pts. (Approx. 30% of Quarter Grade)