English III Honors

CASS

Critical Analysis with SECONDARY SOURCES Paper

Mr. Patrick Phelan

Wuthering Heights

Outline: November 18th(A) and 19th(B)

Final Paper Due: November 24th (A) and 25th (B)

Topics:

  1. Heathcliff as a Byronic Hero: prove how Heathcliff’s emotions, actions and motivations qualify him as a Byronic hero. Characteristics of the Byronic hero are: Intelligent, cunning, ability to adapt, sexual attraction, troubled past, sophisticated and educated, cynical, power of seduction, social and sexual dominance (among others). The Byronic hero is an idealized but flawed character first found in the writing of Lord Byron.
  1. Love as a Driving Force: Relate this theme to the characters of Catherine and Heathcliff, illustrating how their love transcends the boundaries of space and time and how this love was a motivation for many of the action and events (tragic and otherwise) in the novel.
  1. Gothic Elements: Examine the novel as a work of Gothic fiction. Consider supernatural elements, darkness imagery, dark forces, and mood/atmosphere.
  1. Throughout Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, the issue of class is raised repeatedly, especially in relation to Heathcliff. Heathcliff is often shunned because of his lower class roots and his lack of knowledge regarding his parentage. Throughout the course of the novel Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff runs the social gamut by being an orphaned castaway to becoming a gentleman, then turning into a day laborer, and finally becoming a gentleman again. What is Bronte saying about class through her representation of this theme, especially in relation to Heathcliff’s unpredictable slides up and down the social ladder? What other characters in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte are concerned with the effects that their life will have on their class status? Choose two or three characters, besides Heathcliff, and dissect their concerns in regards to their class status, and how these concerns motivate their major decisions. What is Bronte saying about class status?
  1. During the telling of the story of Heathcliff and Catherine, the subject of moors comes up fairly regularly, in two different contexts. To begin with, the moors are the place where Catherine and Heathcliff first found love, and the moors are what draw the young Catherine to Heathcliff’s new home across the grange. Also important is the fact that Heathcliff is usually referred to as a gypsy, with his dark hair and skin. Someone with dark hair and skin was often called a Moor (someone of Northern African descent). This was a common racial term during Bronte’s day. With this knowledge discuss how the moors surrounding the grange reflect Heathcliff, the Moor. In what ways do the natural moors personify Heathcliff’s own dark and brooding personality and unpredictable nature? How do events that occur out in the moor foreshadow later events that are caused by Heathcliff?
  1. Analyze the function of mirrors, windows, and glass in Wuthering Heights. What do these motifs have in common? How are they different? What might Bronte be saying through the use of these motifs?
  1. Investigate the character of Nelly (Or Ellen Dean). Why does Bronte choose Nelly for the main narrator? She is painfully silent at times, but at other times she appears the only sane and redeemable character in the entire novel. Affirm a position on her character and support it.
  1. What is Emily Bronte saying about religion in Wuthering Heights? Young Catherine and Heathcliff, who live in Wuthering Heights, do not go to church, but instead are given their religious instruction by the servant Joseph. The Linton’s, who live in Thrushcross Grange, go to the local church each Sunday. At the end of the novel, as Lockwood leaves he says, “My walk home was lengthened by a diversion in the direction of the Kirk. When beneath its walls, I perceived decay had made progress, even in seven months – many a window showed black gaps deprived of glass; and slates jutted off, here and there, beyond the right line of the roof, to be gradually worked off in coming autumn storms” (Bronte 258).

IX. Student Choice: Is there a character, theme, or motif you would like to explore? Research, make a claim, write a paper... (Must be approved by Phelan beforehand)

Using both quotes from the text, three OUTSIDE SOURCES, and your own words, write a well-developed 1200-1500 word research paper that proves your thesis statement. (Please include your word count under your heading).

Format for Paper

Paragraph 1:Include thesis, author, title of work

Paragraphs2 - ?:Uses unity and coherence to prove thesis

Closing Paragraph: Restatement of thesis/connect to new thought/wrap-up paper with a clincher

Helpful/Mandatory Hints

  • Never use the following words: I, me, mine, you, your, yours
  • Mention the author or playwright and the piece of work within the first paragraph
  • Use between one and twoshort quotations in each body paragraph (avoid long quotes! They are not necessary!)
  • The definition of a thesis: what you are going to talk about and how you are going to prove it=thesis
  • Use transitional words and phrases
  • Check for unity (Unity means “oneness”. All the parts fit together. In an essay, unity means that all the paragraphs work together to support ONE main idea – the thesis. Each body paragraph in an essay has its own main idea that must relate to or support the essay’s thesis.)
  • Check for coherence (Coherence means you have an essay that “flows”. One sentence leads easily to another, one paragraph to the next. The ideas are connected in a way that makes them easy to follow. You can achieve coherence by arranging your ideas in an order that makes sense to readers and by making sure reader can see how ideas are connected. How to create coherence –

(A) Direct references help create coherence. 1. Use pronouns (he, she, they, this) to refer to nouns or ideas 2. Repeat key words 3. Use synonyms or slight rephrasings of previous words and ideas (B) Transition words and phrases

  • Proofread your paper
  • Book titles should be italicized
  • Place short works in quotes
  • Do NOT change spacing between paragraphs (Make sure your Paragraph settings are not automatically set to add spacing after paragraphs!!!)

Criteria Required

  1. A TYPEDanalytical outline - Refer to the example outline in this handout.

(Due: November 18, 2014)

  1. Typed rough draft that has been edited by HAND.
  2. AWorks Cited pagethat has four properly cited entries. (Including the novel itself. This is to be attached to the back of your essay on a separate sheet of paper).
  3. Highlighted and Annotated Secondary Sources.
  4. Final copy which is typed using the following format:
  5. size 12 font
  6. Times New Roman
  7. double spaced
  8. Submission to turnitin.com
  9. Double space the following heading at the top left corner of your paper:

Name

English III Honors

Due Date

Mr. Phelan

Word Count

Title of Paper

(Do not underline, italicize, or use quotation marks, except when referencing the title of a work.)

  1. Use standard 1” margins on all sides

Note: Any paper not submitted to turnitin.com will NOT be accepted.

(30 points....There will be a 5 point deduction for EACH above element not followed.)

Note: Ten points will be deducted for each day your assignment is late. You may only hand in an assignment for three days after the due date. It then becomes a zero. Example:

Tuesday – Full credit

Wednesday – 10 point deduction

Thursday – 20 point deduction

Friday – 30 point deduction

Saturday – no credit received

Rubric: Each element is worth up to 10 points for a total of 170 points

(6 points for completion/4 points for quality of execution).

Opening Paragraph

______Minimum of Eight Sentences

______Thesis Statement Included (Provides trajectory for Paper)

______Introduces Author and Title

Body Paragraphs 2 – ?

______Includes Transitional/Topic Sentence

______All Quotes Support Thesis and Maintain Unity and

Coherence (quotes are integrated with sufficient context and explanation)

______At least three outside source citations and three in-text citations of reasonable length are used to support proofs of thesis.

______Each piece of evidence is analyzed and explained. Information used is correct.

______Proper Citations Are Used

______Includes Transitional/Clincher Sentence

Closing Paragraph

______Transitional Sentence

______Thesis is Re-Stated in interesting way

______Two Sentences That Re-State Support from Body Paragraphs in

______One Sentence that is Both Transitional and Supplies New Support/New Context/ Bigger Picture/So what? for Thesis

______Conclusion/Clincher Sentence

Overall Content

______Proper Length

______Unity and Coherence Maintained

______Correct Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation

Tips on Citing an author:

Examples:

(A)

“After breakfast, Adele and [Jane] withdrew to the library” to study (Bronte 151).

Note that there are times when it may be necessary to insert words into an author’s quote. This is done for clarity. However, those words and/or group of words must have hard brackets around it/them in order that they may be set apart from the author’s words.

(B)

After leaving Thornfield, Jane’s journey was “very tedious: fifty miles one day, a night spent at an inn . . . [with] an evening arrival at the great town” (Bronte 361-2).

Note that ellipses are used when there are words removed from an author. This will tell your audience that, while you are directly quoting an author, the quote is incomplete.

Note that none of the above quotes are written EXACTLY as they are in the text. Oftentimes it is unnecessary and even awkward to use an entire line from the text. Therefore, use only those words that will support your thesis and correspond with your writing style.

***When writing, if you have a citation question, refer to the Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style Guide: (

Tips on Researching:

Use databases through our Media Center (Remember, you need an ID and password to access them from home).

Use Google Scholar (scholar.google.com) to search for Critical Articles (Many of the articles you come across will be behind pay walls, however.)

I have posted a small collection of resources on my Faculty Page.

I also have a Norton Critical Edition of the novel which includes some critical material. See me if you would like to look through these.

Sample Analytical Sentence Outline- Literary Analysis Paper

The first steps are to create essential questions, then gather evidence to help support your answers to the questions. Try to focus on 4-5 questions and then decide one to focus on as your main topic. Each question may become a body paragraph. Once you’ve settled on a topic, you can list categorical subtopics (body paragraphs) that will support your thesis. Your thesis is also a working thesis, where you will need to revise or update as your write.

Thesis: To truly show the corruption of the Medieval society of England, Chaucer gives voice to various characters from different social classes using a satirical and sometimes critical tone.

Paragraph 1: Wife of Bath

Topic Sentence: The Wife of Bath’s Tale shows the corruption of knights and the underlying problems of the chivalric code.

Evidence: (Include quotes from primary AND secondary sources)

-Knight raped a girl

-Woman has power and sends out knight on a quest- reversal

-The knight gets what he wants in the end with a loyal and beautiful wife- hyperbole

Paragraph 2: Knight’s Tale

Topic Sentence: The Knight’s Tale displays the skewed focus of the society, who care more about money and victory in battle than true love or individuals’ desires.

Evidence: (Include quotes from primary AND secondary sources)

-Theseus builds giant arena for the battle

-Arcite prays to Mars for victory (ironically wins but does not get the girl)

-Emily doesn’t get her wish for chastity and is told to marry

Paragraph 3: Merchant’s Tale

Topic Sentence: The Merchant’s Tale displays the lack of respect in marriage due to the societal practice of arranged marriages built on status instead of love.

Evidence: (Include quotes from primary AND secondary sources)

-May cheats on January in a Pear Tree

-January is “blind” to see May’s true nature because he picks her for her looks

-Damien does not respect his elders due to the forced marriage of May and January

Paragraph 4: The Summoner’s Tale

Topic Sentence: In the Summoner’s Tale, the church is a target due to the corruption of the friar, supposedly working for the church, but really working for money for himself.

Evidence: (Include quotes from primary AND secondary sources)

-Friar preaches about greed and anger to a man who shows neither characteristic

-Friar is not intelligent, trying to share a fart amongst multiple other friars

-Friar commands wife to feed him and take care of him in a selfish manner

You get the idea? Nah'msayin?

Note: You will most likely need to add transitional words to your topic sentences once the order of the body paragraphs is set.