English III Research Project: Deadlines and Graded Check Points
Objective: Student will research literary criticism of a short story by an American author and follow the steps in the research process to write a six-paragraph, documented critical essay.
Evaluation: In the brads of a pocket folder, the student will submit:
A double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 font typed, MLA formatted paper
Works Cited page (ENTIRELY double-spaced)
In thepockets of a pocket folder, the student will include:
4 to 5 source cards (primary source, biographical source, and two to three critics)
Annotated and highlighted copies of all source material used
Rough draft with evidence of editing
Deadlines and Graded Check Points
F2/3 ______English literature mini-analysisdue
B 2/8______Two critical articles due with source cards attached due
F 2/10______One biographical article due with source card attached
M 2/13______Two to three annotatedcopies of critical articles due. DO NOT HIGHLIGHT AT THIS
TIME. Underline material that may be used for this paper.
T 2/14______Typed, printed copy of thesis statement due
B 2/15______Typed, printed copy of introductory paragraph due
F 2/17______ Typed, printed copy of biographical paragraph due
F 2/17______ Typed, printed copy of plot summary due
F 2/17______Handwrittenoutline for research paper due at end of class
T 2/21______Four (4) typed short story quotes with analysis& two (2) quotes from critical articles due
B 2/22______Typed, printed copy of first literary criticism paragraph due
F 2/24______ Typed, printed copy of second literary criticism paragraph due
M 2/27 ______ Typed, printed copy of concluding paragraph due
W 2/29______ Typed, printed copy of Works Cited page due
F 3/2______Big picture day! Typed, printed copy of entire research paper, including Works Cited page for editing. Staple pages in order.
M 3/5______ Typed, printed copy of final research paper with Works Cited page due. The paper along with the annotated copies of critical articles (cited material) with attached source cards must be submitted in the pockets of a bradded folder. (folder required for submission) Papers submitted one day late will be assessed a 20 point deduction; papers submitted two days late will be assessed a 40 point deduction. If you are absent the day before the paper is due, your paper is due the day you return. If you are in attendance on the day the paper is due but leave school before your English class period or check in after your English class period, your paper must be turned in before you leave school. Otherwise it will be considered late.
______The entire paper (six paragraphs) must be submitted to turnitin.com to receive credit for the assignment. Submission is required for credit on this assignment. Do not
submit the Works Cited page.
Overview of Research Paper
Introduction: Write one paragraph that begins with a “hook.” Consider a quote, a rhetorical question, or a life connection. Using two transition sentences, relate the “hook” to the thesis statement. Do not use “I” or “You” in this paper! End this paragraph with the thesis statement.
Biography: Write one paragraph which highlights the author‘s life. You must use a database from the KHS library. Begin with a topic sentence that states the author’s full name. Stress interesting background information including the author‘s time period, writing influences, and common themes. Do not make long lists of awards or literary works. This paragraph must be cited to earn credit. Example: (Smith).
Plot summary: Write one paragraph of plot summary (no more than three or four sentences) in your own words. This paragraph will begin with a topic sentence that includes author’s name and the title of the short story (in quotation marks). Story details should provide an introduction to the main characters and background for the story’s theme.
Literary criticism (2 paragraphs): Authors use literary elements such as motif, symbolism, imagery, irony, social commentary, tone, point of view, setting, and characterization to develop theme. Write two paragraphs; each paragraph will includetwo quotes from the short story and one quote from a critical article about the short story. The topic sentence of each paragraph should assert that the author of the short story uses a specific literary element to develop a specific theme in the story. The two paragraphs will address two separate literary elements that support the same theme. Refer to your list of literary elements for ideas.
To ensure success in research, consider the following question: What is the theme of the short story? This question is often the most significant to answer in research. All the literary elements are chosen by the author to project a theme—the moral proposition the author wishes to advance. Resist the tendency to take the easiest route—retell the plot, incident by incident. Work instead to understand the devices the author uses to convey his theme.
Conclusion: Write one concluding paragraph which re-states the thesis statement from the introductory paragraph in new words and leaves the reader convinced of your position. Remember to reflect on your research and present the insight you have gained. You may voice your opinion; however, you must do it in THIRD PERSON VOICE.
Do not say:
“I think Edgar Allan Poe exhibits masterful creativity in the supernatural genre.”
Do say: “Edgar Allan Poe proves his masterful creativity in the supernatural genre.”
The conclusion should be four to five sentences in length.
The research paper will include how many paragraphs? SIX
Specific instructions and samples for each paragraph of the research paper are included in this packet
Theme in a Literary Work
Definition: A theme is the bit of philosophy about man, nature, or society or the psychological insight into human beings that the author develops in a work of literature.
Rules for Stating a Theme
1. Theme must be expressed in a statement with a subject and a predicate. That is, it must be a sentence, also called a thematic statement. A good way to make sure you put theme into sentence form is to think: The author‘s theme is that….
It is not enough just to say that the theme is “love”, or “hate,” or “brotherhood.” What does the author say about love, about hate, about brotherhood?
2. The statement of theme must not mention characters‘ names. It is a generalization about people or about life or about nature or about society. Theme is an insight into life.
3. The theme must be based on evidence in the story, not on your personal experience.
4. Avoid absolutes such as “always” and “never” in your thematic statements. You may, however, use words like “sometimes,” or “may,” or “often.”
5. Do not use clichés or familiar sayings. (For example: “You can‘t judge a book by its cover” or “Love conquers all.”)
6. There is more than one way to state the theme of the story. Try to make your statement as full and as accurate as possible.
Thematic Ideas
tolerance / prejudice / intolerance
cowardice / bravery
innocence / experience / learning / maturity
lack of understanding / understanding
hatred / love / compassion/mercy
selfishness / sacrifice
justice / persecution
physical courage / inner strength
respect for individuality / non-acceptance / exclusion / gossip / rejection
forgiveness / revenge
endurance / weakness / giving up
individuality / peer pressure
life / death
survival / triumph / defeat
misunderstanding / reconciliation
freedom / conformity
rebellion /bureaucracy
war / peace
love / hate
disbelief / faith
parental love / neglect
respect (from others or self-respect) / disrespect
betrayal / loyalty
love of nature / destruction of nature
Of course, many other ideas may appear in literature; however, this short list should remind us of some of the basic concerns that authors express in their works.
Examples of thematic statements
Reason, courage, and strength can reach their full potential when challenged by a hostile environment.
Sometimes private discoveries reveal the falsity of society that the classroom teaches as truth.
Man possesses an innate desire for independence.
Human nature leads a man to blame others for his own shortcomings in order to avoid consequences.
Theme is the insight into human life that an author offers in his work. In fiction theme may be developed through characterization, conflict, structure, style (especially language), symbolism, point of view, irony, social concerns, and setting. You are not limited to the elements listed here, but please check any other choices with your teacher.
Thesis Statements
Your thesis statement drives your essay. It should include the author, title, time period or setting, genre, and theme as well as two literary elements that the author uses to convey the theme of the short story.
Thematic statements now become thesis statements
“The Most Dangerous Game”, a short story written in the 1920‘s by Frank Stockton, reveals through the author‘s use of setting and irony that reason, courage, and strength can reach their full potential when challenged by a hostile environment.
Herman Melville conveys the theme of man‘s innate desire for independence through the elements of symbolism and unique style in his nineteenth century short story “Bartleby the Scrivener”.
In her contemporary short story “Charles”, Shirley Jackson employs humor and dramatic irony to demonstrate how human nature leads a man to blame others for his own shortcomings in order to avoid consequences.
Literary Elements
motif- recurrent images, words, objects, phrases, or actions that tend to unify a work—The carrying off of a mortal queen by a fairy lover is a motif about which full stories were built in medieval romance.
symbolism- the use of one object to represent or suggest another
imagery- the use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, a place, or an experience
irony- a discrepancy between appearances and reality
Three main types of irony:
1. Verbal irony occurs when someone says one thing but really means something else.
2. Situational irony takes place when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and what really does happen.
3. Dramatic irony is so called because it is often used on stage. In this kind of irony, a character in the play or story thinks one thing is true, but the audience or reader knows better.
social commentary - the use of fiction to make a statement about an important issue in society
tone - the attitude a writer takes toward the subject of a work, the characters in it, or the audience--some tone words: solemn, playful, ironic, sarcastic, critical, reverent, philosophical, cynical, etc.
point of view - the vantage point from which the writer tells a story—four types: first person - one of the characters in the story tells the story; third-person limited - an unknown narrator tells the story focusing on the thoughts and feelings of only one character; omniscient - an “all-knowing” narrator tells the story focusing on the thoughts and feelings of all the characters; objective - a narrator who is totally impersonal and objective tells the story with no comment on any characters or events
setting - the time and location in which the story takes place- setting can have several functions: used to create conflict; helps to create atmosphere or mood; can create or define character (For example, an old-fashioned house with musty rooms reflects a character‘s refusal to live in the present.)
characterization - the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character- a writer can reveal character through: physical description; personality traits; the character‘s words; the character‘s thoughts and feelings; the character‘s interaction with other characters; the character‘s actions
CITING YOUR SOURCES
A DOCUMENT WITHIN AN INFORMATION DATABASE – Use Available Information. If a component is not available, proceed to the next component.
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Source of Article (Year of publication): Page numbers if
available. Name of the Database Used. Medium of Publication. Date of access in
international date format.
EX. Smith, Alexandra. “Dorothy (Rothschild) Parker.” Contemporary Authors Online (2003): 16- 18. Biography Resource Center. Web. 16 Jan. 2012.
IF YOU HAVE AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN A MULTI-VOLUME WORK SUCH AS MASTERPLOTS, DICTIONARY OF LITERARY BIOGRAPHY (DLB), OR SHORT STORIES FOR STUDENTS (AN ORIGINAL ARTICLE) AND YOUR ARTICLE HAS AN AUTHOR, YOU WILL USE THE FOLLOWING FORMAT.
ANTHOLOGY OR COMPILATION –
Last name, First name. ‘Title of Article.’’ Title of the Anthology. Editor. Volume. City: Publisher,
Year of Publication. Page numbers. Medium of Publication.
EX: Hardy, Sarah Madsen. ‘Working Woman.’ Short Stories for Students. Ed. Tim Akers.
Vol. 5. Detroit: The Gale Group, 1999. 34-37. Web. 17 Jan 2012.
TO CITE A PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN A COLLECTION, GIVE THE DATA FOR THE EARLIER PUBLICATION FIRST AND THEN ADD Rpt. in (“Reprinted in”), THE TITLE OF THE COLLECTION, AND THE NEW PUBLICATION FACTS.
Note: Most of your articles from sources such as Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC), Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism (NCLC), Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism (TCLC), Short Stories for Students, and Short Story Criticisms will be reprinted (previously published) articles.
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Original Article.” Title of Book Volume if applicable
(Date): Page Numbers. Rpt. in Title of the Collection. Editor. Volume. City of
Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication. Page Numbers. Medium of
Publication. Date of access (if Web).
EX:Kinney, Arthur F. “Big Blonde.” Reference Guide to Short Fiction 16 (1994): 645-646. Rpt.
in Short Stories for Students. Ed. Tim Akers. Vol. 5. Detroit: The Gale Group,
1999. 43-45. Print.
Introduction Directions
Assignment: Write one paragraph to introduce your research paper. The introductory paragraph has three steps.
Suggestions:
Begin with a hook. This statement should be a broad/universal/general statement about mankind, society, nature.
Follow with two sentences of transition. These sentences begin to narrow the focus of the paragraph and lead toward your thesis. These sentences should not mention anything specific about your story: no characters, no title, no plot.
Finish with your thesis statement. This sentence is specific to your story and should contain all components:
title
author
time period/setting
genre (short story)
thematic statement
the literary elements your paper will address
Length: 4-5 sentences
Expectation: Prove that you can introduce your topic and write a strong, provable thesis statement.
Sample Introduction
Television commercials promise consumers countless friends and never-ending fun if they only purchase a certain brand of beer. Such commercials cater to individuals desperate for intimacy. Sadly, these individuals fill their lives with empty pleasures that fail to satisfy the void. Through the use of characterization and symbolism, Dorothy Parker‘s 1920‘s era short story “Big Blonde” proves the futility of seeking contentment without personal achievement.
Biography Directions
Assignment: Write one paragraph which highlights the author‘s life. Stress interesting background information including the author‘s time period, writing influences, and common themes. Do not make long lists of awards or literary works.
*** Your source for this paragraph must come from one of the library‘s databases. ***
Suggestions:
Begin by discussing the author‘s name and generic information.
Discuss the author’s time period.
Discuss influences on the author‘s writing (such as personal experiences, events, activities) and
prevalent themes.
Briefly mention any important achievements such as honors, awards and major works.
End with a connection to the short story.
Stress interesting background information including the author‘s time period and writing influences. Do not make long lists of awards or literary works
Length: 8-10 sentences
Expectation: Prove that you understand the author.
Sample Biography
Dorothy Parker lived an energetic lifestyle in both Hollywood, California, and New York City. Born in New Jersey on August 22, 1893, Parker‘s life encompassed the conservative Victorian era as well as the scandalous Roaring 20‘s. Parker‘s three marriages and two divorces illustrate her quest for personal fulfillment. Parker‘s far-left political views earned her a reputation as a rebel and even led to her being “blacklisted” by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Her sharp wit and her sensitivity to the tortured human spirit led her to write deeply incisive tales of human emotion such as her short story “Big Blonde” for which she received the prestigious O. Henry Memorial Award.
Plot Summary Directions
Assignment: Write one paragraph of plot summary (no more than three or four sentences) in your own words. This paragraph will begin with a topic sentence that includes the author’s name and the title of the short story (in quotation marks). Story details should provide an introduction to the main characters and background for the story’s theme.
Sample Plot Summary Paragraph
Dorothy Parker‘s short story “Big Blonde” reveals the depressing saga of Hazel Morse, a former model. Ms. Morse spends her adult life playing the part of a cheerful buddy to men who enjoy her company only when she drinks and laughs with them. If Hazel tries to share her deepest sorrows and fears, the men reject her and accuse her of depressing them. Living her life to please others leads Hazel to seek comfort in alcohol as she wastes away in despair.
Short Story and Critical Research Quotes Directions
Four (4) typed story quotes; two (2) typed critical research quotes
Directions:
- Type your name at the top of the page.
- Type your thematic statement.
- Type your four story quotes, noting the literary element each quote explores. End each quote with the author’s last name.
- Type an analysis of how each quote relates to the theme.
- Type your two quotes from critical research. End each quote with the author’s last name and page number, if applicable.
- Type an analysis of how each quote relates to the theme.
Sample homework assignment