I am going to post all of the exact instructions below, but we had to turn in a short essay on which story we were going to write about and try to write our thesis. The story I chose is “Can’t Quit You Baby” by Ellen Douglas. The thesis I put that I was going to use is “How do characters in the novel navigate societal expectations and assert their own identities in the face of oppression and conformity?” In response to this these, the professor said that i should be more specific. He said instead of saying “characters”, that I should specify which ones. Also, which societal expectations am I referring to? racism, patriarchy, something else? It is best to specify.
These are the instructions below:
This is an analytical research paper based on a work covered in this class (for example, readings on our syllabus). Please note you’re trying to write a work of literary criticism. This means your focus should be on literature rather than, say, psychology. Most of your secondary sources should be focused on the author or work in this course you’re choosing to write about.
In this essay, I expect students to do the following:
Analyze a specific aspect of one work we’ve studied.
Use at least five secondary sources to support your argument (Secondary sources must include essays from journals of literary criticism and collections of essays or books on a given subject.) No sources that are strictly online sources (one that has not been peer-reviewed and published in print), please. It’s best not to cite encyclopedias or dictionaries at all.
Show familiarity with some existing critical interpretations of the work selected. The idea is that you’re writing your paper as part of an ongoing conversation with what other critics have written. Do this by reading essays of literary criticism about your topic and the book and author you are researching.
Use in-text citations (MLA format) and provide a works cited page
Write a well-structured and clearly written essay.
Title your essay.
Make it thrilling.
Also, please read the research paper expectations at the bottom of this page.
This essay, as the syllabus states, must be about 1800-2200 words, double-spaced, and formatted as a MS-Word document. Also, it must follow MLA style guidelines for papers (click here for an excellent paper-writing tutorial:owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/.) You’re required to submit your essay as an attachment AND by copying and pasting the text into the drop box.
Please note that the best way to begin is to go to the library and research the text and author you wish to write about. Read what other people have written on the subject–that way you’ll have an informed opinion about your topic before you begin writing. That said, I want you to write about something that interests you, and this is why I’m letting you choose your topic.
It’s now easier than ever to do research. You can look over many online databases, even from your home, and many articles are available in full-text versions you can download. Start by looking through the databases from the Ole Miss library here: http://www.libraries.olemiss.edu/uml/database/glossary/all. From this list, I suggest the MLA Bibliography, Literature Online, or JSTOR (note: To access these databases through Ole Miss, you’ll need to log in with your Web ID). Remember that articles in these databases are copies of print-based work and come from peer-reviewed and reputable sources, which means they qualify as print-based sources. Also, you might do some internet searches to get the ideas flowing.
