18th Century to
Contemporary Literature Paper
Guidelines
Interpreting
Global Literary Texts with a Focus on Multiculturalism
Directions:
Write a 7-8
page literary interpretation paper, in 12 point standard font with one inch
margins, using at least FIVE of the
selected readings throughout the semester.
You may choose any combination of myths, poems, short stories, novels, and
plays, within at least 2 or more cultures and 2 or more literary eras.
You need to come up with a
general theme that is related to any of the class themes of CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND/OR RELIGION that you feel exist in all of
your 5 chosen works. Trace this theme
throughout your global works, and very important, have a multicultural purpose for
doing this.
For example:
If you choose the theme that defines a hero as someone who
defies societal structures like government, religion, and tradition, then you
should analyze, through the use of your interpretations of the 5 global texts,
if your definition of a hero can be applied to the different cultures that
produced each work. Discuss the culture
as you discuss the text in relation to your theme.
Use your detailed discussions of texts as specific examples
of cultural heroes throughout a larger discussion of how your theme of a hero
changes or remains the same within the different cultures. Be sure to tie the paper together with a
multicultural focus on your theme.
Also, very important, the
vast majority of your paper must be an interpretation of the works, which means
I do not want you to simply summarize
the events of the poem, short story, or play.
I have read all the works, so I know the plot; I want your unique interpretation on what the hidden meanings of
the works are.
You also need to include
at least three researched literary interpretation sources. You can find these on the online academic
journals or you can obtain them from general
online sources, as long as I have approved their credibility. I suggest you know your personal
interpretations intimately before you start looking at other critics’
interpretations, so that you won’t be swayed by their opinions.
You should use these
interpretations throughout your paper to either support a point that you are
making, or to show how a critic’s interpretation is short-sighted, and how
yours is superior.
