SLO#2. Recognize and explain how a text’s formal elements—for example, voice, imagery, setting, and form–contribute to its meaning.
SLO#3. Contextualize canonical texts and authors of the 18-19th centuries in their historical-cultural circumstances. This essay should be an investigation of a topic that you develop out of our readings and discussions this semester, and should enable you to demonstrate proficiency in the learning outcomes for this class (see below). I’ll repeat the three basic elements that I require in this paper (argument, textual support, audience) later, but first I’d like to offer three basic areas of interrogation for your paper:
1. An extended authorial analysis, in which you research and examine other works (novel or poems) by an author who interests you whom we covered in class. Your essay would thus focus on a theme or issuethat you find in that author’s work—how it develops, changes, across multiple texts. Of course, a major question to ask is why the theme you’re focusing on is so important to the author.
2. A thematic analysis, in which you examine a particular issue from multiple texts by multiple (at least two) authors covered in class. In this case, the exploration of theme would determine what texts you examine. Be sure to make your thesis crystal-clear in this case; do not simply construct a catalogue of texts that in one way or another reflect a general theme. Make your inquiry specific; choose your texts wisely; address them closely and carefully.
3. For those interested in even broader issues (that may require more research), you may take a ‘cultural studies’ approach to a text. In this paper, you would situate and analyze your chosen literary text as a cultural-historical document that tells us something about the time period it was written in (again, the primary text must be ones covered in class) . If you do choose this latter category, be sure to check with me first before you begin your paper: we’ll need to make sure the topic is focused enough to be manageable and effective.
Whatever you decide, remember to examine how texts work as much as what they mean. Obviously, it’s important to understand the meaning of a text, to draw comparisons and contrasts among texts, and set up definitions (SLO 2). But for our purposes, it’s even more important that we study how and why such texts function. Thus, you will want to also think about identifying–and then discussing the significance of–the keytraits of the genre/texts you have chosen (SLO 1) as well as identifying how the historical environment plays into the content, theme and shape of the text (SLO 3).
SLO#1. Demonstrate basic familiarity with the prominent conventions and authors of late-Colonial, “Enlightenment,” “Romantic,” and “Transcendentalist” texts of the 18th and 19th centuries.
➢ A clear sense of argument; which some call a thesis. That is, at some stage in your writing process you must make up your mind what it is you want to say and what your plan is going to be for saying it in clear stages (these become the individual body paragraphs of your essay). Your introduction should be as clear as possible about what you plan is; state your purpose clearly and early (I always say within the first couple of paragraphs). Provide additional information about your plan of action; clue your reader into your overall goal and scheme. In a literature essay, your purpose is always to convey some specific argument about the meaning or significance of the work at hand (or at least some aspect of it).
➢ Keep in mind that themes are of crucial importance to a good argument. How does a text reflect certain cultural values? What other texts might it connect to or echo or differ from? How might some of the various themes we’ve discussed and explored in this course (political realities, gender issues, cultural difference) be reflected or located in that text? Try, to some extent to connect your chosen texts and your analysis of that text to a larger picture—show how your argument has a social/cultural/political/ideological relevance.
➢ Having made your argument clear, be sure to include ample textual support. This should be as detailed and specific as possible: use direct quotes from stories and novels; cite poetic lines fully. (See the Purdue Writing Lab Owl about MLA citation for more information on how your quotes should appear: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ ). What does a character say, for instance, to make you think a certain way about them? What do they do? How are they described by the narrator (in the case of a story or novel, especially)? You should quote specific words, phrases, sentences, and/or refer to precise moments in the action. You must then also explain how that quoted material shows what you claim it shows—don’t let quotations fend for themselves. If you are claiming that a quote is funny or tragic or “sublime,” explain how.
➢ Keep in mind what kind of audience you are writing for. Your audience is not someone who knows nothing about the text; nor, on the other hand, is your audience me. Remember that you are writing for one of your classmates—someone who has read the book or poem, who is intelligent, and who comes to your essay because he or she wishes to understand someone else’s opinion, or get help in further understanding the book. Thus, do not give plot summaries unless absolutely necessary for a larger thematic/critical purpose. Similarly, although you will probably want to use some “technical” terms (character, setting, tone, point of view), you don’t need to define these terms for your reader (who already knows). What you need to do instead is to make clear how those technical terms are operating in this particular instance.
➢ Be sure that your reader can clearly follow the structure of your essay. Read it aloud; see if each sentence sets up the next one and is anticipated by the former; be sure that each paragraph prepares the reader for what follows (make sure your transitions are clear, in other words). Be clear but not boringly obvious.
➢ Think up a cool and representative title.
➢ No less than eight full pages. (That does not include your “Works Cited” page.) Use Microsoft Word or an equivalent word processing program.
➢ MLA style citation and bibliographic format. If you have any questions about this format, see/email me before you hand in your paper.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44300/the-fatal-sisters-an-ode
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44298/the-bard-a-pindaric-ode
