Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to explore connections between literary texts and related historical, social, and literary contexts. This essay also allows you to demonstrate your understanding and knowledge British literature within the context of our reading together in this module and will demonstrate your close reading and critical writing skills.
Skills
Through this assignment, you will develop your skills with many of the course goals: critical thinking, close reading and literary analysis, cultural and civic engagement, and writing.
Task
Watch the videosHow Did the British Empire Rule the WorldLinks to an external site.
and Why Did the British Empire Collapse?Links to an external site.
and read Overview of literary periods covered.Links to an external site.
Choose two texts from the Empire module to compare. These texts must be from different literary periods. The date of each work was published is listed, which will help you figure out which literary period it belongs to.
Develop a thesis statement about how these texts illustrate the rise and/or fall of the British Empire.
Write a 2-3 page essay supporting your thesis statement using evidence from the texts and the background material included in the module.
Criteria for Success
A successful paper will choose appropriate texts and will be an analysis of the works of literature and your thesis, not a plot summary, book review, or biography of the authors. It will have a clear, debatable thesis and evidence to support that thesis. It will show original thought, not just interpretations from sources. A successful paper will be in MLA format and will include citations of facts, ideas, and quotations from sources.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2773702119561058
https://www.thoughtco.com/british-literary-periods-739034
