As you have, hopefully, come to learn this semester, good literary scholarship is about reading a text and then asking questions (of the text, the author, yourself) that lead you to a deeper understanding. Understanding of what? Good question! It can be of the text as a literary artifact, of the characters, of the themes within the text, of the author’s process, of the time in which the text was written, of the commentary the author is making about their world – there is so much that can be connected to literature!
For this research paper, you are going to dive deeper into an aspect of the novel that you find interesting. It could be an investigation into responses to the literary text (the work of other scholars), the application of a literary theory (archetypal, postcolonial), or a deeper understanding of the era (early 20th century), the location (Prohibition era Mexico, the Yucatán), the dominant topics (mythology, religion) or its characters, or its author. What’s most important is that you pick a topic that inspires your curiosity, requires investigation, and invites debate.
Last semester you learned about developing a Research Question. A good Research Question does not pose a “Yes” or “No” question. It asks the researcher to delve into some form of further discovery that will eventually lead to the development of an opinionated analysis (a.k.a. the thesis). The first assignment in the build up to the final product is to develop your Research Question. This is due Monday, May 13. After that you may not change your topic. Because of this I suggest that you develop a first draft of your question and then begin your research to make sure that it is a question you’ll be able to find sources for. When you feel confident, then you can submit the assignment.
Sample Research Questions:
What is the influence of the poet Francisco Quevedo on the novel? (This question will require researching Quevedo and his poetry and then finding shared ideas or themes between them and the novel.)
How did Prohibition in the United States impact Mexico’s economic and cultural development? (On its surface, this is a purely political and social question, but the information learned through research could then be applied to a discussion of the novel.)
Once you have developed your question, you will spend next week researching. I recommend using the GCC Library resources. Depending on your topic, the library has a large range of databases that should be helpful. You are, of course, also welcome to use actual books if you are able to go to the library in person. You may not use study guides such as SparkNotes, Cliff Notes, Shmoop, or any similar guide that tells you how to read the book. You aren’t writing a book report. Rather, you are writing an analysis that will allow you and your reader to understand the novel more deeply and/or differently.
This essay must incorporate a minimum of 4 secondary sources (the novel is your primary source). These must be reliable sources that provide information about your topic in a sophisticated and challenging form. Ideally you’ll look at peer-reviewed, scholarly sources, or books published by reputable publishing houses.
You will have a rough draft due Tuesday, May 21. We will do some peer review, and we will spend the final week of class writing and troubleshooting. Please keep in mind that this assignment cannot be revised. So you want to use your time in class very effectively to make sure you are doing the best writing you can. about gods of jade and shadow
