In this research paper assignment, you will choose one of the topics listed below and write an essay of 1200 – 1500 words, including documentation and a Works Cited according to MLA format. This paper will explore topics connected to one of the authors studied during the semester, adding research to expand on your analysis. Each topic will cover several defined areas that vary according to the subject discussed. Please review the topics carefully.
Topic #1
“The Things They Carried” is the first story in a collection by Tim O’Brien, also called The Things They Carried. Find out more about the entire book and how the story we read fits into it. Discuss the structure of the collection of Vietnam stories. Research the kind of critical reception O’Brien’s story received. Find at least three reviews and analyses of the story and summarize the findings. You will divide this topic as follows:
Introduction: Discuss the rhetorical situation (mention a bit about O’Brien’s background and his feelings towards the war). This should be approximately 100 words.
Structure and Summary: This section should summarize what you learned about the book that this story was included in. How is the book structured and how is the structure different from other stories/books about war? This section should be approximately 500 words.
Critical Response: Summarize the findings of your research on the reviews and analysis of the stories. Use valid critical reviews and cite the information correctly. This section should be another 500 words.
Conclusion: This story is one of the most anthologized stories ever written. Why do you think this is true. Using the information in your paper, sum up the main points by answering this question. This should be 100 word.
Topic #2
Like “The Things They Carried,” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” “Everyday Use” takes place in the 1960s-1970s. As you learned as you read the other two stories, this was a tumultuous time in American history when many changes were occurring. In addition to the Vietnam War, the Counterculture Movement, and the Sexual Revolution, this was also a time when many African Americans were struggling to redefine and change their social, cultural, and political identity in America.
As the Civil Rights Movement attempted to reduce the inequality in America, the issue of race was on everyone’s mind. Scholars and regular citizens were interested in looking in the African American past. They were particularly interested in recognizing the contributions that African Americans had made in American History. During this time, many African Americans wanted to examine their African heritage (going back to the days of slavery) that were still evident in their culture. At this time, many wanted to show that they were a unified group by replacing the term Negro with Black (and later Afro-Americans). Many looked to their African roots to reconnect with their past.
During this time many different groups emerged. The Black Panthers and the Black Muslims were more militant groups that protested what they saw as a white-dominated society. The Nationalists were a group of artists and writers who wore flowing robes and sandals and wanted to develop black culture and pride as a way to promote freedom and equality.
Research the historical background of “Everyday Use.” Then explain how you think the social movements from the 1960s influenced the appearance, behavior, and attitudes of Dee/Wangero. By her descriptions of Wangero and Hakim-a-barber, what do you think Walker is saying about how these characters have misapplied or misunderstood some of the ideals that these groups were promoting at the time.
This topic will separate into the following sections:
Introduction: Briefly describe the rhetorical situation.
Historical Background: Research “Black Nationalism” and other movements of the 1960s which were related to the changes that were occurring in the way African Americans were viewing their place in society.
Characters: The second part of the essay should focus on showing how the character of Dee is influenced by these movements. How do the majority of the literary criticisms view Walker’s interpretation of her daughter and her political views?
Conclusion-Sum up the main ideas presented.
Topic #3
Research the major characteristics of Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Choose two or three characteristics that you can explore in depth. This could include theme and tone, form and style, punctuation and syntax, and diction. Research these characteristics and show how they are central to her poems using specific examples of poems and critical analysis to support your opinions.
Introduction: Give a little background into the life and times of the author (not more than 150 words). Craft a thesis statement that will guide the remainder of the report.
The report will organize itself once you decide on the characteristics that you want to explore. For example, if you decide to explore theme and tone and form and style, you could set the paper up as follows:
Part I: Theme and Tone
Summarize what you learn about theme and tone from your research.
Ilustrate how these are characteristic of Dickinson’s poems by using specific poems as examples to support the opinions expressed in the previous section.
Part II: Form and Style
Summarize what you learn about form and style from your research.
Illustrate how form and style are an important characteristic of Dickinson’s poetry by giving specific examples to illustrate opinions expressed in the previous section.
Conclusion: Sums up the main points of the essay.
Topic #4
Langston Hughes celebrated the average African American man and woman. He showcased the music, nightlife, and history of African Americans in his works. He was particularly concerned with the identify and experience of African Americans in America. As a part of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes used his work to show the merits of his people in order to make a case for racial equality. In the 1960s Hughes’ poetry reflected the racial turbulence of the times. Hughes died in 1967 but his last book of verse, The Panther and the Lash contains protest poems such as “Black Panther” and “The Backlash Blues.”
In your research paper, trace how Hughes’ poetry changed as the experience of African Americans changed from the time of the Harlem Renaissance to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
Introduction: For your intro, you should give a brief biography of Hughes, define the terms “Harlem Renaissance” and “Civil Rights Movement” and end with a thesis that ties these two historical time periods into Hughes’ work.
Part I: Give the historical background of the times. Start with the Harlem Renaissance and then the turbulent times of the struggle for Civil Rights that took place in the 1960s.
Part II: Using specific examples of Hughes’ work, show how the themes in his work changed from the Harlem Renaissance through the Civil Rights Movement.
Conclusion: Sum up the main ideas of the paper and reaffirm why Hughes in considered one of the most influential African American authors of the 20th century.
