One of the requirements for this course, in addition to improving skills used to appreciate, decipher, and explicate literature, is to build upon your academic research skills. Though you should have some of these already, we will continue to reinforce these on a more challenging assignment: Faust.
There are two directions you can go with this project:
1. You can explore the ideas and works that contributed to Goethe’s version of the Faustian legend. (focus on the history of ideas and past)
OR
2. You can explore how Goethe’s Faust is still influencing artisitc works and though today. (focus on artistic inspiration and the present)
Since you are reading an incredibly difficult work while also being asked to work on a research paper, I am going to trim down the necessary requirements and length of the paper. Though it is technically a “research” paper, you won’t have to do too much research.
Research Requirements: Minimum of five sources, two of which must be peer-reviewed, academic studies from EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, or an appropriate database. These sources will vary widely depending on if you are focusing on the past or the present.
Helpful Outline and Grading Criteria:
Introduction SECTION (Likely more than one paragraph, use subheaders for your own sanity): 50 points
This should include a general pararaph(s) introducing the author and work and context
Next paragraph(s) should be discussing the sources and authors you are pulling from in additon to Goethe
Lastly, an thesis paragraph where you outline your major claims
Body Section: 125 points
Should include contextual paragraphs highlighting the important parts of Faust important for your argument (DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SUMMARIZE ALL OF IT).
Body paragraphs that elaborate on and provide evidence for each claim made in your thesis paragraph. In addition to the number of paragraphs needed to explain how Faust fits into your argument, you’ll likely have a paragraph for each source as well.
Conclusion: 15 points
Restate your thesis in light of the completed argument (THIS DOES NOT MEAN COPY AND PASTE IT WORD FOR WORD).
Grammar, Citation Page, In-text Citations: 60 points
Total: 250 points. It is worth the same amount as all of the papers you have written so far. It has the ability to drag you out of the hole or bury you in one. We will build this in stages.
