Primary Text(s):
Choose one or two variants of “Little Red Riding Hood” and/or “Hansel & Gretel” that we’ve read thus far. This/these are your primary text(s). Choose no more than two total primary texts.
Secondary Texts:
Use one (1) of the historical/contextualizing texts with which we began the course to place your primary texts into context. (For example, the Bettelheim, the Zipes, and so on,) You can use more than one of these historical sources, but that would be in addition to the amount of overall sources you need here.
Then find one (1) academic, peer-reviewed sources through the Rutgers library databasesLinks to an external site. (cf. Google ScholarLinks to an external site. as well) that are directly on your primary text(s). In other words, if you chose just the Brothers Grimm’s variant of “Little Red Riding Hood,” then you should find one academic article directly on the Grimm’s “LRRH.” This secondary source can be from the readings for the course, if applicable.
In total, then, you will have two (2) secondary texts.
Thesis:
Your paper must have a thesis. The thesis is up to you to come up with, so long as you’re arguing something that’s critical and analytical about your primary text(s), using your sources to help make your claim. Your paper will be you quoting and citing from all of your sources—both primary and secondary—and using the historical sources to ground your argument that way as well. In other words, this should not be a book report, but a critical and analytical discussion, using a secondary source to back up a thesis statement.
Length:
This should be 5-6 pages double-spaced, and use correct grammar, mechanics, quoting/citing, etc. Aim for a 25% originality score on Turnitin; this means that you’re quoting in approximately one-fourth of your essay, which will ground your work in the texts you’re analyzing and with which you’re engaging.
Citing/Style:
Be sure you’re citing properly in MLA style; see this page for how to cite fairy tales from your anthology as well as academic articles. All papers must have a Works Cited page or you will not receive credit—you need to document your sources for research essays. See the paper expectations page for more in-depth information about things to watch out for, for examples of MLA papers written by undergraduates, &c. Please also make use of the Purdue OWLLinks to an external site., which is, in effect, the entire MLA Handbook online, for free. Every style and citation question you can think of is on the OWL!
