English Writing: Research writing with Rough Draft.

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Eng103Essay3.docx

Naiyer/ENG 103

 Essay #3 Research Paper-Historical Scholarship Perspective on Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

 Respond to the topic below in a well-organized 6-8-page paper with a clear intro, body, and conclusion:

-Make sure that the specific point that you are making is highlighted in a thesis (the last sentence of the intro).

-Make sure that the point in each body paragraph is clearly stated in a topic sentence.

-Whether paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting, properly cite the play within the text by clarifying either via a speech tag or use of a parenthetical reference the playwright, the play's title, and the act # (remember to use proper quotation marks for direct quotes).

-Make sure the trains of thought in each body paragraph emphasize analyzing a point being made about a particular element of the play.

-Make sure to interact and properly reference a minimum of 5 secondary sources (interacting with each at least once).

-Include a “Works Cited” page as the last page, which includes both the primary source (the play) and the secondary sources.

Historical Scholarship examines works of literature as reflections of the time period in which they were created (Barnet, et al. 1430-31). This type of criticism allows the reader/critic to “understand how people in the past thought and felt” through the artist’s depiction of the particular circumstances of fictional characters. In the case of A Doll’s House, which was written in 1879, Henrik Ibsen was focused on writing “realistic ‘problem plays’” (Barnet, et al. 1280). How is A Doll’s House a realistic problem play? What “problem” is it addressing and how “realistic” is it? How does it reflect the gender roles of the time period in which it was written?

Conduct your research focusing on sources that deal with how gender roles were defined in the 19th century, particularly in Scandinavia (Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright) but also in the U.S. (which also could have influenced Ibsen’s perspective). Try to uncover certain sociocultural and political trends/movements during the 19th century that defined or influenced gender roles at the time.

Barnet, Sylvan, et al. An Introduction to Literature. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, et al. 16th ed. Boston:

Longman, 2011.