Paper assignment #2

Read these Options and Instructions Carefully and Thoroughly!

The following options are for your

second

paper in this course. You may choose one of the

prompts

.

S

ubmit your

thesis and one

-

two

page outline

with works cited

by no later than

Saturday, March

27

,

20

21 to be posted on a Di

scussion Forum on Blackboard.

The

f

inal paper

is

due

between

April

1

st

to 4

th

and

the final deadline

is

April 4

th

.

NOTE

THESE DATES ARE CHANGED FROM THE SYLLABUS.

The outline

should

break

down

major ideas

with textual examples

. Outline format

and quotation tips are posted on

Blackboard under Content for your information and guidance.

An

outline should help you organize and

develop

ideas

and serve as

a guide to

your

paper

. The paper should be f

ive

(

5

) pages in length and

conform to MLA style with

appropriate heading. If you need examples, let your instructor know.

I

f you

opt to do

research,

the research must be from credible sources (and

Wikipedia

is

not

a credible source)

and conform to MLA format.

Blogposts and .coms will

not

be acceptable research.

Check Hacker’s

A

Writer’s Reference

or

the Purdue OWL at

ww

w.purdue.edu/owl

for the correct paper presentation style

and outlines

.

A

brief paper format guide

is

with your syllabus for this course. You must cite from the

literature to

illustrate and support your ideas, which requires

in

-

text

citing

and

provid

e

a Works Cited

page

.

All sources

,

the novel included

,

must

be

cite

d

.

Finally,

do

not

plagiarize

!

Prompt

1

:

Mental illness and creative genius

may be

describe

d

as two sides of the same coin.

Define

these terms from your research to use in your paper.

In examining

The Bell Jar

, use it as an extended

example to develop an argument about the nature of mental illness and creativity. What are the

psycholog

ical

or

igins

and inspiration behind

genius?

What are the psychological and scientific

underpinnings that lead to mental illness? You may

briefly

research other artists, like Van Gogh, etc., to

further your position.

T

he narrator

in

The Bell Jar

conveys in humo

rous and irreverent ways the

“foibles” of

her life.

How does her humor make her descent into madness more relatable?

Prompt

2:

A

“con artist” theme permeates

The Bell Jar.

Buddy Willard may be considered

a

con artist

.

O

ther male characters

may

also

be viewed as per

pe

trating

“

con

s

”

on women, their

“marks

.

”

H

ow

are

these men

similar

and

different

(no more than two)

?

Define the

term

and examine

specific

situation

s

that reveal

the

“con.

”

O

ne may also describe Esther Greenwood as

a

con artist,

or perhaps Sylvia Plath

a

s

perpetrating the ultimate con on the reader

.

Argue a po

int of view

:

men are the true con artists

,

the

protagonist is the

one conning everyone, including th

e reader

, or Plath has committed the

greatest con

of all

.

You may expand on

any

one

viewpoint as you deem appropriate.

C

ite specific examples to prove

your position

. Y

ou may need to investigate Plath

’s life, depending on your choice

.

Prompt

3

:

Suicide or attempted suicide is a real problem for students at universities

in the United

States.

Research the prevalence of suicide

at

universit

ies

,

providing

statistics for those who

committed

suicide and for those who attempted it

. E

xamine

pressures

exerted on students t

hat

take them to the

brink

,

and use the novel as an exampl

e of a case study of a student who loses a grasp on reality. How

does Plath’s character (and Plath) demonstrate

characteristics of suicidal tendencies similar

to

students

who may be suicidal?

What services are available today

but

were not

available

in the 1950s?

You will

need to do research for this prompt.

Prompt

4

: The theme of identity is a shifting one for Esther Greenwood in

Plath’s

The Bell Jar

. Examine

her character, identify her various identities, and explain the rationale

for

each one.

Research the

political climate of the 1950s, particularly spying and the execution of the Rosenbergs, and explain their

influences on t

he protagonist.

Finally, explain

Plath’s purpose in exploring

this

multi

-

faceted character

.

Be specific in describing the shifts in identities.

Read these Options and Instructions Carefully and Thoroughly!

The following options are for your second paper in this course. You may choose one of the prompts.

Submit your thesis and one-two page outline with works cited by no later than Saturday, March 27,

2021 to be posted on a Discussion Forum on Blackboard. The final paper is due between April 1

st

to 4

th

and the final deadline is April 4

th

. NOTE THESE DATES ARE CHANGED FROM THE SYLLABUS. The outline

should break down major ideas with textual examples. Outline format and quotation tips are posted on

Blackboard under Content for your information and guidance. An outline should help you organize and

develop ideas and serve as a guide to your paper. The paper should be five (5) pages in length and

conform to MLA style with appropriate heading. If you need examples, let your instructor know. If you

opt to do research, the research must be from credible sources (and Wikipedia is not a credible source)

and conform to MLA format. Blogposts and .coms will not be acceptable research. Check Hacker’s A

Writer’s Reference or the Purdue OWL at www.purdue.edu/owl for the correct paper presentation style

and outlines. A brief paper format guide is with your syllabus for this course. You must cite from the

literature to illustrate and support your ideas, which requires in-text citing and provide a Works Cited

page. All sources, the novel included, must be cited. Finally, do not plagiarize!

Prompt 1: Mental illness and creative genius may be described as two sides of the same coin. Define

these terms from your research to use in your paper. In examining The Bell Jar, use it as an extended

example to develop an argument about the nature of mental illness and creativity. What are the

psychological origins and inspiration behind genius? What are the psychological and scientific

underpinnings that lead to mental illness? You may briefly research other artists, like Van Gogh, etc., to

further your position. The narrator in The Bell Jar conveys in humorous and irreverent ways the

“foibles” of her life. How does her humor make her descent into madness more relatable?

Prompt 2: A “con artist” theme permeates The Bell Jar. Buddy Willard may be considered a con artist.

Other male characters may also be viewed as perpetrating “cons” on women, their “marks.” How are

these men similar and different (no more than two)? Define the term and examine specific situations

that reveal the “con.” One may also describe Esther Greenwood as a con artist, or perhaps Sylvia Plath

as perpetrating the ultimate con on the reader. Argue a point of view: men are the true con artists, the

protagonist is the one conning everyone, including the reader, or Plath has committed the greatest con

of all. You may expand on any one viewpoint as you deem appropriate. Cite specific examples to prove

your position. You may need to investigate Plath’s life, depending on your choice.

Prompt 3: Suicide or attempted suicide is a real problem for students at universities in the United

States. Research the prevalence of suicide at universities, providing statistics for those who committed

suicide and for those who attempted it. Examine pressures exerted on students that take them to the

brink, and use the novel as an example of a case study of a student who loses a grasp on reality. How

does Plath’s character (and Plath) demonstrate characteristics of suicidal tendencies similar to students

who may be suicidal? What services are available today but were not available in the 1950s? You will

need to do research for this prompt.

Prompt 4: The theme of identity is a shifting one for Esther Greenwood in Plath’s The Bell Jar. Examine

her character, identify her various identities, and explain the rationale for each one. Research the

political climate of the 1950s, particularly spying and the execution of the Rosenbergs, and explain their

influences on the protagonist. Finally, explain Plath’s purpose in exploring this multi-faceted character.

Be specific in describing the shifts in identities.