Literature Review Essay 4 pages

ENGL 4700 Spring 2020 | 1

Dr. Dominy

1

Literature Review

At least four full pages in length, not including the works cited page

15% of final grade

Due Tuesday, March 24th at 11:59 in the D2L Dropbox

Description of the Assignment

This assignment will require you to write an essay that uses two of the assigned critical essays on Absalom,

Absalom! plus one that you find on your own to describe a key facet and the evolution of the critical

conversation on Absalom, Absalom!. As you have likely seen in our reading of critical essays on the novel,

literary critics frequently review what has been said before them in prior publications in order to show where

they will depart from established criticism or extend those ideas further. That is the goal with this assignment.

Use the articles you choose to show what the extant conversation is and how it could be extended or refuted.

Directions 1) Use the resources available through the Library’s website to find a critical article on your own about

Absalom, Absalom! Rather than just searching GALILEO, I encourage you to particularly target the

MLA International Bibliography database.

2) Read the third article you choose carefully, and group it with two that we have read together for class. 3) Prepare for writing the essay by taking adequate notes that relate the essays to each other. Where do they

agree or disagree? Where do they cite the same evidence from Faulkner’s novel? What do they seem to

say together?

4) After thorough preparation, write an essay that claims what these three essays seem to be saying together about Absalom, Absalom! by explaining the connections or disagreements you found between

the three essays. Your essay should have

a. A focused introduction that introduces the three essays b. A thesis statement that explains what the three essays taken together reveal or indicate about the

critical conversation on Faulkner’s fiction.

c. Body paragraphs that support the thesis with adequate and appropriate summary, paraphrase, and quotation to show the similarities, agreements, and disagreements among the three essays. Be

sure to elaborate in instances that you summarize/paraphrase/quote to make the connections you

draw clear to the reader, and always cite the source.

d. A conclusion that reiterates your thesis for the reader. e. A works cited page

5) This essay should NOT a. Simply summarize the three articles. b. Praise or criticize the essays in the manner of a book or movie review c. Stray too far from the three essays in order to make an argument or meditate or reflect on the

topic the essay addresses. Keep the focus of the essay on what is in the three essays.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. Stop by office hours or send an email.

ENGL 4700 Spring 2020 | 2

Dr. Dominy

2

Rubric for Literature Review Excellent Effective Adequate Limited Unsuccessful

Argument and

Interpretation

The essay presents

a sophisticated,

insightful, nuance

argument offering

an original

interpretation of a

literary text.

The essay presents

and insightful

arguments offering

an interpretation of

a literary text.

The essay presents

a basic argument

about a literary text

that is not as well

developed as a

good argument.

The essay presents

an unoriginal or

underdeveloped

argument about a

literary text.

The essay

summarizes the

primary subject

text. There is no

argument or

interpretation.

Paragraphing,

Composition, and

Organization

All paragraphs are

sophisticated,

related to the thesis,

and have a clear

main idea;

transition are fluid

and very effective.

Order and

progression is

logical.

All paragraphs are

related to the thesis

and have a clear

main idea.

Transitions are

effective. Order

and progression is

logical.

All paragraphs are

related to the thesis

and most have a

main idea.

Transitions are

adequate, and the

paragraphs are in

an effective order.

Some paragraphs

not relevant or

several lack a main

idea. Transitions

are misplaced or

inadequate.

Paragraphs lack

relevance and main

ideas; transitions are

absent; logic is

absent.

Use of Evidence The essay amply

uses sophisticatedly

support from

sources to support

claims.

The essay uses

source material to

support its

argument

convincingly. It

may over or under-

quote a little.

The essay uses just

enough material to

support its

argument.

The essay does not

adequately quote

from its sources as

evidence.

The essay’s

argument has no

textual basis.

Comprehension,

Synthesis and

Integration of

Secondary Critical

Material

The essay amply

uses secondary

source material to

contextualize its

argument. Source

material is of

quality, and it is

explored and

explained.

The essay uses

secondary source

material to

contextualize its

argument well. All

material is relevant

and that relevance

is explained.

The essay

adequately quotes

and explains

secondary source

material related to

the argument. It

may over or under-

quote a little.

Sources are still of

quality.

The essay over

uses, underuses, or

misuses source

material.

Secondary sources

are used primarily

to prove

interpretive points.

Quoted material is

irrelevant. Sources

may lack in quality.

The essay does not

use source material

or it is composed of

more than 50%

quoted material.

Sources are not of

quality.

Citation and

Documentation

Parenthetical

citations and works

cited entries are

complete and

nearly flawless in

their format.

Parenthetical

citations and works

cited list may

include some

formatting

problems but are

complete and clear

in their attribution

of source material.

There are one or

two formatting

problems with

parenthetical

citations and works

cited entries, but

they are complete

and clear in their

attribution of

source material.

The essay’s works

cited page or

parenthetical has

some significant

problems, but all

quoted and

paraphrased

material is

attributed.

The essay has no

works cited page or

no parenthetical

documentation, or

documentation is

incomplete.

Usage, Grammar,

Style

Nearly perfect in its

style and

proofreading

Errors are present

but do not distract

Errors are

distracting

Errors create

difficult reading

Errors create an

incomprehensible

essay