6-8 pages research in MLA format + works cited page

McClintock-Walsh ENGL 151

Assignment Sheet: Final Paper

Length: 6-8 pages (not including Works Cited List)

Due Date: Rough draft: in our conferences

Final: See syllabus

No late papers will be accepted!

Write a 6-8 page paper (that incorporates research) on any of the works we have read in this class. (If you choose to write about a work you have written about already, the content of this paper must be significantly different from what you have already written.) Although this is a research paper, remember that YOUR ideas are important. I do not want you to turn in a book report or a Wikipedia entry. Rather, you should be developing an insightful reading of one or more works that you support with the text and with outside sources. Remember, we research to fulfill our curiosities, to deepen our knowledge of a subject or author, or to make ourselves more of an expert on the works we are covering. We do NOT research to mimic or regurgitate someone else’s ideas.

Remember it is of the utmost importance that you develop a specific thesis, or argument, that you will be able to prove with research and textual analysis. Remember: a thesis statement should arise from a question you have about the work(s) (i.e., What is the significance of the Perseus and Danae myth in Room? OR What confines characters in Room, “The Hunger Artist,” and/or “The Yellow Wallpaper” ? OR According to Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and/or Anna Deavere Smith, where does racism come from, and how can society overcome it?). Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question (i.e., Donoghue uses allusion to Greek mythology to both illustrate all of the levels of imprisonment Ma and Jack face). You should use the rest of the paper to support your own unique argument with close readings of the text and with research. Think of the thesis statement as your radical declaration; think of the rest of the paper as the evidence that supports your radical declaration. (A strong thesis statement in a research paper will be very narrow and focused. A thesis that seems too narrow is always preferable to a thesis that is too broad.)

Please AVOID PLOT SUMMARY. I have already read these works, so you are writing for an informed audience.

You may choose to write your paper on one work we have discussed this semester, or you may compare/contrast two works. Remember that research should help you become more of an expert on your subject, and that research should be an organic process that helps you fill in gaps in your own knowledge, or deepens your understanding of a work, author, or concept. Let your own questions and curiosities guide you in your research.

I do not like to set an exact number of sources that you must use, but this type of paper will likely require you to consult and use at least three outside sources that you will incorporate in a meaningful way into your paper. You may not use the internet alone for your research; I will be unimpressed by flimsy, general internet sources (such as schmoop.com or bookrags.com). Remember that books and databases are your friends. It is not enough to just find your research; you must USE your research in the paper itself. A research paper that does not use research cannot get higher than a “D.” The options for research are limitless: you might choose to look up a name or word’s meaning as part of your research; you might look up or read about historical references in a work; you could read an analysis of the work you intend to write about; or you could research the author or time period of the work under consideration. Sink yourself in your topic and prepare yourself to write about your topic in an authoritative, informed way. Pay attention to words or moments in these works that confuse you; a work calls for research if it confuses or perplexes you in some way.

Because you are consulting outside sources, your paper must include a Works Cited list (see library handout and the section on MLA formatting in our books). Be aware: formatting counts in a Works Cited list! Proofread and punctuate carefully.

Your final draft should both be posted on Blackboard and handed in as a hard copy. Your rough draft will be due on the date of your conference with me.

Don’t forget about the Writing Center if you want further help!