English Essay about Pictures of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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QS 115, Fall 2014 Professor A. Harrison

Essay #3 Wilde, The Dandy, and Dorian Gray!

Thesis and outline due 11/12 (3 hard copies to class) First draft due 11/18 (3 hard copies to class) Whole Class Workshop 11/20 and 11/25 Final Draft Due 12/04 A note about drafts and outlines for essay:

• Always bring 3 hard copies to class on dates that they are due • Single space and 2-side where you can to save paper • Always include a Works Cited page

Writing task: For your text-based essay, you will analyze an element of the text, using examples from the text to support an assertion about that aspect of the text. Such elements may include a social, political, or financial issue, a theme, historical context, a character’s development, a cultural attitude, an argument, social class, the author’s point of view, the meaning of the title, a conflict, or the book's setting. This essay should discuss the author’s ideas and the student’s interpretation. Write a well- developed essay of 1500+ words, typed, and double-spaced (12 pt. times new roman font and 1” margins in MLA format) that has a clear thesis and uses the text to support it.

Below are several topic ideas to consider. If you have your own idea, you are welcome to use it. Please do check your idea with your instructor before proceeding! Topic Ideas:

§ What possible homoerotic elements do you detect in this novel? What role do language and style play for such homoerotic elements or suggestions in the novel?

§ What about the question of class in this novel? It plays an important role here. How does class intermingle with the other major themes of the novel, such as art, as well as with sexuality?

§ What function does Sybil Vane have in this novel? What kind of character is she? How is her relationship with Dorian used as one of the ways in which Wilde depicts Dorian’s “development,” and his ideas? Does it matter that Sybil is an actress, and as such, a representative of art as well? How does Dorian’s idea of Sybil clash with reality?

§ This novel centrally features a portrait—itself a work of art. Given Wilde’s philosophy of art, how odes the portrait’s role within the narrative reflect back on art and art’s role in life? How is Dorian himself ‘a work of art, and a decadent one at that?

§ Is there perhaps still a “moral” we can detect in this novel, and what could it be? § Early readers criticized the novel’s “decadence” and immorality. What are some possible

reasons and evidence for their views, as we find them in the novel? § Since we have done so much work on film, video, and media is this class, is there a

comparable work in the modern film space in terms the ideas here that you can compare Dorian Gray to?

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Steps to consider in fulfilling your essay draft:

• YOU MUST INCLUDE A “WORKS CITED” PAGE AT THE BACK OF YOUR PAPER; THIS DOES NOT COUNT AS PART OF THE 1,500 WORDS!

• You will not need to do your own outside research for this assignment to support your thesis. However, many of your topic choices will draw you to this.

• You must use evidence from the text--examples of what you mean--in order to demonstrate your point about the book. In addition, you must use at least five quotes from the text, properly introduced, quoted and cited with the page number from the book. Your thesis must be supportable by the text. A word count should be inserted at the end of the essay but before the Works Cited page.

• Wikipedia, Ask.com, Yahoo! Answers.com, BrainyQuotes.com, or similar websites are NOT credible sources. I urge you to use the CSUN library databases as well as Google Scholar for your research.

• You must include at least 1 paragraph or 5-7 sentences of counterargument in your essay. You may have an entire paragraph dedicated to counterargument or your may weave it in throughout your body paragraphs. Remember counterargument is not just about presenting the opposing side’s viewpoint, but responding to those points in order to make your argument stronger. If you do not include counterargument in your essay, you will receive 10 points off your total score.

• YOUR FINAL PAPER DUE ON 12/04 at 2PM, MUST INCLUDE (binder clipped in this order): 1. Final draft (125 points) 2. Turnitin.com printed email receipt 3. First draft (25 points) 4. Peer Critique Workshop Sheets x 2 (10 points) 5. Outline with Works Cited (10 points) 6. Participation in whole class workshop on 11/20 and 11/25, includes forum posts and

submissions/facilitations (30 points) – forums online noted by professor, those facilitating must submit notes/outline/responses for full credit

7. Any other pre-writing that you did plus any extra credit (LRC pink slip?) PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO TURNITIN.COM BEFORE CLASS TO RECEIVE CREDIT -- NO EXCEPTIONS! I encourage everyone to use this time to review the course syllabus and requirements to make sure you are on task as we near the end of QS115. Questions, Email me [email protected]