proposal and essay

Project Text: The Road In this project we will explore the post-apocalyptic genre and how texts of this genre reflect issues and anxieties coursing through everyday life. You will begin this Project by reading and analyzing Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. During this time, we will pay close attention to themes being built within the text that provide insight on “real-world” issues. You will then conduct research of your own (using the CSUN databases) in order to find evidence that supports your theme in that “real-world” context. The essay itself will be an argument made by you with an explicit thesis that is proven with evidence from our primary text: The Road, and at least three resources you have found on the CSUN databases. Basic Requirements:

- 6 page minimum with Works Cited (not included in page count) - Standard MLA Format - A completed essay packet. - Essay needs to be posted to your Class Website AND turned in at the beginning of class. - Minimum of 3 secondary sources. You may use the articles I have provided for you, but

these will not count towards the minimum requirement. - Proof of visit to the LRC. - Completion of all lead-up exercises.

Exercise 1: The Review For this assignment, you will be required to write a scholarly review of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. In this review, you will be required to interpret The Road within a larger conversation (based on the themes you have been developing throughout the past few weeks). Your review will need to include supplemental information from two of our previous texts. 750 Word Minimum. Posted to your Class Website. Legible font, images, sound, etc. strongly recommended. Exercise 2: The Annotated Bibliography The Purpose: An annotated bibliography provides specific information about each source you are (theoretically) using. As a researcher, you have become an expert on your topic: you have the ability to explain the content of your sources, assess their usefulness, and share this information with others who may be less familiar with them. Think of your paper as part of a conversation with people interested in the same things you are; the annotated bibliography allows you to tell readers what to check out, what might be worth checking out in some situations, and what might not be worth spending time on. You want to give your audience enough information to

understand what each text is about so that 1) You’re credibility as a researcher and scholar is clear and 2) These fellow scholars can also dive into your resources and explore on their own. A good annotated bibliography:

- encourages you to think critically about the content of the works you are using, their place within a field of study, and their relation to your own research and ideas.

- proves you have read and understood your sources. - establishes your work as a valid source and you as a competent researcher. - situates your study and topic in a continuing professional conversation. - provides a way for others to decide whether a source will be helpful to their research if

they read it. What should be included:

- Bibliography according to the appropriate citation style—MLA in our case. - Explanation of main points and/or purpose of the work—basically, its thesis—which

shows among other things that you have read and thoroughly understand the source. - Verification or critique of the authority or qualifications of the author. - Comments on the worth, effectiveness, and usefulness of the work in terms of both the

topic being researched and/or your own research project. - The point of view or perspective from which the work was written. For instance, you may

note whether the author seemed to have particular biases or was trying to reach a particular audience.

- Relevant links to other work done in the area, like related sources, possibly including a comparison with some of those already on your list. You may want to establish connections to other aspects of the same argument or opposing views.

Title your annotated bibliography “Annotated Bibliography” Following MLA format, use a hanging indent for your bibliographic information. This means the first line is not indented and all the other lines are indented four spaces or “tabbed” over. Begin your annotation immediately after the bibliographic information of the source ends; don’t skip a line down. Example entries for a paper: Butler, Judith. The Psychic Life of Power: Theories in Subjection. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

1997. Print. Butler presents her theories on the psychic imprint subjection takes on the human psyche, and how that plays a seminal role on the individual’s identity formation. Further, she discusses the idea that it is the ideologies and entities that hold power over the individual at key moments in their development, which form the individual’s conception of self, thereby become the very thing that the individual relies on for identity. Her theory hinges on the idea that the psyche itself is in some ways a fabrication, and as such control and power are housed within as much as without. This text will be critical for me as I explore the ways in which Jackson’s protagonist, Eleanor, suffers in part because she has internalized her own domination, making it nearly impossible for her to break away from her ideological entrapment.

Lootens, Tricia. “‘Whose Hand Was I Holding?’ Familial and Sexual Politics in Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.” Haunting the House of Fiction: Feminist Perspectives on Ghost Stories by American Women. (1991): 166-192. Web. 28 April 2013. Lootens’ rather formidable article examines the progression of Jackson’s text from first draft to final draft in an attempt to decipher at what point the theme of “domestic terror” became the prominent one. She carefully tracks the development of the two female characters in particular, demonstrating that the two characters seem to have been born out of one character, Mary Vance. Lastly she discusses the outcome, what she called the Eleanor draft, analyzing Jackson’s notes as well as the changes made within scenes in an attempt to demonstrate how Hill House transformed from ghost story to a story of the terrible sacrifice women make as a result of pressures of domesticity. Much of Lootens’ rhetorical moves are fascinating and compelling. However, I do feel she might lean to heavily on authorial intent, and indeed, her own careful cataloguing of Jackson’s notes and edits serves to undermine her emphasis on authorial intent, by making it clear that despite an author’s plan, stories tend to take on lives of their own during the writing process. I do feel she identifies key scenes of import in regard to the conflict between Eleanor and Theodora, especially in regard to their lifestyle choices, and she also highlights the sexual tension between the two, which will prove useful in my own paper.

Newman, Judie. “Shirley Jackson and the Reproduction of Mothering; The Haunting of Hill

House.” American Horror Fiction; from Brockden Brown to Stephen King. New York: St. Martin’s Press. 1990. 120-134. Print. Newman’s essay is a thorough psychoanalytic reading on Jackson’s text, with a focus on the two female characters. She asserts that Eleanor Vance is “mother-dominated,” and as such, the haunted, “engulfing mother” figure that is Hill House is able to assert itself upon the identity-challenged Eleanor. She then builds a contrast between Theo and Eleanor, arguing that because Theo has agency prior to her arrival at Hill House, she is able to resist the psychological trap it presents in a way that Eleanor is not. Newman’s read of Jackson’s text is complex and well supported. I am particularly interested in picking up where her argument leaves off in regard to her idea that for Eleanor identity is “both desired and rejected.” She makes this claim but does not explain why or how. I would like to build upon this idea and explore Eleanor’s complex relationship with autonomous selfhood more fully.

Exercise 3: The Proposal In a paper proposal, your job is to answer the what, how, and why of your essay topic so that your audience understands the basic parameters of your argument. For this proposal, you will write me (your professor) a letter that contains the following: 1. Capture reader interest with your introduction, which should be a brief explanation of your topic as a whole. This is where you explain the exigency (show this a problem/idea worth considering and why) and give the reader the necessary framework for your paper. What are you exploring and why? 2. Write your working thesis statement. Formulate the question that will govern your research, and then answer it with a strong statement/claim that your paper intends to prove.

3. Supply background / context on your topic along with the purpose and relevance of your thesis. Explain what you hope to prove or uncover. Provide concrete examples of the issues you will be exploring, and explain why the research you will conduct is important. This is where you branch away from the primary sources (novel and film) to explain why the theme or idea you are exploring is relevant beyond the page and screen. 4. Discuss preliminary research on your topic while developing your proposal; explain how it fits into your plans. How are you going to USE your sources? (make sure to include primary and secondary.)