proposal and essay

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 the reader’s interest with your introduction, which should be a brief explanation of your topic as a whole. This is where you explain the exigency (show why this is a problem/idea worth considering 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 will branch away from the primary source (the novel) to explain why the theme or idea you are exploring is relevant beyond the page.

4) Discuss preliminary research on your topic while developing your proposal; explain how this research fits into your argument and plans for the paper. How are you going to use your sources? (make sure to include primary and secondary sources).