DUE
Saturday, April 25 at 11:30 PM VIA EMAIL
The documented research paper will
show evidence of the extent to which students meet course objectives including,
but not limited to, developing an analytical argument appropriate to the
assignment, demonstrating the ability to manage essay structure and utilize MLA
format. The paper will demonstrate originality, critical thinking and research
skills, cite primary and secondary research sources, and include a Works Cited
page.
As we discussed in class, you will
write a fully documented and sourced research paper of between 7-10 pages
based on one of the other major works we have discussed during the second half
of the semester. This essay is worth 35% of your final course grade and will be
written utilizing Modern Language Association guidelines.
Again,
you are welcome to revise and expand a
previously submitted essay. You are also free to write on a different
text from the course readings. If you want to focus on “Bartleby the
Scrivener,” or “Benito Cereno,” be sure to
take notes. Suggested topics for some of these works include violence,
morality, slavery, education, abolitionism, religion, alienation,
industrialization,
passive resistance, racism,
manifest destiny, and the concept of the “unreliable narrator” (as
exemplified in the short stories “The Tell-tale Heart” or “Bartleby the
Scrivener” and the novella “Benito Cereno” ). Some of these themes
overlap—your
thesis should reflect your theme in a clear, well-articulated manner.
GUIDELINES
You
must use no less than four (4) secondary sources in the final version of your essay. At least two
(2) of these secondary sources must consist of recent (no
earlier than 2000) literary journal articles on your
primary text. The additional two (2) sources may be books--biographical, collected
works, or bound essays. They must be literature-based works based on your primary
text and/or its author—not books or journals from other disciplines (i.e.,
sociology, psychology, education, anthropology, etc.). PLEASE REVIEW PREVIOUS POST ON DATABASE RESOURCES FOR PAPERS.
For this final research paper, YOU MAY NOT
USE the following as sources, as they are NOT considered scholarly works: SparkNotes, 123HelpMe, GoodReads,
Wikipedia, CliffsNotes, ClassicNotes, Enotes, GradeSaver, or any other student
guides. All electronic
sources must be approved by me at the time you submit your working
bibliography.
PLEASE NOTE: Simply re-wording summaries or
analysis from another source constitutes plagiarism—your work must consist of
YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AND WRITING—please don’t fail this course because of
plagiarism. Make sure that you use quotation marks when you are using someone
else’s words, and that you give proper credit to the source if you are
paraphrasing.
Any Instance Of Plagiarism In The Research
Paper Will Result In An Automatic “F” On The Entire Paper With No Possibility
Of Revision.
Papers Graded Using the
Following Criteria:
Clear thesis statement, well-organized supporting points and
conclusion: 10 points
Cited adequately and correctly from the texts (primary and
secondary): 10 points
Demonstrated writing strength (sentence structure, spelling,
grammar): 10 points
Works Cited Page (properly
formatted in MLA style, per guidelines): 5 points
PAPERS
MAY BE SUBMITTED EARLY.
FINAL
GRADES WILL BE POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
