Paper Topic Options and Guidelines For GENG222H --paper #1

Paper Guidelines and the Paper Topics For the Second Literature Paper in GENG222H

(PLEASE READ ALL GUIDELINES AND TOPIC INFORMATION. NOTE THAT YOU MUST CHOOSE ONE OF THE TOPIC OPTIONS BELOW UNLESS AN ALTERNATIVE IS APPROVED BY THE DEADLINE DISCUSSED. YOU SHOULD ALSO READ THE "WRITING TIPS" AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.)

Guidelines:

GENERAL --
Your paper should be roughly 1300-1600 words long. (Please doublespace and use New Times Roman 12-point font.)
As with the first paper, the point of this paper is to show that you have a very good grasp of one or more of the works we read, that you can have and coherently share an insight (a thesis) about this literary work that goes beyond ideas and other material from our class discussions, and that you can argue persuasively, using specific evidence, especially quotes from the literary text, to show that your insight is correct.
What is most crucial is to have a specific, fully developed, well-organized, and well-supported idea while avoiding any needless repetition and irrelevant extra material. For example, summarize only what is particularly relevant to your thesis and do so only at the point(s) in the paper where it is needed.
More generally, for every sentence you write, you want to feel confident that you know why that sentence is there, why in that paragraph, and why at that point in the paper.
USING QUOTES --Think carefully about the quotes you use as evidence, choosing those that most specifically give the right type of information or raise the right type of question for the reader. Make sure to use a quote when appropriate rather than just summarizing some observation you've made about the text. Make sure you clear indicate the connection between your quote and the point you are making with it, especially when the connection is indirect or metaphoric.
Also, one of the tricks to using quotes in your writing is to consider ways to incorporate them into the structure of your sentences and paragraphs. Try not to let them float in your paper like detached little written icebergs, breaking what you want to be the smooth process for your intended audience of following along with your ideas.
CITING WORK -- You must, of course, cite all quotes, paraphrases, and borrowed ideas properly and include a bibliography/works cited page (even if your topic involves using just one literary work as your source.)
TITLE --
Your work needs an appropriate title, which should be on a separate title page with your name and other relevant information. An appropriate title is directed; it gives the reader a hint about the main point you will be making in your paper. In fact, knowing you have a title that characterizes or strongly alludes to your perspective in the paper is one good indication that your paper itself has direction. Extra literary analysis title tip: Great titles in works of literary analysis also often attempt to capture the reader's attention. (Here's one hypothetical example: "Sucked In: Powerlessness and The Black Hole in Frederik Pohl's Gateway." :))
HELP --
Feel free to talk to me if you have questions about any of these guidelines.

NECESSARY TOPIC INFORMATION:

FIRST, YOU MAY MAKE LIMITED AND TARGETED USE Of AUTHORITATIVE OUTSIDE SOURCE ONLY IF IT IS DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO YOUR TOPIC AS DESCRIBED BELOW (OR APPROVED BY ME). YOU SHOULD SPEAK WITH ME IF YOU ARE NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS. IF YOU ARE USING A SECONDARY SOURCE, YOUR PAPER CAN BE SLIGHTLY LONGER (MAYBE 200 WORDS OR SO), BUT MAKE SURE THE PAPER IS FOCUSED ON THE LITERARY ANALYSIS, NOT ON DETAILS FROM THE SECONDARY SOURCE. The topic you choose should make sense to you and, ideally, should also seem at least a little interesting to you.:) You must then find some very specific point of view that you can argue for on that topic. Remember that this is not a personal response paper; it's a persuasive analysis. You will need a thesis that you can support with very specific arguments and for which you do not see any blatant counter-evidence that you can't eliminate.

If you think you have chosen your topic but don't yet have a thesis, brainstorm a bit. Ask yourself questions like those in the topic descriptions or, more generally, questions like these: In what way is the personality or behaviour of one or more of the characters in the text(s) relevant to this topic? How do specific moments in the plot relate to this topic? How does the setting relate to this topic? What particular images or metaphors does the author use that relate to this topic? Are there any particular lines from the text that stick in my mind and seem to sum up an idea related to this topic? Next, look for patterns in what you have observed. Alternatively, you could find it helpful to start by making a list of possible points of view on this topic and to then look for evidence to support the various sides, choosing the point of view that works with the evidence or determining that the right point of view lies somewhere in between two different points of view on your original list.
Before you begin writing a draft of the paper, you should have at least a tentative answer to these questions: What conclusion(s) have you reached? What would be an informative title, in light of these conclusions, for your paper? Will you have plenty of specific excerpts from the text(s) to discuss in support of your conclusion? Will you have something to say about any apparent counter-evidence against your conclusion? In the process of writing the draft, you may change your mind about some of your answers; that's absolutely fine! Just make sure that you do leave time for editing and that your final draft is completely consistent with your final thesis. Hint: Neither take a more absolute stand than you think you can support nor resort to cliches as arguments.

*******HERE ARE THE TOPIC OPTIONS*******: (Remember: These are topics, not thesis statements. Remember too that secondary sources are only permitted for some of these topics and then only as described. )

Develop and discuss a thesis on the relevance and impact of the narrative choice to have Harrison Bergeron be an adolescent in the short story "Harrison Bergeron."
Looking closely at the characters in "Driftglass," develop and discuss a thesis on the extent to which one's personal identity is treated thematically as something that can be seen/recognized by others. (or a very related topic -- on the extent to which identity is an inherently "embodied" concept)
Develop and discuss a thesis concerning a comparison of the three main characters in "Two Words" -- Beliza, El Mulatto, and the Colonel. For example, do they represent different faces of poverty or different coping mechanisms available to the poor? Do they illustrate something about gender roles? Do their relationships reveal something about human nature? (Something else?)
For those interested in political or cultural issues, develop and discuss a thesis comparing how "Two Words " and "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" address the cultural impacts of poverty and/or lack of connection to societal power structures (political, religious, etc.) Authoritative historical/political/cultural sources may be used if they help shape your thesis. Remember Allende's and Marquez's backgrounds and be sure to focus on the right part of South America if you use particular cultural details!
Develop and discuss a thesis on the extent to which the winged old man in "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" is a metaphor for the unknown or the "other" (or something else?).
Develop and discuss a thesis on the extent to which Bryant presents the viewpoint in The Kin of Ata are Waiting For You that there is/is not an animality at the core of human nature. In other words, what ways does she suggest that we are/are not like animals in our nature?
Develop and discuss a thesis about feminism in or a particular feminist reading of The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You. This topic should use an appropriate secondary source or sources on feminism and be clear about whether the novel is being assessed by then contemporary feminist theory(ies) or by contemporary one(s).
Develop and discuss an analysis of the thematic treatment of either American consumerism/materialistic values or American capitalism in Snow Crash. In other words, consider such issues as whether the novel is presenting a perspective on how materialistic our culture is (or at least our culture as of twenty years ago if you see a difference) or on how capitalism works/worked in our culture, and also whether a positive, negative, neutral, or mixed assessment of materialistic culture (or capitalism) is being presented. You might use a good secondary source on, say, late 20th Century culture if it's appropriate for your thesis.
Develop and discuss a thesis on the role of violence in "The Rock that Changed Things".
Develop and Discuss a thesis on the role of violence in Snow Crash.

Finally, Here Are Some Writing TIPS --
Start by considering the questions you have about this type of paper. This may be a new type of writing for you. Allow yourself the time to work on this skill. From my perspective, the best papers will achieve elegance in language and thought, but on the other extreme, the writing problems I find most problematic are the ones that decrease the basic effectiveness of your communication. Here are a few things to consider:

As one example, while you are right to try for a moderately formal writing style and to avoid slang, it is dangerous to use terminology you don't completely understand. If a simple, non-slang word you already know expresses your meaning exactly, use it. If not, carefully research the correct word and learn how to use it in a sentence. This generally requires more than a dictionary/thesaurus. If you find yourself needing to use the same word over and over and can't be sure an alternative in your thesaurus really has exactly the right meaning in your context or if you're not sure exactly how that word is used in a sentence, try paraphrasing your whole sentence instead. (As a starting point for word choice decisions, there is a link to the OED below.)

Watch out too for word and phrase choices that could seem ambiguous to your reader. Watch too for sentence (and paragraph) structures that leave a reader to guess how your current point relates to what you've said so far or that distract a reader away from your ideas with awkward phrasing. Nothing ruins a great point like a sentence that has to be re-read several times! (Bad word choices, random tense changes, run-on and incomplete sentences, and dangling modifiers can all do this. Ask me, if you don't know how to identify some of these things.)

It's also important not to expect your first draft to be perfect or even "good enough.” The most naturally talented writers can nonetheless write some truly horrible sentences and have some very confusing passages or connections in their first drafts. Really!! Expect to do some editing.

Finally, sometimes when you think you're having a problem with the "writing", what's really causing the problem is that you are a bit fuzzy on the details of your thoughts or the logical structure of your argument. It requires careful thinking and intellectual craftsmanship to make a good argument, writing factors aside. If you find that you keep saying to yourself, "I know what I want to say but I just don't know how to write it," ask a friend to let you talk out loud about the idea (but remember that, unlike your friend, your reader will need you to get it right the first time because he/she can't ask questions.) If you can't talk clearly through your thoughts yet, you might want to try outlining them. Maybe you haven't completely made up your mind what you believe? Or, maybe you're trying to make a couple points at once? It might be that you need to make some more logical choices before you can share your thoughts coherently.