Final Paper

Length: 12-15 pages (with 1" margins, in 12-point Times)

Your final assignment is to write a well-researched, thoughtful, critically astute, and above all interesting analytical research paper on the topic of your choice. The topic you select should involve at least one of the authors we've read this semester, though you may use more. You may choose to focus solely upon the novels we've read this semester, but you may also choose to involve other works by the writer(s) you choose to discuss.

Your paper should make a focused, insightful, well-elaborated, well-supported argument about the novel(s) you select. In addition to performing a close critical analysis of your primary texts, your paper must engage a minimum of TWO secondary texts. These may be literary, critical, historical, cultural, etc., so long as your use of the secondary texts is significant. In other words, your secondary texts must illuminate something about the novels you're discussing that is absolutely pertinent to your argument. Be sure, however, that your paper does not devolve into a report on the research you've done; the center of this paper is, as always, your own original thought.

This assignment involves three requirements:

1. Proposal: On Tuesday, October 31, you will hand in to me a 250-500 word (1-2 page, double-spaced) statement of the argument that you intend to explore in your paper. This is of course not to suggest that you will be tied to this argument, or that it won't be affected by the research you will do. But this proposal should let me know the basics of what you're interested in: the writer or writers (and novel or novels) you want to deal with, the approach you intend to take, the conclusions you suspect you might reach -- and, above all, why you're interested in this topic. This need not be a polished piece of prose, but do give me as much information as you can; my feedback on this proposal may be helpful in focusing your investigation.

2. Annotated bibliography: On Tuesday, November 14, you will hand in to me an annotated bibliography, letting me know the extent of the research you've done so far. This bibliography must contain at least seven separate secondary texts (books, articles, etc.); each entry must also contain a note from you (hence the "annotated" part) about the text, explaining what this text is, what its basic argument is, and how this item will benefit your investigation. Note that you will not be required to cite all of the works you list in your paper, but this range of texts should help you find secondary texts that genuinely illuminate your argument, rather than simply fulfilling the secondary text requirement.

3. Paper: The thing itself. Which must, as always, use MLA format, must conform to the length guidelines above, and must -- MUST -- be carefully proofread. Papers whose meaning is obscured by a plethora of typographical or spelling errors will be returned unread, and will incur late penalties until resubmitted. You should also make use of your friends, classmates, and the writing fellows in refining both your ideas and your writing. To that end, there is a subsidiary requirement:

3a. Peer review: On Tuesday, November 21, you should hand a draft of your paper (in whatever state of completion) to your peer review partner, and you should get a copy of your partner's paper. I will leave it to you to pair yourselves up, but make sure you speak with your partner soon. The two of you should compare notes as you're working on your drafts, and should comment thoroughly and constructively on the drafts themselves, helping one another to clarify writing issues, deepen your analysis, and complicate your argument. These commented drafts must be returned to the author on the following Tuesday, November 28, so that each of you will have a week to revise your papers as necessary. When you turn in your final draft, you must turn in the commented first draft as well.

Note: All deadlines are firm. No extensions will be granted.