Literary Criticism Paper

Description

The primary goal of this assignment is to demonstrate mastery of literary analysis skills. Choose one of our Course Themes and explore that theme in the work of 3-4 authors that we’ve read in class, supporting your points with additional research from 5 outside sources. Do not choose works or authors we have not studied. Note that the writers you choose do not necessarily have to agree with the theme; they might provide a completely different perspective on it.   The level of analysis and insight depends on the authors and theme you choose. Don’t, for example, choose four Puritan writers to explore the course theme of religion, as that would be rather obvious and not particularly insightful. Choose authors from across our period of study, not just from one Unit.   Author biographies or summaries of the literature are not appropriate topics for this assignment because you would only be repeating material, and not synthesizing new ideas from the research, readings, and course notes.  This project emphasizes analysis and critical thinking. Your completed essay should be around 5-6 pages, not including the Works Cited. The style should be formal and academic. Because this is a research essay, you must properly paraphrase and/or quote all of your source material; cite your work within the project as needed; and provide a complete Works Cited page. You need to use scholarly, academic sources in addition to the course materials and textbook readings. Wikipedia, SparksNotes, and so on are not considered academic sources, although you may certainly consult these sources early in the process as you’re forming ideas. At least two of your sources must come from Literature Criticism Online database that can be accessed through Southwest’s InfoNet Library or an academic online journal.