Course Banner: English 102 OSC. Dr. Halbert. Summer 2020.

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PAPER #2: TOPIC AND REQUIREMENTS

Much like our first paper, your second paper will require you to write about at least one text from our course syllabus and offer a compelling argument about what the text means that uses strong textual evidence to support your interpretation. You can focus on one text, one writer, or multiple texts with related themes or issues from multiple writers, as long as the texts and authors are on our class syllabus. What's different about this paper is that it will be 6-8 pages long and you will need to use academically appropriate research to support your argument in addition to textual evidence from your primary sources. A minimum of six sources (including a book, three academic journal/peer reviewed articles, and one legitimate website) are required. Use of AI is strictly prohibited.

The challenge is that I do not want a simple summary, book report, or Wikipedia-like informational article. Those items already exist. What I want is for you to try and persuade your readers that when they look at the texts and authors you present in your paper, your interpretation makes sense and could be a legitimate explanation of what the texts and authors mean. In other words, you need to offer an interpretation about what the texts mean that leaves the reader with more than just facts: they should be able to see how other readers could conclude that the texts mean what you say they mean, even if they personally disagree with your view.

Topics vs. Thesis Statements/Arguments/Interpretations

The biggest challenge of this assignment is distinguishing between a topic and a thesis. A topic is a general issue, text, event, or person under discussion. The following could be topics of a paper in a generic English 101 course: "Why I am going to college," "Abortion," "The Civil War," and so on. Please note that identifying a topic is important, but it's not enough: you need to overtly state a thesis about the topic in your introduction that defines your argument in favor of your specific interpretation of the text or issue. Thus, you need to transform your topics into thesis statements:

In most literary courses, you can build a thesis around a range of interpretive lenses: history, politics, sociological or psychological issues, identity issues (gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.), aesthetics, and more. Most literature attempts to comment on the human condition, so building theses that explore these conditions is always an option.

Feel free to email paper topic ideas to me for suggestions on how to develop a thesis if you have difficulty developing your argument. Make sure you let me know what texts you are interested in and what specifically made you want to write about them.

There is also an additional expectation: you must use MS Word commands to format your paper instead of relying on the TAB key, the space bar, and the RETURN key. These expectations are outlined in the MS Word Assignment, which is a separate assignment worth 21 points but graded when the final draft is graded. If you are not sure how to use a specific command, consult the handout Using MS Word (or watch a podcast on using MS Word). You also can usually use Google to locate a video if you know what to call a specific feature.

Structure of a Literary Interpretation Paper

Most of you were taught the basic assumptions of a five-paragraph essay: an introduction that sets up your topic, thesis, and plan of development; three body paragraphs that address three points set up in the introduction's plan of development; and a conclusion that restates the thesis and the major points in the paper. That structure was meant to show the basic structure of most academic papers in a very manageable, short form: you need to set up what you want to prove clearly (introduction), you need to provide evidence to support your claim (the three body paragraphs), and you need to remind your audience of your major claim and connect it back to the major evidence found in the body (conclusion).

The challenge is to recognize that this structure—introduction, body, and conclusion—doesn't have to be five paragraphs. You can have a two-paragraph opening. You can have more body paragraphs than just three (or fewer). You need to close your argument by reviewing your major claim and the evidence, which may require a few paragraphs for a conclusion. Follow the basic pattern of the introduction/body/conclusion, but play with the number of paragraphs needed to complete each part.

Here's what's generally expected for each major section in the paper:

Introductions:

Body Paragraphs:

Conclusions:

Note that these guidelines are intended to help student writers get a handle on what is expected. All of these "rules" can be broken, but if you do so, make sure you understand the cost and benefits of challenging your reader's expectations of a literary analysis.

Academic Research: Those of you who may be rusty on using the academic databases at Montco may want to review this PowerPoint from my ENG 102 courses on the basics.

Expectations for the paper:

Online Resources to Help with the Paper:

The following resources may help you as you work on the paper.