the norton anthology

the norton anthology ASSIGNMENT: You will write an essay with a clearly focused thesis (NOT a plot summary) of 5-7 pages (not including the Works Cited page) in response to one of the topics listed below. You may not write about a text you have written about at length in another class. Please see the Course Schedule for the paper due date (which is later in the semester). Late papers are penalized ten points a day. Submission Instructions: All papers must be submitted via the Research Paper icon in Course Material in Blackboard. Double click the icon, and you will see where to attach and submit your paper. Once you have successfully submitted your paper, a green exclamation mark will appear in the "Research Paper" column in the Grade Center. This will confirm that you did indeed submit your paper. Although you will consult secondary works, your essay must reflect your own ability to analyze literature; that is, it must be more than a patchwork of outside opinions. Your paper should provide insights of your own and not simply repeat class lectures or discussions. Obviously, matters of organization, English usage, a strong, narrowed, and focused thesis, and other characteristics of the essay will be considered as well. For more details, click here to see the English Department's grading rubric (this rubric is also at the front of your handbook). ROUGH DRAFTS: I am willing to respond to a draft of your paper (without assigning a grade). However, if you wish for me to respond to a draft, I must receive it no later than a week before the final draft due date. This will allow me adequate time to comment on your paper and allow you time to revise your paper according to my suggestions. If you are concerned about your writing ability, or feel a bit intimidated about writing a research paper in general, I strongly recommend that you treat this rough draft due date as your official due date. Note: I have attached a sample research paper a student wrote in a previous semester; it is on a topic not included below as one of your options, in which I asked the students to compare/contrast Monica, from Augustine's Confessions, with either Penelope from the Odyssey or Rebekah from Genesis. It is a paper which features a clear thesis, strong structure and good use of both primary and secondary sources. CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH TOPICS: Some of these topics focus in particular on texts that we have read; some will require you to delve into texts that go beyond our reading assignments. Whichever topic you choose, make sure to establish a thesis in which you assert the overall argument that you will make in your essay. Cities have important functions in the heroic works of the ancient world. Choose two cities from the following list: Uruk (Gilgamesh), Troy (Iliad) and/or Corinth (Medea). After selecting two cities, consider what characteristics these cities share. Then consider how the attitudes toward city life expressed in these texts differ. Aristotle said that the man who is incapable of working in common, or who in his self-sufficiency has no need of others, is no part of the community, like a beast or a god. Compare the figure of Achilles with either Odysseus or Gilgamesh in light of this statement. What does this comparison reveal about the meaning of a hero's relationship to his community? Examine the function of women within Homer's Iliad. Though they may seem to function on the margins of the action, in many ways, the poem is their story. Compare Augustine's and Dante's spiritual journeys. Explore the pilgrims' processes of learning, their "guides," and the methods of teaching/learning they encounter. Compare and contrast the depiction of Odysseus in the Iliad, Odyssey, and Inferno. In the Iliad and Odyssey. How have the values that society holds most important changed from Graeco-Roman times to a Christian culture, as suggested by the way Odysseus is depicted in these three epics? ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF THE PAPER: A useful introductory paragraph that includes Titles and authors of your primary texts (the texts you are writing about) correctly spelled A thesis statement that specifically addresses the topic Serviceable body paragraphs that include specific, inclusive topic sentences. Sufficient specific development in the body of your paper: you should include at least six significant quotes from your primary source(s) in your paper. Do not, however, quote lengthy passages to simply take up space. Sufficient critical support: significant use of at least three acceptable secondary sources. Sufficient original commentary to tie the support from the primary and secondary sources to the particular thesis point being developed and to the overall central idea. You should provide original commentary for each quote you incorporate. An effective concluding paragraph that restates (not repeats) the central idea. (The central idea has been developed in the paper, so this restatement should be similarly developed.) A creative title that is specifically informative about the content of the paper. RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS: The essay will require some secondary research. The body of the paper must reflect three scholarly sources in addition to your primary source(s) (that is, the literary text(s) you are writing about). You will use research to help support your point, to show that you are aware that others disagree with your position, to provide helpful background information, or to help expand your understanding of your topic. Again, a critical research paper is primarily your textually-supported argument; it is not a review of what the critics have said. SCHOLARLY SOURCES: Students often ask how they can be sure that the sources they are using are scholarly sources. This is an excellent question. Remember, strong secondary sources are scholarly pieces regarding the literature or topic you are investigating (which is your primary source). Strong secondary sources are written by scholars and/or experts in the subject you are investigating. Beware of the following: No ".com" websites are acceptable. This includes, of course, Wikipedia, SparkNotes, Cliffnotes, or any other study guide. Encyclopedias and dictionaries (including online versions), while helpful as you begin research, do not constitute scholarly sources. Be aware that translations or versions of a primary source do not constitute secondary sources. For instance, obtaining a translation of The Odyssey does not constitute a secondary source. This translation is simply another version of a primary source. The Bible is not a secondary source. It is a primary source. Also, avoid sources that simply summarize the plot. Remember that I am your audience, and therefore, you should not include plot summary in your essay. PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is a serious offense. Below you will find DBU's official policy regarding plagiarism and collusion (From the DBU Undergraduate Catalog Spring/Summer 2010). Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: Plagiarism shall be defined as the appropriation, theft, purchase, memorization, or obtaining by any means another's work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one's own offered for credit. (Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another's work, words, or ideas without appropriate citation of the source(s).) Collusion shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit. A student is not guilty of collusion if he or she merely discusses with another a matter relevant to the work in question. Re-submission of assignments shall be defined as submitting any work previously submitted by the student for credit in another course. Such action is prohibited unless previously approved by the current instructor. Any student who plagiarizes, colludes and/or re-submits assignments will receive a 0 on the research paper and may receive an automatic F in the course. If you are unclear about what constitutes plagiarism, read "How to Avoid Plagiarism" provided by the University Writing Center. Remember, you must place quoted material in quote marks and provide a parenthetical reference as well as bibliographical information on the Works Cited page, or you have committed plagiarism. If you have any questions, please contact me. I will be submitting your essays to turnitin.com, an anti-plagiarism service, that detects the presence of plagiarism. ADDITIONAL REMINDERS: Use 12 point Times New Roman font Double space When writing about literature, you must use the present tense. For example: "Hector dies after fighting with Achilles." (Not "Hector died after fighting with Achilles.") Before you turn in your final essay, carefully proofread your paper more than once. Does it meet all of the necessary requirements? Do you lapse into plot summary? Do you use present tense when discussing literature?