ENG 1020 Prof. Maslanka

ENG 1020 Prof. Maslanka
Research Essay assignment:

For this essay, you will chose one of the primary texts from the list below. Then determine a keyword or concept that relates to that text. Once you have chosen your keyword, consider what you see the text saying about that keyword. In other words: what sort of interpretation or understanding of the keyword/concept is made possible through the text? Create a thesis in which you argue for your interpretation of text with regard to the keyword.

Then articulate that argument in an essay that uses at least three (and no more than four) academic (peer-review/scholarly) secondary sources to develop your argument. You will defend your argument using close reading, exploring the details of your chosen text and articulating how those details relate to your argument. The final essay will be well-written, seven to eight pages long, and thesis-driven.
Texts:
Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild” in Bloodchild and other stories
Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Karen Russell’s “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” in St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves
If you are very interested in writing on a text not listed here, please see me.

Length:
While the assignment for this essay is generally the same as you have encountered previously in this course, the length of this essay is considerably longer. In part that length is designed to accommodate secondary sources. However, the length also gives you the opportunity to get more detailed and specific with your thesis and your readings. Take advantage of that length to demonstrate your ability to analyze and close read a text.

Using Secondary Sources:
For this paper, I am asking you to incorporate additional scholarly materials into your work. These should be from peer-reviewed journals or from scholarly books. You may use any of the articles used in the presentations or articles that you found through your own research. I strongly recommend you use Cohen’s “Monster Culture: Seven Theses” as one of your three secondary sources.

When using secondary sources, it is imperative that you do not borrow arguments or evidence directly from your research. Rather, use your research to complicate, develop, or support your own ideas. Secondary sources may present an argument you wish to challenge or may offer an insight that gets your own thinking going. The work of close reading should be your own with these sources serving to offer new information that you deal with at certain points in your paper. Do not rely on secondary sources to make your argument for you or express the main ideas that should come from your own head.

We will discuss types of citation in class but the predominant method will use MLA format. A works cited page will be necessary for your final product.

Format:
Remember your final draft must be typed, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font with one inch margins. They will be stapled with all pages numbered. The first page of your essay should include your name, course, date, and paper title. Do not provide a title page. Your final draft will include the results of your thesis workshop, a rough draft, and a works cited page in MLA format.

Criteria:
-Thesis: Do you have an argument? Is your thesis informed and the product of careful thought? Did you take comments from your thesis workshop into account as you completed your work? (15%)
-Analysis: Do you look at connections and ideas within the primary text rather than summarize? Do you use the primary text to support your argument? Are your observations original and insightful? (25%)
-Using Sources: Are your secondary sources used to develop, not replace, your own argument? Are they incorporated into the paper in ways that makes sense? Are they properly cited? Do you have a works cited page? (20%)
-Coherence/ Organization: Does the paper exhibit a control of introduction, middle material, and conclusion? Is there a clear means of moving from one topic to the next? Do pps make sense as individual units? (20%)
Style/ Mechanics: Is your writing clear and communicative? Does your paper contain many grammar mistakes? Are your sentences coherent and fluid? (20%)

Additional Assignments and Due Dates:
There will be several assignments, including a presentation and peer review leading up to the creation of the final draft of this essay. See the Course Calendar for due dates.

Please let me know if you have any questions.