Richardson
English 529
Critical Essay
Undergraduates (20%)
This 8-10 pp. paper will give you an opportunity to explore, research, and report on some aspect of the literature that interests you. You may focus on one of the novels, or you may write a comparative paper of some kind (the comparative paper can be tricky, though, because of the paper’s length.) You could analyze the work in terms of some element of fiction: point of view, theme, or setting. You could also research the way the literature addresses political and cultural issues, but be sure to keep the focus on the literature. Whatever your topic, it needs to be focused. The paper itself should have a clearly stated thesis at the end of the introduction and well-developed and well-supported content. Your thesis should be argumentative in nature, and your paper should situate your assertion in a critical context.
To establish your critical
context, I expect you to use at least five secondary sources that are
published in scholarly texts. I’d suggest starting with the MLA database
to help find good articles. If you find it appropriate, in addition to these
five secondary sources, you may wish to include primary material. See our
course website for resources. Again, though, these would be in addition to the
5 secondary sources.
**A note about online sources: Given the amount of material available on these
novels, it will be confusing to see a reliance on online sources. For example,
choosing a Wikipedia entry as a secondary scholarly source will not be a clear
choice. Unless there is some good reason to use a primarily online source (such
as the ones noted on our website), they are usually good to avoid.
You’ll probably find more than 5 in your research, so I’m expecting that the
sources that you include are deliberately chosen because they serve at least one
of the following roles: 1) give background 2) provide support for your point 3)
provide a counterpoint of some kind that you will address. In other words, you
need to integrate your sources clearly and appropriately to create the larger
critical conversation about your topic so that the reader has a sense of that
conversation and how you are locating yourself within it.
Use MLA documentation, and cite sources appropriately. If you paraphrase, quote, or summarize another’s opinion, you need to cite the source. If you are unfamiliar with MLA or what counts as plagiarism, please see me. I’m more than happy to explain MLA format as well as look over how you’ve used research in your paper prior to the time it is due.
Graduate Students (25%)
This 12-15 page paper will give you an opportunity to examine some issue of interest to you. These papers should be argumentative in nature, making a claim about the material. You could investigate a central theme or question we have examined, expand on a shorter paper, delve into a work that we are not reading in class but you would like to study, compare our works with British writers, etc. While the number of sources will vary with the topic, substantial scholarship needs to be included in your argument. These sources can be used to support your claim, be used to provide additional information, or be used as part of the opposition. Primary materials may also be included, but need to be in addition to the secondary pieces.
Some General
Guidelines/Suggestions
As you develop your essay, remember the following suggestions and guidelines:
-Remember Your Purpose:
Remember that you are developing an argument in this paper. Your paper needs to
be your persuasive attempt to argue a point about the text that you have
selected. This is not just a synthesis of sources; you’re using the selected
sources to argue for something.
-Remember Your Audience: Remember that your audience will be your peers
and me—we are “English” folks who have read the text that you have selected. We
are familiar not only with the work but also with critical analysis and theory.
Assume that we will ask critical questions of your argument. Anticipate
oppositions and connections.
-Set a Schedule for yourself: You more than anyone know your schedule as well as the constraints on your time. Develop a project schedule for yourself and stick to it. Respect your ideas by spending some time with them; see where they take you.
-Keep a Research/Writing Log: I try to write down what I do when I’m working on an article. It helps me to keep up with key words and project steps. Also, it helps me to keep asking questions about why I’m doing what I’m doing with the research. I really like to research, so it’s easy for me to get distracted. Keeping the log helps me to note ideas that may or may not come into play in the paper that I’m working on, but may work for future papers.
-Spend Some Time with Your Primary Text: Examine your primary text for evidence about your topic. For example, let’s say I’m interested in gender in a specific book. First, I would consider what I mean by gender. Femininity? Masculinity? Also, in working with definitions, I would consider what am I basing that definition on. Then, I would go through the text and isolate those scenes/lines dealing with gender based on the definition I’ve chosen, and then analyze them—do they all say the same thing? Do they differ by character? How does the writer complicate our understanding of the topic? Basically, this primary text analysis allows you to go back through your selected text with your specific topic in mind—looking at it in this focused way will help you to see your topic through a particular lens (probably unlike the first read where it’s more a matter of figuring out characters/plots/larger questions/themes).
-Developing a Working Thesis: Using that initial analysis and the notes from our conference, narrow your topic to a specific question/point of argument that you can develop into a working thesis. This working thesis is called working because it may change based on your research; however, it’ll give you a sense of how to direct your searches.
-Choosing Sources: Look at a range of secondary material from reputable sources. Evaluate each one. Why is it credible? What information is it giving you that you think may or may not be helpful in your argument? I’m asking you for at least five secondary sources, but remember, in addition to these, you may find primary material published online (such as the Uncle Tom’s Cabin site). In looking at sources, start with the MLA Database. Also, if you find an article that’s helpful, remember that you can look at their bibliographies to figure out additional sources.
-Working Bibliography: As you research, be sure to develop a working bibliography of sources. This is just a list of what you’re looking at during your research. You may have to do a lot of background reading on your topic, so you probably won’t use everything in your final paper; however, this working bibliography helps to give a sense of your research process. Also, if you have questions about your research, a working bibliography is extremely helpful for me to look at during a conference.
-Taking notes: There are different systems of taking notes. I’ve used
the computer, but I often go back to notecards. However you take notes, keep up
with your research. In your paper, you will be expected to integrate your
research with signal words as well as have a reason for it. Also, I EXPECT that
sources will be cited correctly using MLA format, and that everyone understands
that summaries, paraphrases, and quotations all need to be cited. I also expect
that folks know how to summarize, quote, and paraphrase. If you need a
refresher, please consult “The Correct Use of Borrowed Information,” especially
if you did not take Writing 101 here. Problems with research often can
automatically place a paper in “D” or “F” range, depending on what the problem
is; ASK ME BEFOREHAND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
-Developing an Annotated Bibliography: After you have read and reviewed several sources (10-20 for example), an annotated bibliography is an extremely useful tool in terms of helping you synthesize the information and establish a context and conversation about your topic.
Here’s a sample of an annotation: (the bracketed material is just
explaining what the sentences are doing; you don’t need them in your
annotations. Note: Usually you only need an overview of the article;
however, I find that situating it within the paper in terms of potential use
helps me immensely)
Walker, Nancy. “Feminist or Naturalist: The Social Context of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening.” Southern Quarterly 17 (1979): 95-103.
In this article, critic Nancy Walker examines the debate about the implications of Edna’s actions, exploring whether they point to a feminist reading, in which Edna is asserting her independence or a naturalist one, in which the world complicates and ultimately prevents her from achieving a sense of subjectivity. [summary of central debate] By examining the Creole culture Edna finds herself in, Walker eventually concludes that Chopin is more of a naturalist because Creole culture is not “rigidly moralistic.” [critic’s thesis] While I disagree with Walker about her point that Edna lacks “intellectual understanding of her actions,” I do agree with her overall argument that her environment allows her more freedom than often attributed to it. [transition into writer’s view] This information will be important to my claim that Edna should not be read as a feminist character, as I agree with Walker that she is more passive than active in the novel. The information about Creole culture also will help me establish support for the novel’s context. [last two sentences give a sense of purpose for the writer’s paper]
-Developing an outline: I don’t mean a really formal one—just try to have a plan before you start writing.
-Drafting to Develop a Rough Draft: For some reason, I find that many writers think of the rough draft as an optional step—that they’ll throw something together for a peer review that they then will work out when they are writing the final. Alternately, they may be able to tell you exactly what their paper will do, but not show you how they are going to do that.
Drafting is a critical step of the writing process. You may develop several drafts before you get to what you consider the “rough draft.” To me, the “rough draft” is a close match to the final in that the argument is asserted and developed. As a reader, if I’m looking at a draft, I’m looking at something still very much in process. If I’m looking at the rough draft, then I’m assuming that the writer of this paper considers this draft pretty much done in its execution. I will be happy to answer questions or look at working drafts or research strategies during an additional conference if you would like during this period.
ROUGH DRAFT CONFERENCE
Sometime between April 6 and April 15, you need to set up a 30 minute rough draft conference with me. You should bring your rough draft to the conference.
Final Draft Due:
Wed. April 22
With your essay, I’m going to ask
that you also turn in a self evaluation with answers to the following questions:
1) Describe your writing process for the paper. How did you develop your topic?
2) Underline the paper’s thesis.
3) What do you think is strong about the paper? Why?
4) What do you think still needs work? Why?
5) Explain why you selected your final sources. What role do they play in your paper? (Support your position, background, counterpoints that you answer)
6) Other comments / specific questions that you have for me that you’d like for me to know about or address in my comments
With your final, you should turn in the following in a two-pocket folder:
-your notes/annotated bibliography if you prepared one
-your rough draft
-if you’ve shown me additional drafts, please include them as well
-your final draft
-your self evaluation
A Peer Review Reading Guide
Step 1: Exchange papers with your partner.
Step 2: Write the name of the author here:
Write the name of the reviewer:
Step 3: Read the paper through once quickly and without marking anything
to get an overall feel for it.
Step 4: Go back through the draft a second time. Number the paragraphs.
Step 5: Begin with the main requirements of the
assignment. Does it meet the requirements? *Remember, a “C” reads that the
paper “meets the requirements of the assignment,” so this is really important.
Length (8-10 pages—Undergrad; 12-15 pages – Grad)
(Times New
Roman, 12 point font)
At least 5 scholarly secondary sources for
undergrad; substantial research
for graduate)
A focus on a primary source (if comparative
paper, then 2 are okay)
Is MLA formatting used for the heading information, the in-text citations,
and the Works Cited page?
Is the paper an argument, or
does it simply synthesize sources?
Step 6: Read the title. Does it match the paper? Does it give
some sense of what is going to be covered or does it just give the name of the
book? A common technique is to use a phrase in quotations as an eye-catcher,
followed by a colon, followed by a descriptive title. For example,
“A Charming Thing to Meet”: Economic Independence in Henry James’s
The
Portrait of a Lady
You don’t have to see that specific strategy, but does it start the paper clearly?
Step 7: Read the introduction. An introduction usually does the following: 1) starts in an attention-grabbing way, 2) gives an overview of the controversy/topic/conversation at hand, and 3) ends in a clearly-stated thesis that situates the writer in the conversation they just described. Does the introduction do this?
Attention-grabbing opening
Overview of controversy/topic/conversation
Ends in a clearly-stated thesis
Step 8: Read the thesis very carefully. The thesis is the paper’s overall argument. It should be focused, clear, and match the paper. Look at the thesis by itself.
Does it match the paper?
Does it convey the main idea of the paper?
Does it use any terms that it needs to define?
Does it strike you as interesting? You’ve read the work in question—is
this a line of thinking that you hadn’t thought about or considered before?
In other words, it’s not going to be particularly original to write that James is interested in gender—no one disputes that. What he does with gender, however, could be where we see disagreement.
STOP:
At the end of the introduction/thesis, you should know
exactly what the paper is about.
Do you? Try to restate it for the writer in a couple of sentences.
Now, you’re going to look at how the essay develops and organizes that thesis:
Step 9: Look at the body sections carefully.
Underline the topic sentence of the paragraph.
How does the rest of the
paragraph match that topic sentence?
Does the writer include adequate support for
their point?
How do the different paragraphs develop the writer’s argument? Do you see an argument being developed that follows the thesis clearly, or are there paragraphs/points that, while interesting, are not necessarily clearly tied to the thesis. Arguments also assume counterviews and anticipating reader question and opposition. Where is the argument in need of strengthening?
Are transitions included from one paragraph to another?
In looking at organization, a paragraph analysis can be really helpful.
We’ll cover what this means in class.
Step 10: Look at the conclusion. Conclusions wrap up a paper, often by pointing to the significance of the argument—the “So What” question. Conclusions sometimes can end by framing the paper with an introductory image. When you read the conclusion, do you feel like the paper is coming to a close, or do you turn the page expecting more prose?
STOP: Now that you’ve read the paper, can you sum up the argument? Does it match the thesis that the writer created? Compare your thinking here to your thinking at the end of the introduction.
Now, you’re going to look at how the essay uses research: It is the writer’s responsibility to follow MLA formatting, integrate the material, and cite the sources appropriately. At this level, I am assuming that you all know how to do this, and I’m assuming that you are familiar with concepts of “The Correct Use of Borrowed Information.”
Step 11:Formatting
Look at the Works Cited page. Does it follow
MLA format exactly?
Compare the in-text citations
with the Works Cited page. A Works Cited
page means the information is summarized, paraphrase, or quoted within the paper. Does every source that appears on the Works Cited page appear in the paper?
Look at the formatting of the in-text citations. Do they follow MLA
format?
Are there any block quotations? Is MLA formatting followed
appropriately? Remember, no quotations (unless dialogue), the period goes before the in-text citation, and the quotation is blocked and double spaced.
Step 12: Integration
Look at how the writer integrates the material. “The Correct Use of
Borrowed Information” (available on the English dept website) reminds us that the first time that we use a source, we should note the credentials of that source. Signal phrases should also be used to integrate material and to clarify its relationship to your overall argument. You SHOULD NOT have “cold quotations.” (For example: “James focuses on the interdependence of wealth and power” (Baym 252). The problem with this is that the integration is poor. If you see a long quotation (especially a block quotation), be sure the writer responds to it before moving on to the next paragraph/point. Sometimes, writers will unknowingly let quotations speak for them.
Where do the sources come from? Are they scholarly? Do you question
any of them in terms of credibility?
Note any material that does not sound like it’s the author’s words. You
may see other things, but two frequent problems are 1) Faulty
Paraphrasing (a form of plagiarism) is one of the number one problems that occur with research and often because the writer is not careful. Another problem occurs when quotation marks are dropped from the end of the quotation.
If the writer has the sources available, try to spot
check a couple. Writers,
you should definitely go back and double check your own sources.
Step 13: Style
After looking at the argument and use of research, look at the writer’s style. Mark any sentences that strike you as wordy. Look for unnecessary uses of expletives, passive voice, and diction problems. Of course, be sure to note any errors on the draft.
Step 14: Other comments
Please note anything else that you think will be helpful to
your writer.
English 529
Essay Grading Sheet
I have created the following checklist for two reasons: 1) to expedite the
evaluation process. Please know that I would be happy to speak with you
individually or go back and provide more in-depth marginal comments if you would
like. 2) I am hoping that this checklist may make some of the expectations a
little more concrete. Please remember that while I am providing feedback in
each of these areas, problems in one or more areas may contribute to a letter
grade. For example, not meeting the assignment requirements or problems
with documentation/citing may automatically lower a paper to a “D” or “F.”
Assignment Requirements Met:
Length (8-10
pages—Undergrad, 12-15 pages--Grad) (Times New Roman, 12 point font)
At least 5 scholarly secondary sources
for undergrad; substantial for grad
Is MLA formatting used for the heading
information, the in-text citations, and the Works
Cited page?
Is the paper an argument, or does it simply synthesize sources?
Opening (Title and Introduction):
Excellent (engaging and informative)
Good (informative and makes an attempt to be engaging)
Adequate (informative—needs to be more attention grabbing)
Needs Improvement (problems with clarity in the presentation of the issue or the transition to the
writer’s point)
Thesis:
Excellent (matches the paper, insightful and in-depth)
Good (matches the paper, shows thinking through of the subject)
Average (matches the paper, but general)
Needs improvement (general, implied, obvious)
Missing or self-contradictory or extremely superficial
Development:
Excellent (each section of the essay develops the thesis with logical arguments and specific,
conclusive evidence that has been interpreted and clearly related to the writer’s point)
Good (each paragraph provides unified, coherent, and developed support, but some weaknesses
may appear)
Average (the overall point is generally clear, but paragraphs may be uneven in development)
Needs Improvement (Points are not clearly supported. It is left up to the reader to interpret the
relevance/meaning of the information).
Organizational Plan
Excellent (each section of the essay is carefully planned and arranged through clear transitions)
Good (each section is planned, but transitions may not be as strong in some sections)
Average (organizational plan demonstrates thought and contributes unified and coherent support,
but paragraphs may be uneven in clarity and transition).
Needs Improvement (the organizational plan is inappropriate or inconsistently carried out).
Closing:
Excellent (the essay ends in an interesting, insightful way)
Good (the writer makes an attempt to end the essay in an informative way)
Average (the writer makes an attempt to end the essay, but it is not memorable)
Needs improvement (the essay ends without a clear sense of closure)
Formatting/Integration of Sources:
Excellent (MLA is correctly followed, and the research is solid, interesting, and well-integrated)
Good (MLA is correctly followed, and the research is solid and well-integrated)
Average (MLA is correctly followed, and the writer attempts to integrate the research)
Needs Improvement (MLA formatting problems appear, but it’s still generally clear who is talking)
Failing (Borrowed material is not used responsibly or clearly—intentional or unintentional
plagiarism through faulty paraphrasing, poor integration, formatting problems, dropped quotation
marks, citing issues, etc. Even a well-written paper with these kinds of problems could fail, so pay very close attention to your use of sources, and ASK ME BEFORE HAND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING.
Style
Excellent (Style is energetic and precise; the
sentence structure is varied and the words are
carefully chosen. Evidence of careful editing)
Good (The style may not be as energetic or diction as thoughtful as in an “A” essay, but the essay
shows strong evidence of editing since there are relatively few grammatical and/or mechanical
errors.)
Average (generally clear; there should be relatively few grammatical or mechanical errors—not
enough to interfere with readability)
Needs Improvement (Grammatical and mechanical errors interfere with readability and indicate a
less-than-adequate attempt at editing)
Overall: