ENGL 102 - Stewart - Summer 2023

The annotated bibliography is the next assignment due before the final paper and requires students to find a total of five sources:

• Your chosen text for the final project (see list)
• Four peer reviewed journal articles:
  • One peer-reviewed journal article relevant to a major critical theory published in the last ten years.
  • Three peer reviewed journal articles relevant to the central social, political, cultural, or economic issue at the center of your chosen text published in the last five years.
• Optional—You may include an annotation for an image, video, or other textual object in addition to the five required entries.

In a rigorously researched 6–8-page essay, you will apply a major literary theory to a novel of your choice. Choose one of the major literary theories we’ve covered this term and compose a six to eight-page paper that contributes to a critical, ongoing academic conversation.

Research Requirement 

Your paper’s major claim and reasons must be supported with a carefully considered balance of original, compelling discussion and evidence gleaned from research. You are required to incorporate a minimum of four academic sources into your essay. At least one of these should be a peer-reviewed explication of the major literary theory you are applying to your chosen text. You will use the research you did for your Annotated Bibliography assignment to support your claims.   

Do not drop the summaries from your Annotated Bibliography into your essay. They weren't designed for your audience. You are now making an argument supporting your claim, not merely summarizing.

Your Target Audience

Your audience for this piece is primarily comprised of scholars who are interested in your topic and who may be aware of the important texts, thinkers, and arguments frequently cited within your chosen conversation. However, while your audience may be familiar with some of the more influential voices that you will cite, they will expect you to remind them of key words and statements. These academic readers and thinkers like texts, and they respect well-read participants of the conversation, so you should use textual support as a way of establishing credibility as well.

Your audience, though, will not be reading your paper simply to “re-hear” authoritative voices; they want you to bring those voices into your argument, and they want you to prove that you have understood them, but they still expect your voice to predominate. Therefore, you must have something definite to contribute, even if it is only a revision, qualification, or correction of an existing belief or idea.

Format Requirements

• Length: 6-8 pages not including Works Cited page, typed, double-spaced
• Follow MLA guidelines for format, headings, quotes, and citations. 
• Include a descriptive title.

Tips

• State a compelling claim.
• Think carefully about the most effective organizational strategy. How might you structure the presentation of ideas in a way that frames your analysis and leads readers from one idea to the next?
• Use textual evidence and resources effectively; remember that you are the rhetorical authority here; do not allow other writers to dominate your space.
• Remember, analysis means answering “Why?” and “How?” questions. Summary means answering “Who, What, Where, and When?” questions. Remember that you are not just explaining what is happening in a text or what someone is saying in a text but why certain events are occurring or why something is being expressed in a particular way.

• Textual evidence: Meaning quotations must be used to support your argument. Almost every paragraph of your paper should have at least one quotation or example. Don’t just include quotations or examples for the sake of meeting the requirements; spend time reflecting on specific words and phrases from the quotations you choose. Explain why you are interpreting the sound, image, language, or scene in a particular way.
• Narrow thesis statement: As a reminder, a thesis statement is a one- or two-sentence argumentative assertion that usually appears in the opening section of a paper. This is the single argument you are aiming to prove in your paper. Every paragraph of the paper should work to support this point.
• To sum up: plagiarism results in a zero (0).

Canvas Reminder

Verify all submissions before the July 22nd deadline. All submissions are final, and absolutely no late papers can be accepted for any reason.