Ummm… Do you remember that one time?

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.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.

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.
Compare the relationship of Odysseus and Athena with that of Job and God. What meaning or ideas does this comparison suggest about the religious attitudes of the Hebrews and Greeks? (Pay particular attention to the long interview between Odysseus and Athena in Odyssey XIII.)Look closely at Augustine’s tribute to his mother, Monica. What virtues does he particularly commend in her? Compare and contrast these virtues with another female figure in another work. Think about time period, culture, and societal expectations. How did these women both confrom to as well as dissesent from or break these ideas about how women should behave in society? Compare Augustine’s and Dante’s spiritual journeys. Explore the pilgrims’ processes of learning, their “guides,” and the methods of teaching/learning they encounter.

ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF THE PAPER:

A useful introductory paragraph that includesTitles and authors of your primary texts (the texts you are writing about) correctly spelledA thesis statement that specifically addresses the topicServiceable 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

Storytelling occurs in many of the works that we read in this course. Examine the role that storytelling in two works and compare and contrast the roles this storytelling plays and what significance it has to the culture of the time, the works the stories occur in, and/or to the progression of liturature as a whole.Hospitality is one of the chief virtues of ancient and heroic cultures. Compare the nature and extent of the hospitality displayed in two of the following texts: Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid.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?

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.