PAPERS

Over the course of the semester, each of you will need to write two conference-length papers between 8-10 pages long that offer an interpretation of a text or series of texts from the course.  The specific issue you develop from the readings on the syllabus and your unique interpretation of that issue is completely your choice, but you will need to incorporate a minimum of seven academically appropriate sources to help support each paper's discussion.

All papers in English courses essentially are literary interpretations, but bear in mind that your interpretive lens could be aesthetic, psychological, political, historical, sociological, and more.  You could choose to build an interpretation based on identity politics (such as gender, race, class, religion, sexual orientation, and the like), or you could choose to attempt to validate or challenge the internal logic of a particular document, writer, or group.  The art of interpretation gives you a nearly infinite number of approaches to reading a given text.

Content expectations of a successful paper: 

• The paper will offer a compelling interpretation of a clearly defined topic drawn from the readings found on our syllabus.
• The introduction will establish the author or authors under discussion, along with the more significant works under discussion. 
• The majority of the paper will focus on the actual literature: discussion of issues beyond the literature is fine, but the primary focus is on the literature itself.
• Textual evidence is a must: it is unlikely that your body paragraphs can sustain your claim for the paragraph or the overall argument without at least one quote.
• Quotations will be followed by some form of interpretative statement to guide the reader as to your specific interpretation of that quote.
• Your conclusion will avoid the phrase "In conclusion" and attempt to synthesize your claim into a broad point rather than simply repeat your key points once again.
• Papers that merely present information will not pass.

 Composition expectations of a successful paper: 

• Quotations in the paper will be preceded by a properly punctuated signal phrase.
• Parenthetical citations will appear after the quotation or cited fact and before the next natural piece of punctuation.
• At least one block quote should appear in the paper.
• Your paper will properly use both a colon and a semi-colon at least once.
• Your body paragraphs will use clear conceptual transitions at the beginning of each paragraph to show the relationship to the preceding paragraph.
• Paragraphs will not end with the introduction of a totally new subject.
• The paper will be free of typos, spelling errors, and grammatical mistakes.
• The paper will not be the first draft.
• The paper will be free of plagiarism.
• The paper will be an original composition written explicitly for this section of the course.
• The use of the first-person pronoun "I" and the second-person pronoun "you" require the explicit permission of the instructor. Contact him via email with the proposed use and your justification for it.

Research expectations of a successful paper: 

• You will use a minimum of seven academically appropriate sources from peer-reviewed articles or from books written by academics.
• Use of your own presentation research is strongly encouraged.
• Use of sources drawn from your classmate's annotated bibliographies is acceptable, but they should not be the only sources you use.
• No single secondary source should dominate your discussion.
• Secondary sources should support your claims, not dominate them.

Format expectations of a successful paper: 

• The paper will fall between 8 and 10 full pages.
• The paper will follow MLA format (no cover page).
• The paper will have an MLA works cited page with only sources that appear in the actual paper.
• Quoted material and paraphrased ideas will be marked appropriately with parenthetical citations.
• The paper will be double-spaced with 1" margins.
• The font will be 12 point Times New Roman.
• The paper will use MS Word commands instead of space bars, tabs, and the Enter key to achieve proper layout effects.

 Each final draft of a paper is worth 200 points. Each paper will also be assessed for an additional 21 points on the use of proper MS Word formating command usage.