English 1020

Composition 2

Summer 2008

J. Ontog

Research Paper Topics

In this class you will be writing a research paper. The topic of your paper will depend upon which option you choose from the below options. Even though the topics are up to you there are still some limitations to the assignment. Please read your choices very carefully so you can properly follow the directions for the assignment.

You may choose:

A theme study where you will focus on a central idea or theme that is shared by at least two literary works. For example, you can look at how the theme of death and dying is presented in short stories, plays, and poems. For this paper it is important you select your theme and works early in the process. One final note, for this topic you must choose at least one work that is represented in our textbook regardless of whether we have read it as a class or not. The other topic may be something that is not included in our textbook if you have a personal favorite but be sure to run it by me first.

OR

Choose an author who is in our textbook. Find out where on the literary timeline in terms of artistic movements the writer fits. For example, Percy Shelley is a member of the Romantic Era. This information is often found in a basic biography of the author. After you find the period they are from then research the period.  Then find at least one of their works you believe reflects the concerns of that period. Explicate the work(s) and show how the ideas, themes, etc. are connected to the concerns of the period. Author choices are first come, first serve so if there is an author you know you would like to research then sign up early with me. Remember this is not a biography paper.
 

Remember no matter which topic you choose, you must have at least five (5) sources and your finished product must be at least 5 pages. You need to make sure and have internal (parenthetical) citations and to provide copies of all of your sources. Your primary texts (i.e. literary works) do not count as any of your sources; keep this in mind. All of your work should be present in a pocketed folder when you turn in your final paper.