Each student will write a research paper of 8-10 pages on a pre-approved topic of his/her choosing related to at least one of the works we read. (If you wish to include works not on our reading list, you must get explicit approval from me first.) The paper should present your interpretive ideas using research as support. In order to pass the paper assignment, you must first submit a topic, then a paper proposal along with an annotated bibliography; you must complete both preliminary steps in order to turn in your paper. Your paper should have a clear, specific thesis that identifies the specific point you’re making about the text and explains how this helps us to understand the meaning of the text. In order to support this thesis, your paper should quote or paraphrase specific details from the text that illustrate your ideas; your paper should also provide specific analysis that explains how each of those details helps to support your thesis. In addition, your paper should also use quotations and paraphrases from at least four secondary sources—i.e., scholarly books or articles related to your topic— to support your argument. Your paper must also use MLA format and documentation, including a Works Cited page (which does not count toward the minimum page count).

Sources:
You must consult at least eight outside sources; the final paper must use at least four of these sources, even if you do not use all of them. Of course, you may cite all eight — or more — if they are all valuable for your paper. If you find relevant and valuable sources after handing in the annotated bibliography, you may use them *if* you include an updated annotated bibliography with the final paper.

As you select your sources, choose sources that further your research, rather than adapting your ideas to fit what you find. Sources can be used as supporting evidence in your paper or as points to argue against, but your ideas should never be derived entirely from your sources. You should think of yourself as joining the critical debate and conversation about your chosen work, which means you need to have something new to offer as you place yourself in relation to other critics.

Some hints and suggestions:

• To come up with a topic, you might, for example, focus on one of the literary elements we’ve discussed that seems significant to an understanding of the point of the text; you might examine a topic in the text such as the view of marriage/love, the role of women/men, social order and class politics, or the like; you might also compare/contrast elements in two texts. And while you may begin with a question, it’s a good idea to have at least a tentative thesis in mind; that way you can be more certain that your argument is your own (not derived from a source).
• Remember that in literary analysis, the "so what?" question is crucial; both your thesis and the paper as a whole should make very clear why your particular point matters to an interpretation of the work.
• When you look for sources, begin with the MLA Bibliography, since it is a database of articles and books written about literature by scholars. (Full-text databases like JSTOR and Project Muse include only a small fraction of the journals and publishers indexed by the MLA Bibliography.)  The English subject librarian's page offers useful guidance and links. Once you’ve found some entries that look interesting and relevant, you will need to check whether the library has the books or journals in question. If not, you can order it through interlibrary loan. Note that in order to come up with the sources you’ll actually use, you’ll need to look at more than that in order to select the most useful ones.
• As you read the secondary sources carefully, consider how they help or hinder your argument about the primary text. Look for ideas and passages that would be helpful to quote or paraphrase to support your argument. Remember, though, that the secondary sources should support your ideas; they should not provide your ideas for you.
• Documentation matters, especially when you’re using secondary sources; don’t leave it until the last minute. It’s much easier if you do it as you go along; make sure that your notes carefully indicate which ideas and words come from secondary sources. It’s also much easier if you do it by consulting a handbook. In documentation, details are important, and you won’t get them right unless you’re following a handbook that details MLA documentation style.