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Literary Research Essay: Conformity and Rebellion

Writing Purpose: This semester, we are exploring themes of conformity and rebellion as expressed in literature. Literature, of course, seeks to reveal truths about reality, even when the stories and characters within are fictional. For your research essay, consider when conformity is necessary and when rebellion is the better choice. Connect this broad question to relevant situations in todays world. Writing Process: Using real world events and the literature in our textbook as a springboard, pose a question about conformity and rebellion that is worth researching. Remember, the purpose of research is to ask questions and seek answers. You may THINK you know the answer to your own question, the thesis you wish to argue, but you must be open-minded to whatever the research reveals. In response to your question, you will re-visit three pieces of literature from this semester, conduct research, and develop an arguable thesis statement. You will write an 8-10 page essay using the literature as your primary sources, and your research to support, further, or contradict your thesis, allowing you to explore the topic in depth. You must choose three pieces of literature as the basis for your research. Please remember that, first and foremost, this is a literary research essay. The literature should be your main focus, just like the other essays assigned for this course, and your other sources will serve to support your literary argument. You may choose literature assigned and discussed in class; you may even choose a piece you have already written on, but you are expected to write a new essay, not to use a previous essay as a draft. Due to the condensed nature of our class, I strongly suggest you stick to short stories and poems and that you only venture outside the textbook if you have a specific piece in mind with which you are already familiar. Writing Requirements: Students must use three primary sources and a minimum of five secondary sources for this assignment. All eight of these works must be quoted and/or paraphrased and cited within the body of your essay. Primary Sources: Choose three pieces of literature (short stories, poems, plays) At least two must be works assigned for this course; the third may be assigned or selected by the student, but must be approved by the professor on the research proposal. Secondary Sources: A minimum of five (5) sources according to the following criteria. ! At least one piece of literary criticism on each selected work (3 total) ! At least one current popular source (news, magazines, websites, blogs); please assess all popular sources using the CRAAP test outlined on course website ! No more than one website (i.e. work not found in print; articles republished online are not restricted) Other acceptable sources include books, interviews, video, audio, and scholarly sources aside from literary criticism (i.e. history, sociology, psychology articles)

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Formatting Requirements: Essays will be graded according to the Essay Grading Rubric on course website. All quotations must be properly cited using MLA parenthetical formatting and you must include a works cited list at the end of your essay containing the play and the researched sources you have found. See your copy of A Writers Reference for examples. Your essay must be typed and double spaced in 12pt font with 1 margins on all sides. A title is required - this should be YOUR title, not the title of the literature you are analyzing or the title of the essay assignment. Be creative and choose something appropriate to your argument. Center your title before the first line of the essay. Do not skip extra lines before or after your title. Please include your last name and page number in the top header of each page, right aligned. First page should include the following MLA standard heading, single spaced, left aligned: Your Name Prof. Katherine Delhagen English 102 Day Month Year A sample of MLA first page formatting can be found at the Purdue OWL http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ OWL > Research and Citation > MLA Style > MLA Formatting and Style Guide