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Brian M. Peters, PhD Studies in Theme: Ah, Love!: Comparative Studies in Shakespeare and the Modern Novel Term Paper (100 word minimum) Othello and Giovannis Room: Lies, Corruption, and the Psychology/Fatality of the Human Spirit

(Iago corrupts Othello) Description: Your final essay will construct an analytical discourse on both Othello and Giovannis Room: the form of this discourse will a 1000 word critical essay. We will arrive at the final term paper via a series of pre-writing, drafting, and editing activities. In this essay, you must demonstrate your ability to create a tangible unifying idea to the question you choose (you may know this step as finding a main idea or a theme), and you must be able to then create a sound thesis that allows you to move freely from topic to topic, digging deeply into your unifying idea as you prove a series of related arguments. In this assignment you will demonstrate your proficiency in writing a college level essay, using correct quotations and citations, enough developmentin depth explorations not surface detail or summary, and the competencies of in-text-citations and a bibliography are part of the curriculum. We will work on organizing this essay in class to assure confidence and success. The study questions covered, the outline and the draft will help you produce the strongest term paper you can. The essay will have a total of 5 paragraphs: an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusionno exceptions. Shorter works will automatically fail. You will focus your body paragraphs on ideas, like the many ideas we have discussed and worked on in class, reflecting the integrity of our seminars so far. I also suggest using adequate literary terminology or correct vocabulary (depending on the kind of response you create to the question you choose) in your body paragraphs. Please be aware that if you use literary terms to structure your paragraphs without ideas you will not have a sound projectwe will discuss methodology that is appropriate. You must demonstrate to me, via the outline assignment, that you can find a common idea in both sources, that you can conduct a reading (a position or interpretation as a response to the question you choose), an argument (a clear way of expanding upon your response), and precise topics (subdivisions of your foundation). The draft will assure me that you can develop your frame and explore, even analyze, with enough depth and not randomly attempt to re-tell parts of a text in question. In short, the essay will generate discourse, as stipulated by the Ministry of Education.

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Correct documentation is part of each formal assignment. MLA style is required for parenthetical citations & bibliography/works cited. If you have not already done so, you must go to the library and pick up the MLA style sheet and follow workshop directions. WORK NOT ASSEMBLED AS PER THE MLA STYLE GUIDE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please consult the following links for more details: http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/mla.php www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html.

(James Baldwin in Paris, c. 1950) Sources: James Baldwin, Giovannis Room William Shakespeare, Othello Optional: Steven Lynn, Texts & Contexts (New Criticism, Historical/Biographical Criticism, Gender Criticism, Psychological Criticism)

(Rene Jacques, Escalier, Montmartre, c. 1950)

Questions:

YOU CANNOT TACKLE A QUESTION THAT IS TOO SIMILAR TO YOUR FIRST ESSAY. If you do, I will not pass the paperperiod.

1) Historical/Biographical Criticism: Examine the worlds each author reveals in

their text. How do these authors create alternative geographies for the stories they tell? Explain the leitmotif of being a stranger or foreigner as embodied by Othello, David, and if you so desire, Giovanni. How do their positions in a different world affect who they are and what they might represent? How do these geographies allow for the tragedies in each text? How can we read and intersect these other spaces as integral to the tragedies revealed in these sources? (You might not only think about Anglo writers creating stories that take place in Italy or France, but you might also think about different cultural spaces like the militia, marriage, or subcultural Paris) 2) Lies/Deception/Power: Examine how desire is linked to the corruptive forces of lies and deception, and even corruptive power, in these works. Why are the main characters flawed when they love? What causes these characters to use love so negatively? What do we learn by texts that intersect love and power? 3) Masculinities/Compulsive Heterosexuality: Explore the characters of Iago and David. How are these characters plagued by the normalcy that gender norms and sexuality norms dictate? How are these characters victims of regimented norms that do not allow them the freedom to truly be themselves? 4) Women and Misogyny: Have a good look at the way that the women in the texts in question are described by the leading male characters (Iago, Othello, David, Giovanni). How do the representations of these women reveal a troublesome approach to understanding femininity? How do these texts approach the feminine with misogynistic paradigms? What does this inherent misogyny reveal about patriarchal social structures? 5) Displaced Desire: Read the symbolic associations of masculine desire in these texts. How do both Iago and David reflect displaced desire? What do their narratives reveal about the way they understand their sexuality? How is sexuality placed within a masculine forum and what kind of messages are revealed about male socialization and desire via these texts? 6) The Romantic Triangle: Have a close look at the repeated motifs of the erotic triangle in both texts. Posit an understanding of this triangulation. From such a consideration, discuss why these texts produce desire within triangular arrangements. How can you read sexuality in light of such a consideration? What do we learn about desire when human yearning is posited within a conflicting situation? What do these texts teach us about desire, love and complicated situations/orientations? 7) Psychological Readings I: Examine the psychological profiles of Iago and David. How are these characters constructed as psychologically imbalanced? Why are they constructed as mentally/emotionally unsound? (You may critique their worlds

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via their psychological profiles.) Think about what constitutes psychological instability then solidify how our major characters are psychologically imbalanced. Why are they unsound? What does their unsound behavior teach us about the human condition, the human spirit even? ADVANCED QUESTIONS GUARANTEE NO ENRICHED MARK. You must be in above average, exceptional academic stating to tackle one of the following questions NO EXCEPTIONS. 8) Psychological Readings II (Advanced Psychological Reading Questionyou must have over 85 % on the first essay to choose this questionNO EXCEPTIONS): Conduct a study in Narcissism. Understand both Iago and David as Narcissicists. Assure you do some background research and FULLY understand Narcissistic Personality Disorder; then, attempt to create a psychological profile of these characters through such an understanding of them. Understand their tragic behavior through the theories you discovered about NPD and explain how and why they function the way they do. 9) Psychological Readings III (Advanced Psychological Reading Questionyou must have over 85 % on the first essay to choose this questionNO EXCEPTIONS): Psychoanalyze Iago, Othello and David. How can we understand these characters in response to classic psychoanalytic theory? How are these characters flawed within such a consideration? How do these texts lend themselves to psychoanalysis? What are the problems that these characters thus reveal? How does your psychoanalytic reading help the reader understand the plights, the tragic behavior in both these texts? 10) Philosophical Underpinnings (Advanced Research Investigation: you must have over 85 % on the first essay to choose this questionNO EXCEPTIONS): Think about the discussions we had on existentialism and the school of French philosophical thought that influenced Baldwins writing. Conduct some background reading as necessary. Examine the texts in question and understand the human condition in response to the French philosophy of the first part of the 20th century. How can you understand these texts via the base ideas of Camus, Sartre, and/or Genet? What do these texts reveal about human nature in response to existential philosophy? How can you read these stories through such a lens? How do these texts exemplify the studies of said French thinkers? What are the commentaries on humanity revealed via such a reading? Presentation Criteria: THE MLA LINKS ABOVE WILL SOLIDIFY THE REQUIREMENTS BELOW: All work must be double-spaced (including any draft work you want me to look at); all final work must be printed in a legible, professional font; pages must be numbered; proper documentation must be included (in-text-citations and works cited sheet); you must staple your outline and your draft work to this essay. If you are working with a tutor you MUST attach the corrected work with your essay. The work to be graded will be on top: your tutor is present to help you with your skills NOT write your essay for you. By reviewing the extent of hi/her corrections, I can assemble an HONEST grade for YOU.

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Failure to meet this criterion will result in an unmarked paper0. Evaluation Criteria: Each student must follow all the guidelines on this sheet. All paragraphs must have the components stipulated here. Incomplete paragraphs, inadequate paragraphs, inconsistent argumentation, unclear focus points, and other major organizational problems will cause a paper to fail. Along with the guidelines cited below, each student must be capable of submitting a college level thesis, in depth, detailed, and intelligent analysesarguments that are not summative, but explore the work in a coherent, contextual manner; each student must communicate in college level English, using grammatically sound sentences, in a clear, intelligible manner. Papers that do not reveal these criteria and related college level writing skills will NOT receive a passing grade. PART I: The Outline 10 %: Every student must work on an outline prior to the final essay. We will do this in-class, and we must work together. I will not mark a paper without an outline, and I must see this outline first. You will use the writing workshop to begin your outline. You must staple any drafts to the finalized version of your essay. For the outline, each student will provide me with: 1) The question that you will use. 2) The pertinent idea that you will either further or challenge: this is your unifying (main) idea, the ground on which you will begin your essay. 3) A thesis statement: what will your essay explore? What will you prove throughout the course of your essay? A thesis is an argument, not an empty sentence. (Tip: Think about your unifying idea. What is the larger message or deeper meaning within this idea? ) 4) Body Paragraph I: a. A CLEAR topic sentence. What will your paragraph prove? (A good topic is like a localized thesis: a smaller part of a larger argument.) b. 1 quote, with correct documentation. If necessary, your second quotation, again with correct documentation. 5) Paragraph 2: Repeat part 4. 6) Paragraph 3: Repeat part 5. 7) WORKS CITED SHEETor a bibliography or works consulted sheet, as required. Arrange your texts properly: this is a college level paper. PART II: Draft Work: 10% Draft 2 of your body paragraphs, worth 5 % each The Essay 25 %: This is a major assignment. Due to the outline, the draft, and the final version, there are NO rewrites. Feel free to show me your work in progress prior to the due date if you are uncertainI am here to help you . Have a good look at the comments and corrections on your outline AND draft. Using the notes from the essay writing workshop, take your time and complete your essay. Make sure your arguments are well-edited, complete, and that your ideas flow

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coherently through each paragraph and throughout the essay. Make sure your essay has 3 complete body paragraphs. If the introduction and conclusion are page each, and each body paragraph is 2/3 to of a page long, you will have enough words, and you should have enough depth and related detail. Proof read, assure that the criterion stated above are met, and work hard. Every student has the ability to do well. Below you will find paragraph grids, step by step guides to organizing a solid college level paragraph. Together with your assignment criteria, you will have a strong start at assembling and assessing the success of your own work. Do note that each of these grids will be explained in detail during our writing workshop time. Good notes will help to make this sheet more three-dimensional. Introduction: Lead Topic sentences (use a thesaurus for word variety)-3* Main or unifying Idea Thesis Body Paragraphs: Topic Explanation Integrative sentence: quotation (in text citation). Analysis-3 Liaison, integrative sentence: quotation (in text citation). Analysis-3 Wrap-up or transition sentence, if necessary. (You may opt for one quote and a paraphrase from an outside source or any other kind of recipe that works best for you. Make sure, however, that you generate enough depth and development.) You may have one body paragraph on each source per paragraph or integrate your sources or make a mixed bag of different paragraph contentthe choice is yours. The best recipe I can recommend is: one paragraph on each text (totalling 2 of your paragraphs) and one paragraph on both texts. MAKE SURE AN EQUAL BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO PRIMARY TEXTS IS EVIDENT. Failure to do so will cause trouble and hold you back. Conclusion: Re-state the goal of your project Progress through your major finds (look at the end of each body paragraph)-3 Close your essay. This is very basic. A more advanced method is to present the kind of background information the reader needs to understand your main idea and thesis. This requires creativity, autonomy, and a thorough understanding of the seminar focal points.