ENGL 103 Spring 2020
Research Essay on the Novel: The Awakening (25%) Due: March 17, 2020 by 11:59pm
Learning Outcomes
In this assignment you will:
1) Develop an analysis of a complex literary work and a significant historical time period.
2) Develop your ability to research appropriate materials for an academic literary essay.
3) Develop your ability to write an appropriately structured and formatted academic research essay.
Assignment Description
Write a 1,250 – 1,500 word academic essay on one of the following subjects listed below. Use academic English in your writing, and use in-text citations to document any quoted, summarized, or paraphrased material from the novel, as well as from the research sources.
Include a Works Cited page with your essay, and use the appropriate student identification criteria according to MLA guidelines. Structure your work with a thesis statement that links to the topic sentences of the body paragraphs.
Please note that these essay subjects are points of departure for your own thoughts and analysis. They are NOT checklists of points to include in your essay.
You need to narrow the subject down into a topic of your own that you integrate into your essay as a thesis statement.
Instructions
1. “Research papers are basically extended versions of analysis, comparison, or evaluation essays. The special skills you need are those of finding research material and integrating it withyour own ideas.” (Stewart, et. al., Essay Writing for Canadian Students, 5th ed., 162; emphasis added). All material summarized, paraphrased, or quoted must be documented to avoid the charge of plagiarism. Your research essay is required to be your own thoughts and written in your own words.
2. Please use and integrate into your essay at least 3 peer-reviewed research articles (or books) specifically focused on the novel that help develop your analysis. Each source of information needs to be listed in your Works Cited page; it also needs to be referred to somewhere in the essay itself, and cited with an in-text citation in MLA format. You ought to have a minimum of 3 and maximum of 5 sources altogether.
The quality and appropriate use of sources to substantiate your analysis will be taken into account when the grade for the essay is assigned. You will need to do some “research before the research” to familiarize yourself with Creole culture, the life of Kate Chopin, and the literary context for The Awakening that might include authors such as Walt Whitman. Please note that Wikipedia is not considered acceptable as a source for academic work in this course.
3. Use MLA style of documentation for in-text citations and for your Works Cited page. Please note that I reserve the right to assign a zero (0) to an essay handed in without appropriately integrated research, as the assignment requires, and/or without a Works Cited page.
Essay Subjects: Kate Chopin- The Awakening
1. Analyze the role of clothing and garments in the novel. Explain how these inform Edna’s rebellion, or confinement, against Victorian norms, and their significance within the setting as a whole. Be specific and provide examples from the text to support your argument.
2. Analyze the various images of birds in the novel. Explain the role of the different species mentioned – parrots, mockingbirds, pigeons – and their symbolism to Edna and other characters to how they inform the social world surrounding Edna in the novel. Be specific and provide examples from the text to support your argument.
3. Analyze Edna’s children, and explain the role they have in her life throughout the novel. Comment on how motherhood is portrayed through other characters, and why Edna seemingly rejects this role. Be specific and provide examples from the text to support your argument.
4. Analyze the men in Edna’s life, and explain their role in the novel. Comment on how Victorian norms of masculinity are, or are not, portrayed, and the implications of this to Edna in the novel. Be specific and provide examples from the text to support your argument.
5. A topic of your choice WITH INSTRUCTOR PERMISSION.
Assignment Submission on Blackboard
1) Save your file on your computer with your [first and last name] followed by [English 103 Research Assignment: The Awakening]. Example: If your name is Amrika Foster then the file would be AmrikaFoster_English 103 Research Assignment_The Awakening .doc or .docx.
Please Note! You must save your document as a Word .doc or .docx compatible file. (Do not use Google Docs, PDF’s, nor Mac versions of Pages as these formats do not work well in Blackboard Learn.)
2) To submit your work, select Assignments located in the main course navigation menu and choose Assignment 2: Research Essay
3) To attach your work, use the Browse My Computer button to locate your file, and then click Submit.
Grading
Please review the grading rubric posted on the Assignments page under each assignment description, and review the Marking & Grading Criteria posted on the Assignments page.