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TOPICS:

For each of the assigned essays and projects, a topic or list of topic choices is provided. Your work must be on one of the assigned topics for that assignment or developed in consultation with the instructor* or it will receive a grade of �F�. Select one of the topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay. Be sure to focus carefully on the topic, and remember that these are formal essays: they must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction, body, and conclusion; have a clear, explicit, assertive, objectively worded thesis statement (thesis statements must be underlined); and (unless otherwise indicated) avoid use of I or you throughout.

Note: Except where otherwise specified below, these are not research essays; the only sources utilized or quoted should be the texts themselves.
Use of secondary sources, whether credited or not, will be considered grounds for failure.

Diagnostic Essay: Wed., 21 January
Select one of the following topics, and compose a formal essay. Your essay will not receive a grade, nor will it affect your final average; this is for evaluative purposes only. You will have approximately one hour to complete this essay. (Use of �I� is allowed for both choices.)

    1.  What is your favorite text�however you may define the term �text��or who is your favorite author, and why? Defend your choice with specific examples.

    2.  The late Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, once notably claimed that �people don�t read anymore� (see �The Passion of Steve Jobs�). With radio, television, cable, personal computers, smart phones, web-books, and tablets, we are living in a post-literate world, one in which people merely skim, browse, or surf rather than engaging in deep, meaningful reading for any prolonged periods of time. That is, sustained, concentrated reading*�for pleasure or for knowledge�is no longer necessary or important. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

    3.  Why are you here? That is, what is your objective or goal? How do you anticipate achieving it, and how will this class, or your education at Nassau Community College, help you to achieve this goal?

     *On reading, see also:
Bosman,  Julie and Matt Richtel.  �Finding Your Books Interrupted...by the Tablet You Read It On.� New York Times 18 March 2012;
Garner, Dwight.  �The Way We Read Now.� New York Times 18 March 2012.

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Essay One�Short Fiction: Due Wed., 25 February
After reading �Writing About Literature� (1136-1196) and �Writing about Stories� (1197-1207), and �Writing about Texts� (Rules for Writers 7 ed. 70-83, 6 ed. 346-358), select one of the following topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of at least three to five pages (750 to 1000 words). Essays must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction (with an explicit, assertive thesis, underlined), several body paragraphs supporting the thesis, and an appropriate concluding paragraph; and avoid use of I or you throughout. Be sure to use appropriate topic sentences and transitions to guide the reader.

Remember that you are not summarizing the works, but responding to them in a critical manner. Include evidence or examples from the specific text or texts that you are writing about, but do not retell the story, and do not copy directly except when quoting. Remember to incorporate sources correctly: use signal phrases and document with parenthetical citations and a Work or Works Cited reference at the end of the essay.

Your essay will, as always, be evaluated in terms of Main Idea, Organization, Support, and Mechanics (Words and Sentences). Therefore, make certain your essay is not only well organized and developed, but also grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, and spelling.

Note: This is not a research essay; the only sources utilized or quoted should be the texts themselves. Use of secondary sources, whether credited or not, will be considered grounds for failure.

Write an analysis of the symbolism used in Alice Walker�s �Everyday Use.� What specific symbols occur in the story, and how do they function in the story? Do they form a unified pattern, or motif? (Be sure to discuss more than just one main symbol!)

Discuss the theme of Eudora Welty�s �A Worn Path�; what is the central idea, thesis, or message of the story, and how is it revealed or developed? Be sure to address how plot, setting, characters, and symbols all help to shape and reflect this theme.

In Toni Cade Bambera�s �The Lesson,� the narrator Sylvia ends by asserting that �ain�t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin� (353). What, if anything, has she learned, and what is her resolution or decision at the end of the story? How realistic is it, and how does it reflect or illustrate Bambera�s theme?

In Flannery O�Connor�s �A Good Man Is Hard to Find,� after he has shot the grandmother, the Misfit says of her, �She would of been a good woman...if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life� (288). What does he mean by this, and how is he correct�or incorrect�in his assessment?

An argumentative (not purely informative) fiction topic of your own, focusing on one or more of the stories from the syllabus and developed in consultation with the instructor.

Note: Students must obtain prior approval for independent topics; speak to me before or after class or set up an appointment during my office hours.

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Essay Two�Midterm (In-Class Essay): Mon. & Wed. 16 & 18 March
You have approximately two hours to write an essay of at least six hundred (600) words. Before you begin to write, take time to focus on a clearly defined subject and to plan your essay carefully. Essays must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction (with an explicit, assertive thesis, underlined), several body paragraphs supporting the thesis, and an appropriate concluding paragraph; and avoid use of I or you throughout. Be sure to use appropriate topic sentences and transitions to guide the reader.

Remember that you are not summarizing the works, but responding to them in a critical manner. Include evidence or examples from the specific text or texts that you are writing about, but do not retell the story, and do not copy directly except when quoting. Remember to incorporate sources correctly: use signal phrases and document with parenthetical citations and a Work or Works Cited reference at the end of the essay.

Your essay will, as always, be evaluated in terms of Main Idea, Organization, Support, and Documentation. Therefore, make certain your essay is not only well organized and developed, but also grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, and spelling. Leave room for corrections (skip lines or double-space, if necessary).

You may use the texts themselves (textbook, printout, or online links) and a dictionary and/or thesaurus (print, electronic, or online) for this essay, but no other materials or sources.

Note: This is not a research essay; the only sources utilized or quoted should be the texts themselves. Use of secondary sources, whether credited or not, will be considered grounds for failure.

Topic(s) to be announced:

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Midterm Revisions (optional): Due Mon., 6 April
You may submit a revised version of your midterm exam; however, rather than merely a �corrected� versions of the original essay, it must be substantially revised and expanded: a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of at least three to five pages (750 to 1000 words) and must be submitted with the original graded bluebook essay attached. Evidence of substantial revision may result in a better grade for the assignment. 

Remember that essays must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction (with an explicit, assertive thesis, underlined), several body paragraphs supporting the thesis, and an appropriate concluding paragraph; and avoid use of I or you throughout. Be sure to use appropriate topic sentences and transitions to guide the reader. Also, you should not merely summarize the works, or regurgitate what you think was said in class, but respond to them in a thoughtful, critical manner. Be sure to include evidence or examples from the specific text or texts that you are writing about, but do not retell the story, and do not copy directly except when quoting. Remember to incorporate sources correctly: use signal phrases, use block form where appropriate, and document with parenthetical citations (cite poetry by line numbers and prose by page numbers) and a Work or Works Cited reference at the end of the essay.

Note: This is not a research essay; the only sources utilized or quoted should be the texts themselves. Use of secondary sources, whether credited or not, will be considered grounds for failure.

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Essay Three�Poetry: Due Wed., 8 April
As above, after reading �Writing About Literature� (1136-1196), �Writing about Poems� (1208-1222), and �Writing about Texts� (Rules for Writers 7 ed. 70-83, 6 ed. 346-358), select one of the following topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of at least three to five pages (750 to 1000 words). Essays must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction (with an explicit, assertive thesis, underlined), several body paragraphs supporting the thesis, and an appropriate concluding paragraph; and avoid use of I or you throughout. Be sure to use appropriate topic sentences and transitions to guide the reader.

Remember that you are not summarizing the works, but responding to them in a critical manner. Include evidence or examples from the specific text or texts that you are writing about, but do not retell the story, and do not copy directly except when quoting. Remember to incorporate sources correctly: use signal phrases and document with parenthetical citations and a Work or Works Cited reference at the end of the essay.

Your essay will, as always, be evaluated in terms of Main Idea, Organization, Support, and Mechanics (Words and Sentences). Therefore, make certain your essay is not only well organized and developed, but also grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, and spelling.

Note: This is not a research essay; the only sources utilized or quoted should be the texts themselves. Use of secondary sources, whether credited or not, will be considered grounds for failure.

Select one of the following topics.

   Select a pair of poems from �Some Provocative Pairings� on the Literature: A Portable Anthology website, other than poems read or discussed in class.* Compare and/or contrast the way the two poems treat the same theme or subject matter: Nature, Art, Love, Sex, Age, Death or Mourning, War, Race, Gender, and so on. Your analysis should establish a clear connection between the two poems, beyond merely �They both discuss love� or �both refer to death�; rather, the connection should be based on similarities in situation, structure, language, imagery, theme, et cetera. For example,

Randall Jarrell�s �Death of the Ball Turret Gunner� and Emily Dickinson�s �Because I could not stop for Death� both feature first-person narrators who recount the circumstances of their own deaths; however, while the former poem presents an image of death as violent and pointless, the latter suggests that death may actually be a welcome end to the struggles and obligations of life.

Your essay should explore the poems� tone, speaker, language (including figurative language or imagery, diction, and allusions) and structure (including meter and rhyme scheme, or the lack of them), and explain how these are interrelated and how they shape or influence meaning.

Note: As announced in class, you may not write on either of the following pairs:

     Theodore Roethke�s �My Papa�s Waltz� and Robert Hayden�s �Those Winter Sundays�
     Robert Frost�s �The Road Not Taken� and William Stafford�s �Traveling through the Dark.�

   Select a poem other than ones read or discussed in class* and the lyrics to a song that treats the same subject matter: Nature, Art, Love, Sex, Age, Death or Mourning, War, Race, Gender, and so on, and compare and/or contrast the way the two treat the same theme. As above, your analysis should establish a clear connection between the two works, beyond merely �They both discuss love� or �both refer to death�; rather, the connection should be based on similarities in situation, structure, language, imagery, et cetera. Note that you are to focus on the song�s lyrics only, as a work of poetry, not the performance, video, or other presentation of the song. Also, be sure to cite the author of the lyrics, not the singer.

  * Note: Texts for the above topics may not be selected from those listed on the syllabus. If the textbook does not have sufficient poems for you, try one or more of the links below, and be sure to use only works from professional, recognized poets (or lyricists). If the poems or lyrics you use are not in the textbook, you must include copies with your essay! Also, consulting with the instructor concerning your choice of texts is strongly recommended.

BP: British Poetry 1780-1910: A Hypertext Archive
CP: A Compendium of Poetry
ME: Modern English Collection, E-Text Center (U VA)
PA: Poetry Archives @ eMule.com
PB: Project Bartleby
PL: Poetry Archive at Plagiarist.com
PO: Poetry Online
RPO: Representative Poets Online

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Essay Four�Final In-Class Essay: Due Mon., 11 May;
continued on Wed., 13 May as needed

You have approximately two hours to write an essay of at least six hundred (600) words. Before you begin to write, take time to focus on a clearly defined subject and to plan your essay carefully. Essays must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction (with an explicit, assertive thesis, underlined), several body paragraphs supporting the thesis, and an appropriate concluding paragraph; and avoid use of I or you throughout. Be sure to use appropriate topic sentences and transitions to guide the reader.

Remember that you are not summarizing the works, but responding to them in a critical manner. Include evidence or examples from the specific text or texts that you are writing about, but do not retell the story, and do not copy directly except when quoting. Remember to incorporate sources correctly: use signal phrases and document with parenthetical citations and a Work or Works Cited reference at the end of the essay.

Your essay will, as always, be evaluated in terms of Main Idea, Organization, Support, and Mechanics (Words and Sentences). Therefore, make certain your essay is not only well organized and developed, but also grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, and spelling. Leave room for corrections (skip lines or double-space, if necessary).

You may use the texts themselves (textbook, printout, or online links) and a dictionary and/or thesaurus (print, electronic, or online) for this essay, but no other materials or sources. Note: This is not a research essay; the only sources utilized or quoted should be the texts themselves. Use of secondary sources, whether credited or not, will be considered grounds for failure.

Topic(s) to be announced.

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Research Paper:
After reading �Writing a Literary Research Paper� (1231-1266), compose a clear, well-written, properly documented (MLA format) argumentative essay of at least 1500 words (roughly six pages minimum), with a cover page and Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited do not count toward the six-page requirement). The paper must be argumentative (persuasive), with a clear, explicit, and assertive thesis statement (thesis statements must be underlined), and must use up to three primary sources and a minimum of three to five secondary sources; secondary sources must be scholarly criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews, or �analysis� from sites such as e-Notes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia*, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com; instead, use the library resources, including the available electronic databases such as Academic Search Complete, Literary Sources through Artemis, Literature Resource Center, Bloom's Literary Reference, Literature Criticism Online, Humanities Source, Project MUSE - Standard Collection, MagillOnLiterature Plus, and JSTOR Arts & Sciences I Current Collection  to locate appropriate sources. To access the databases from home, click on the individual database link. Then, when prompted, enter your username (N #) and password (PIN). You must include at least one short quotation, one long�block�quotation, and one paraphrase, and these sources must be properly documented (utilizing MLA format), and integrated into your writing smoothly and correctly. See also Research Paper checklist.

* On use of Wikipedia in college-level research, see Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on PBS NewsHour, here: �I don't think at a university level it makes sense to cite any encyclopedia in an academic paper. That's just not what an encyclopedia's role is in the research process. Maybe if you're in junior high, you know? If some kid out there is twelve years old and they wrote something and they put in a footnote, we should be thrilled, right? That's his first start on the idea of crediting other people with ideas and things like that, but at the university level? No, it's a bit junior high to cite an encyclopedia.�

Topic Selection: Due Mon., 9 February
Before beginning the research essay assignment, you must develop and submit a clear, well-written, one-page explanation of the topic you have chosen and your reason for selection. This proposal should be at least 250-300 words, and include a preliminary idea of the plan of the paper, its intention or research question, and a possible preliminary thesis. Select one of the following topics. Note: See me before the assignment is due if you wish to discuss another appropriate topic.

1. According to some interpretations, a distinction seems to be drawn between legal and moral justice in Susan Glaspell�s play Trifles (and also in her short story, �A Jury of Her Peers��not in textbook, but available here or here). In other words, while the men seem to focus primarily on motive and guilt, the women focus on causes and justification. Why? That is, how does the socio-cultural milieu, the context of the play, inform the characters behavior and perspective? Consider the actual social, political, and legal roles of both men and women at the time the work was written. Caution: Do not merely repeat vague generalizations about rights here; actual research is required. See the bibliography of literary criticism and scholarly research at the Susan Gaspell Society website, Elaine Showalter's A Jury of Her Peers: American Women Writers from Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx (New York: Knopf, 2009) and, oddly, even The Secret History of Wonder Woman  by Jill Lepore (New York: Knopf, 2014) might be useful!

2. Compare/contrast two different screen versions of Othello and their treatment or adaptation of the play. How does each adapt, change, or edit the play? What is changed or left out, and why? Good versions for this assignment include the classic/embarrassing 1952 version by Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier�s classic 1965 version, Oliver Parker�s 1995 adaptation, starring Laurence Fishburn and Irene Jacob, or 0, starring Mekhi Phifer and Julia Stiles, a modernization and adaptation of Othello. You should consider addressing specific elements including (but not limited to) plot or dramatic structure, setting and set design, characterization (character development), theme, narrative point of view, performance, cinematography (including type and length of shots, angles, composition, proxemic patterns, color, lighting), costuming, sound, music, special effects, running time, and intended audience. Note: several movie versions are available at local libraries, or online through Amazon or Netflix.

3. Select any one of the authors from the syllabus, and find one long work (a novel or play) or at least two to three short works (poems or short stories) by that author but which are not listed on the syllabus. For example, if you enjoyed reading Frost�s �Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,� select several other poems by Frost (but not �The Road Not Taken�!). Your essay should be a close, critical analysis of the work or works, including an argumentative thesis:  Do not provide a biography of the author or a summary of the texts; instead, your thesis must be a claim about the work or works that represents your interpretation and that is supported with textual evidence. Your project  must address specific appropriate elements including (but not limited to)�depending on genre�plot or dramatic structure, setting, characterization, point of view, speaker or narrator, language (including figurative language or imagery, diction, and allusions) and for poetry, structure (including meter and rhyme scheme, or the lack of them), intended audience, and theme, as appropriate.

Annotated Bibliography: Due Wed., 4 March
You must submit an annotated preliminary bibliography with a minimum of five to seven sources, correctly cited according to MLA format. This may include up to three primary sources and a minimum of three to five secondary sources; secondary sources must be scholarly criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews, or �analysis� from sites such as e-Notes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia*, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com; instead, use the library resources, including the available electronic databases such as Academic Search Complete, Literary Sources through Artemis, Literature Resource Center, Bloom's Literary Reference, Literature Criticism Online, Humanities Source, Project MUSE - Standard Collection, MagillOnLiterature Plus, and JSTOR Arts & Sciences I Current Collection  to locate appropriate sources. To access the databases from home, click on the individual database link. Then, when prompted, enter your username (N #) and password (PIN). In addition to a correct citation for each source, you must include a description or summary of the source, at least one paragraph long, and an explanation of how you foresee incorporating it into your essay. For additional information on Annotated Bibliographies, see the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)�s Annotated Bibliographies, as well as �Online Monitoring: A Threat to Employee Privacy in the Workplace: An Annotated Bibliography.�

Preliminary Outline and Draft Introduction: Due Wed., 15 April
A finished, typed outline of the research essay and a draft introduction must be brought to class for evaluation and comments. This should be a detailed outline of your projected research essay, including up to three primary sources and a minimum of three to five secondary sources.
Note: you do not need to submit the folder containing copies of your sources at this time.

Final Draft: Due Wed., 29 April
The final research paper must be submitted in a research folder, including copies of all sources used. Be sure to print out or photocopy all secondary sources, and highlight all relevant passages, whether quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. You must also include all supporting documents: your previously submitted Topic Selection, Annotated Bibliography, and Preliminary Outline and Draft Introduction.

Your essay must be clear, well-written, properly documented (MLA format), argumentative, and at least 1500 words (roughly six pages minimum), with a cover page and Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited do not count toward the six-page requirement). The paper must be argumentative (persuasive), with a clear, explicit, and assertive thesis statement (thesis statements�as always�must be underlined), and must use up to three primary sources and a minimum of three to five secondary sources; secondary sources must be scholarly criticism or analysis from peer-reviewed journals and must be accessed through the library databases such as Academic Search Complete, DOAJ: Languages and Literatures, Gale Literary Index, or Humanities Full Text, not summaries, reviews, or �analysis� from sites such as e-Notes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia*, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com. You must include at least one short quotation, one long�block�quotation, and one paraphrase, and these sources must be properly documented (utilizing MLA format), and integrated into your writing smoothly and correctly. See also Research Paper checklist (supplemental handouts packet).

Failure to submit a complete research essay in a folder according to these instructions will be grounds for failure on the assignment. In addition, plagiarism, either in whole or in part, will result in automatic failure (a grade of zero) for the assignment, just as for any essay, and therefore likely failure for the course as well.

Please refer to the following as well:

    �Writing about Texts� (Rules for Writers 7 ed. 70-83, 6 ed. 346-358)

    �Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism,� �Integrating sources,� (Rules for Writers 7 ed. 464-479, 6 ed. 415-426)

    Research Paper Revision and Editing Checklist (supplemental handouts packet)

    Research Paper Folder Checklist (supplemental handouts packet)

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