Paper Assignments
Paper 1: Nature
Paper 2: Harlem
Focus/Organization
MLA Documentation
Typing Directions
Paper 1: Transcendentalist Views of Nature
Length: 4-5 typed pages (plus 3 images; also add a "Works Cited" page if secondary
sources are used).
NOTE: The literature and artworks are "primary sources"; commentaries
about them are "secondary sources."
Due Date: Monday, Sept. 18.
Topics: Select one of the following topics, and discuss/analyze it in relation to
three Hudson River Valley paintings
and three authors from the Romantic Period (see our Reading Schedule--
days 9/06 through 9/13.
- Discuss the expression of the transcendentalist philosophy of nature in your selected literary
and artistic texts. Include both spiritual and aesthetic views in this discussion.
- Discuss the relationship of "wilderness" to "progress"
(nature vs civilization) as indicated in your selected literary
and artistic texts. This approach should address some of the environmental concerns of
that era.
- Discuss the special role of the artist in the transcendentalist approach
to nature. Among other things, look at how writers create "word pictures" out of language
while painters create pictures out of pigment.
Primary and Secondary Sources: Study your selected artworks and literary texts. They
will be your "evidence" that supports any statements you make about your topic.
-
Hudson River Valley Art Resources (online)--50%. Copy your three favorite images from our class web page.
If you don't have a color printer, black/white is ok, but you may also come to my office to
make color images, if you wish.
Paste/tape the images in place or include them on a separate page, or if you know how to save images
and insert them directly on your typed page, so much the better! Add artist and title (and
perhaps date?).
Grading will be based
on how insightful your analysis of the images is and on how well-supported your comments are by details
from the artworks.
- Literary Resources (online)--50%.
Base your analysis on examples and details from your selected literary texts. In particular
note the connotations and implications of the writer's language choices.
Although you may
include some of the comments and examples we cover in class, the
majority of your literary analysis should be based on your own observations and your own
examples/details from the texts.
Grading will be based on how insightful your
analysis of the literary texts is and on how well-supported your comments are by details
from the literary texts.
- Secondary Sources. You may also include ideas and/or language from the secondary sources linked to on
the Art-Tours web page. However, you will need to list all those sources alphabetically (by title
if no author is given) on a separate page
at the end of your paper.
The heading for that page should be "Works Cited" and it should
include the author, title, date of access to the web page, and web address of every secondary
source used.
For this assignment only, number your alphabetic list; then, in the main text
of your paper, put the number of your source (in parenthesis) after every place you have
summarized, paraphrased, or quoted from a secondary source. Introduce secondary source material
with phrases
like "According to Jane Smith, . . ." or "One source claims that . . ." or "Another study notes
that . . . . "
Grading will be based on how accurate, appropriate, and helpful your
summaries/paraphrases/quotations are.
Paper 2: Harlem Renaissance
Length: 5 typed pages (plus images; also add a separate "Works
Cited" page for your secondary sources).
Due Date: 11/08 or 11/10.
Topic: What was the Harlem Renaissance? Base your discussion
on the following categories: 1) the Harlem Renaissance literary texts listed on our syllabus;
2) the Harlem Renaissance jazz/blues music and/or musicians; 3) the Harlem Renaissance
art and/or artists; and 4) a fourth category related to the Harlem Renaissance, of your
own choosing.
Other than the literary texts on our syllabus, all material for this paper should
be selected from our Jazz Age Lit/Cultures
web pages. You will need to find about 6-10 sources on our web pages to use in your paper.
Primary and Secondary Sources: Study your selected literary texts and
other online sources. They will be your "evidence" that supports any statements you make
about your topic.
- Primary Sources: Literary Texts. The analysis of the literary texts should be about 500 words long (about 2 typed
pages). Base your analysis on examples and details from
your selected literary texts. In particular note the connotations and implications of the
writer's language choices.
Although you may include some of the comments and examples we cover in class, the majority of
your literary analysis should be based on your own observations and your own examples/details
from the texts.
Grading will be based on how insightful your analysis of the literary texts is and on how
well-supported your comments are by details from the literary texts.
- Secondary Sources: Online Articles.
Paraphrase/summarize/quote ideas and/or language from the 6-10 secondary sources you have
selected from our Jazz Age Lit/Culture web pages. This discussion should be about 750 words
long (about 3 typed pages).
List all those sources alphabetically (by title if no author is given) on a separate
page at the end of your paper. The heading for that page should be "Works Cited" and it
should include the author, title, date of access to the web page, and web address of
every secondary source used. For this assignment only, number your alphabetic list;
then, in the main text of your paper, put the number of your source (in parenthesis)
after every place you have summarized, paraphrased, or quoted from a secondary source.
Introduce secondary source material with phrases like "According to Jane Smith, . . ."
or "One source claims that . . ." or "Another study notes that . . . . "
Grading will be based on how accurate, appropriate, and helpful your
summaries/paraphrases/quotations are.
AVOID PLAGIARISM: Remember the basic rules for avoiding plagiarism.
- The language used for paraphrases/summaries should be very different
than the original language used by your source.
- The language used in quotations must be exactly the same as the original
language used by your source.
- Quotation marks must be used around all quotations. If you have a quote-within-a-quote, use
a combination of double and single quote marks (see me for assistance).
- Cite a source for ALL summarized/paraphrased/quoted material.
Focus and Organization
- Introduction: After you have studied your selected texts and secondary sources, you will need to draw
some kind of overall conclusion about your selected topic. That conclusion will be
introduced
in the first paragraph of your paper in the form of a thesis statement. Your
thesis statement
goes at the end of the introductory paragraph. It is what the rest of the
paper is about.
NOTE: In a shorter paper, the introduction should probably be only
3-4 sentences long.
- Body of Paper: Since you cannot talk about everything at once,
sub-divide your thesis into about 4 sub-points you want
to make. Those sub-points will be your topic sentences placed at the
beginning of each body
paragraph. Follow each topic sentence with your evidence and your
discussion of the literary texts/secondary sources. Make sure that you include details from both.
Avoid organizing
the paper by source 1, source 2, source 3, etc., or by
text 1, text 2, text 3, etc. Instead, cluster together several related literary texts/secondary
sources
within a body paragraph and organize by the sub-point or idea you want to make in that
paragraph. Make sure your last body paragraph contains your strongest or most significant
point--so the paper ends on a strong note.
Avoid long quotes in a short paper. Perhaps the most effective method is to insert short
quotes (a quoted key word or phrase--don't forget the quotation marks) into your own sentence
(grammatically, of course) in which you are summarizing or paraphrasing or analyzing
some of the material.
NOTE: Your instructor really dislikes skinny body paragraphs that are only 1-2
sentences long. Make sure you construct well-developed paragraphs with lots of evidence
(details) and explanations/analysis/discussion. Some paragraphs may be 7 or 8
sentences long.
- Conclusion: At the beginning of your
concluding paragraph, re-state your thesis
in language different than was used in the introduction. Add a couple more sentences about the
overall significance of your subject as a whole.
In a short paper, do not re-state your sub-points--much
too repetitious.
Typing Directions
Use font "Times New Roman" size 11 or 12. Double-space
EVERYTHING (no exceptions). One-inch margins on all sides. Indent first line of all paragraphs
by five spaces. Your last name and page number in top-right corner (1/2 inch from top).
On the first page, in the top-left corner, put your name, your instructor's name, the class
name and number, and the date--all double-spaced. Below that, in the center of page, add a
title.
PROOFREAD--typing errors count as grammar errors.
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