Assignments

Assignment #1: Critical Response Paper

  • Value: 15%
  • Length: 1500 words (5-6 pages)
  • Due Date: Thursday February 4, 2016

The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to the protocols of engaging and conversing with scholarly sources. The best way to do this is for you to summarize a single scholarly article and then respond to it. The purpose of a response is not to judge the article for its clarity, or style, or interest. Rather a response paper traces an arguments premises, assumptions, and conclusions and, if possible, expands or responds to them.

The first step in responding to an article is to read it through without taking notes to get its “gist” (its thesis). If you’re having trouble getting the gist review the abstract (if it has one), look at headings and sub-headings, and look out for language like “My purpose in this article is…” or “My point is…” etc. Try writing the gist in one or two sentences.

Once you’ve got the gist, read the article carefully. Take notes on how the argument develops. Questions to ask as you work through the article include (but are not limited to):

  • What key words or concepts are repeated and defined in the article?
  • What kind of evidence is used to support the argument? Which authors are quoted or cited? How does the author read the main text under discussion?
  • Is the piece primarily historical or biographical? Does the author rely on some theoretical apparatus or perspective to make his or her claim? If you aren’t familiar with the historical or theoretical assumptions of the article, look them up.
  • What kinds of authorities are cited? How do citations of recent critical analyses compare or balance with citations from older works of history, theory, philosophy, psychology, etc.
  • Is there something in the article with which you disagree? Is there something that you find particularly interesting?
  • Are there any sudden shifts in the argument? Does the author ever contradict or complicate the original claim? Why?

Next write a summary; this should constitute about half of your response. It should have a thesis, which is your statement of its “gist” are carefully and logically lay out the evidence, authorities, and logic used to develop that thesis. The summary should be in your own words. If you do cite or quote the article you are summarizing make sure that you cite it according to MLA style.

Finally, in the second half of the paper, respond to the article by offer a counter-reading of a particular point or even by offering a different take on the whole argument. You may use some of the historical and economic material we are discussing in class or find other criticism that rebuts an argument in ways that you find more appealing. You can offer an alternate argument based on an internal close reading of a passage or chapter. NEVER comment on the “quality” of the writing—all articles published in peer-reviewed journals are scrupulously edited for style and clarity—or on their “academic” style.


Assignment #2: Annotated Bibliography and Literature Review

  • Value: 20%
  • Length: 1500 words (4 250-word annotations + 1 500-word literature review)
  • Due date: Tuesday March 1, 2016

For this assignment, you will compile a short bibliography of 4 credible and authoritative critical sources on a text and/or topic from the course and write a 250-word summary/annotation for each. You will also write a short literature review in which you consider the general trends and assumptions that these articles share.

One goal of this assignment is to begin the research on your final essay. The topic is up to you and you must write on at least one of the texts that we are covering in class this term. Do not feel that you have to know precise what your topic or thesis will be before you start your research. You should allow your research into the essays and chapters that have already been written on your text or topic to guide your thinking toward a focused thesis. Here are some guidelines for how to locate the articles:

  • The essays you choose should all be on the same topic and not disparate topics that just happen to come up in relation to a certain author or text.
  • The articles should be recently published (within the last 25 years, since 1990). If there is a “key” article published before that date, and to which the others refer, you may use that one as well.
  • You do not have to read entire books for this essay; however, you may wish to consult a chapter from a recent book. Remember that some book chapters are published in journals or collections before they appear in book-form.
  • If you are having trouble locating articles on a similar topic by way of the MLA or other bibliography, do not despair. The next step is to find one, good recent article on a topic and then READ THE NOTES (Endnotes or Footnotes). There WILL be references to other articles on similar topics there. Locate them and, if necessary, read their notes too.
  • You may find that you have to read more than 4 articles to find the ones that work for your research. That’s fine – in fact, it’s expected.

Once you have located, read, and chosen your four articles, you will compose an annotated bibliography for them. An annotation is a short, compressed version of the summary you wrote in the previous assignment. It explains the main claim or thesis and reviews the evidence, assumptions, and authorities that support that claim. It does not respond to the essay, but it might explain how it fits into a larger conversation.

The last stage in this assignment is to produce a literature review for your topic. This is a 500 word mini-essay in which you assess how recent work on your topic has been developing, how various authors writing on that topic have approached it, what similarities and differences exist between them, and how the general conversation is developing. The lit review will be the last part of this assignment to be written, but it will appear FIRST when you submit. The bibliographies will be graded on the basis of the quality and relevance of the essays you find and on the clarity of your annotations. I cannot read every essay you find, but will consult them if your annotation is unclear – so clarity and specificity matter.

 

Assignment #3: Final Paper

  • Value: 10% (draft), 30% (final version) = 40%
  • Length: 3000 words (10-12 pages) plus “works cited”
  • Due Dates: Thursday March 24 (Draft) and April 5-7, 2016 (final copy/workshoped); FINAL DUE DATE IS APRIL 12

This is the capstone project for the course. It integrates the skills and writing techniques developed during the course and in the other assignments. It should develop the topic and use the research you have already begun preparing your annotated bibliography.

This assignment will be completed in three stages. First, you will submit a preliminary draft version consisting of an introduction, a literature review (in which you outline the critical consensus on the text), and a sample of the kind of analysis you will pursue in the paper (close reading of a passage, consideration of a character or plot point, etc.); The purpose of this draft is for me to examine in detail the approach you are taking and the argument you are making in your paper. It will also allow me to judge how you are responding to and integrating available criticism on your topic and text. These first drafts are worth (10%) of your final mark.

While I grade these drafts, you will continue to expand the paper to its full length. Once I return the drafts, you will revise the paper, integrating any changes based on my comments and suggestions, into the next draft phase of the paper. You will then bring this draft to class for the peer review workshops and read it to your peers, who will offer more constructive feedback. These review sessions are not optional. Failure to complete a draft by this stage will result in a significant reduction in your paper and participation grades. I will be available for consultation at anytime during the writing process and I encourage you all to see me to discuss your papers. With these reviews and suggestions you will be able to revise your paper into a polished research paper, with a drop-dead deadline on April 12 (the Tuesday following the end of classes). FINAL PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.

Here are some additional suggestions for you to consider:

  • The paper should develop a focused argument about one of the texts on the course, situate this argument within the context of existing scholarship, and suggest ways that the critical conversation might move beyond current assumptions.
  • Do NOT copy or repeat any sentences or paragraphs from your annotated bibliography or literature review. Your paper should feature a short review of the current critical conversation on your topic and respond to some of this critical work. You must use at least some of the material you annotated for your bibliography. The point of this assignment is not to rehearse or repeat your bibliography or literature review. DO NOT REUSE ANY WRITING FROM THE PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENT
  • Portions of your paper should be devoted to the kind of close reading that you have been doing in class and in discussion. The discussion form may be a useful source to consult as you think about a topic to develop for this and previous assignments.
  • Think carefully about how your argument develops. You want to make an original contribution to the critical conversation that you are engaging. Move from what we “know” (i.e. from your research) to what we “don’t know” – your original perceptions and perspectives.
  • The essay MUST be in MLA format (see sample format below).