Order Description

ENGLISH 1302: LITERARY/ISSUE RESEARCH PAPER

For the research paper, you will be answering one of these questions (from the textbook):

• What is the ideal society?

• How free is the will of the individual in society?

• What is happiness/do people have a “right” to happiness?

For whichever question you write about, you are required to analyze at least one work of fiction assigned for the class in addition to finding source material over that work of fiction as well as non-fiction source material over the issue being addressed. You may also cite from the essays assigned in the text for the respective question.

What is the ideal society?

For this issue, you may choose from the following fiction works with which to analyze this question:

• “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes. You may add to this his poem “Harlem” (which you will have to find a copy of.)

• “Utopia” by Thomas More

• “A Modern Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

How free is the will of the individual in society?

For this issue, you may choose from the following fiction works:

• “Barbie” by Marge Piercy

• “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

What is happiness or do people have a right to happiness?

For this issue, you may write on the following work:

• “The Storm” by Kate Chopin

For this question, you may also cite from any of the other essays assigned for class in this section as support for your thesis; however, you are required to find additional sources that include literary criticism of Chopin’s story as well as source material that addresses the idea of happiness.

Paper Requirements:

1. The paper must be typed in correct MLA format. This means Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spacing throughout, 1” margins, a correct heading, and a header with page number on each page, starting on page one. Papers not in correct MLA format, and especially those with the space after paragraph still turned on, will have five points deducted from the grade.

2. The paper should have a unique title that reflects the argument being made in the essay.

3. The paper should have a specific thesis statement that sets up an argument about the issue and the literary work(s) as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.

4. The paper should be 5-7 pages minimum. This means that a 5 page paper will go to the 6th page if one more key is pressed on the keyboard. The page limit does not include the works cited page.

5. The paper should have 5-10 sources, including the literary work being analyzed, literary criticism sources, and sources over the issue. The minimum 5 does not include essays from the textbook.

6. All source material used in the paper must be cited correctly, including the literary work(s). This includes direct quotes, paraphrases, and summaries.

7. The paper should have as its last paginated page a correct works cited in MLA format. (Do not turn this page in separately; it is a part of the paper.)

8. The paper must be submitted through the Safe Assignment link in Blackboard. Papers not submitted will be considered not turned in, even if a hard copy is given to the instructor.

9. The paper must also be turned in at the beginning of class on the day it is due.

10. Late papers will have 10 points deducted from the grade. No paper will be accepted after one week has passed from the due date. Papers not submitted to Safe Assignment will be counted late if submitted after the due date.

11. The paper should have zero spelling errors, and few if any grammatical errors.

This paper is 30% of your grade. You may want to make sure you do the best possible job you can on it. Use the library, ask for help from the librarians, and use the tutoring or KEY centers. And turn it in on time. (You also have several weeks to work on it; no excuses for late or sloppy work.)