English 1102

Research Project

For this assignment, you will write a research paper on one of the topics listed below.  The research paper counts as 25% of your course grade. The assignment requires you to read one of the following plays: Othello, The Glass Menagerie, M. Butterfly, or A Raisin in the Sun. These plays can be found in your literature textbook.

The research paper should present a thesis developed from one of the assigned topics. The research, in the form of direct quotations and paraphrases, should support your points, not dominate the paper.

Sources: You will be required to cite a minimum of four critical articles, secondary sources, on your play.  These articles must come from literary journals and books. No more than two GALILEO sources may be used. Instruction in using Galileo will come later in the semester. Only online sources found through GALILEO will be accepted. Make sure you read the actual article and not a synopsis or review of it.   In addition, do not use reviews of the plays. These may be interesting but are not relevant to our objective here.  Also, you will be expected to support your points with specific examples from the text of the play, which is the primary source.

Text: Your paper should be 5-7 pages, typed (10 or 12 point Times New Roman font with one inch margins) and double-spaced with a cover sheet and Works Cited page and in MLA format.  Papers shorter than four pages or longer than eight pages will not receive a passing grade.

Cover page:  consists of your name, due date, course name and paper title.

Works Cited: a separate page at the end of the paper. Your Works Cited page should consist of the play you read and the critical articles you discuss (at least 5 sources in all).  It will not count in the page total. All information should be in MLA format. This will be discussed later in the semester.

             Do not write a summary of the play. The paper must demonstrate and will be graded on thorough knowledge of the selection, proper structure (unity, development, coherence), use of research material, citation mechanics, spelling, grammar, punctuation, correct citations adherence to MLA format and original thinking. Evidence of plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment.  Students will submit both rough and final drafts to turnitin.com. We will cover citations and bibliographic information in Harbrace.  The project consists of several components due by the dates listed below.

Tentative Topic Due                                              February 18 (2 points)

Library/Research Workshop/Training              February 25

Topic, Thesis Statement, Outline Due              February 27 (4 points)

MLA/Works Cited discussion                             March 13 and 18 (bring Harbrace to class)

Tentative Works Cited (MLA format) Due        March 27 (4 points)

Rough Draft of Research Paper Due**             April 3 (10 points)

Final Draft of Paper Due                                       April 17 (80 points)

**Students will be required to attend a conference with the instructor to discuss rough draft. Conference dates will be announced later.

In a folder along with the final draft, you should include all of the components above plus photocopies of all cited source material with quoted or paraphrased material highlighted. The author’s name and the page numbers should be visible. The copies should be sorted in the order in which they are cited in the paper.        

Keep up with this schedule! Turning in the components a little at a time is effective, but only if you stay on track.          

Topic choices:

·         One of the themes of Othello: jealousy, good vs. evil, order vs.chaos, honesty

·         Compare/contrast Othello and Oedipus as tragic heroes

·         Exploration of Iago’s motivation in Othello

·         Motifs of light and darkness in Othello

·         Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie as it relates to ONE character

·         The theme of fantasy/escape in The Glass Menagerie

·         Conflict in The Glass Menagerie

·         The Glass Menagerie as a semi-autobiographical work

·         One of the themes of A Raisin in the Sun: faith, family, compromise

·         Evils of racial prejudice/restrictions on black Americans as depicted in A Raisin in the Sun

·         Race/racism in A Raisin in the Sun or M. Butterfly

·         Gender stereotypes/identity/myths in M. Butterfly

·         One of the themes of M. Butterfly: self-deception, betrayal, regret

·         Myths/stereotypes of Eastern and Western culture in M. Butterfly

·         Compare M. Butterfly with the real-life events that inspired it and the Puccini opera Madame Butterfly