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, Fences, or Death of a Salesman. 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 September 27 (2 points)
Library/Research Workshop/Training October 4
Topic, Thesis Statement, Outline Due October 9 (4 points)
MLA/Works Cited discussion October 18 (bring Harbrace to class)
Tentative Works Cited (MLA format) Due October 30 (4 points)
Rough Draft of Research Paper Due** November 6 (10 points)
Final Draft of Paper Due November 20 (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:
· Linda Loman’s role in Willy’s downfall (Death of a Salesman)
· The role of individualism/the American dream/anti-capitalism in Death of a Salesman
· One of the themes of Othello: jealousy, good vs. evil, order vs.chaos, self-knowledge, pride, honesty
· Compare/contrast Othello and Oedipus as tragic heroes
· 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
· How August Wilson uses the motif of baseball in Fences
· Fences as a comment on African-American life/culture/barriers
