|
Paper 1 | Paper 2| Grading Criteria |
Writing About Literature
When writing about fiction, please remember to use literary terms such as: plot, climax, theme, central idea, setting , tone , character (protagonist, antagonist, flat, round, dynamic, static), point of view (third person, first person, omniscient), language (metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism, diction), irony (external, internal), and conflict (external and internal). When writing about poetry, please remember to use poetic terminology, such as theme, imagery, tone, figurative language, and rhythm.
In your essays, you should support your thesis and main points with specific examples from the stories and poems. You will also need to take a critical stance or approach, such as: formalist, biographical, historical, feminist, psychological, etc. For paper two, you are required to research or use secondary sources--sources that inform the topic beyond the text. When you do use secondary sources, please remember to cite them properly in your paper using MLA documentation.
As for organizing the papers, here is a good basic structure:
Introduction: (1-2 paragraphs): In the first paragraph, name the title of the work(s) and the author(s), and state your thesis. If you need more space, you can briefly summarize the work(s) in the second paragraph.
Main Body: Lay out the analysis of the work(s) you are discussing: (a) You might want to organize the paper around main points that support your thesis, then use the text(s) to support your main points and thesis; or (b) you might discuss each work separately and make connections to your thesis throughout the paper.
Conclusion: This should not be just a short paragraph or sentence that abruptly ends the paper. Instead, it draws together or summarizes the crucial evidence or points you've laid out above. In other words, it synthesizes what the evidence reveals.
Paper #1: 1000-1500 words
For both papers one and two, please follow basic and literary guidelines as discussed above. You also need to study the 1301/1302 review where the specifics of grammar, mechanics, and MLA documentation are covered in detail. The final copy must incorporate at least two direct quotes from the text(s) using MLA documentation and include a works cited page.
Remember to submit an outline (and thesis statement) for your paper to me via email two weeks before the paper is due (Thursday). The outline should be no longer than one page and you do not have to use Roman numerals. The purpose of the outline is to look at your thesis statement and the organization of your paper to make sure that you are on the right track. After your outline has been approved, you can begin writing the paper. You will submit the rough draft of the paper to the appropriate discussion board thread (for peer editing/evaluation) by the Thursday of the week the paper is due. For Paper 1, the outline is worth 5 points and the peer editing is worth 5 points. For Paper 2, the outline is worth 10 points and the peer editing is worth 10 points. Do not submit the final version to me until your outline has been approved, at least two other students have critiqued your paper (and vice versa), and you have made modifications. If you encounter difficulty getting your team members to peer edit your paper, you may submit it to the Student Lounge and appeal for assistance.
The final version of this paper must be submitted to your instructor via email by the date noted on the schedule. Please note in your submission, the names of the students who peer edited your paper and vice versa.
If Paper 1 is more than one week late, the student may lose 20 pts. If Paper 1 is not completed before the final "drop" date, the student may lose 40 pts. and be asked to withdraw from the course. You cannot pass this course without completing all three major assignments (the two papers and the midterm).
Note: After Paper 1 is graded, you may revise it (and earn back no more than half the points deducted). For example, if you earn 77 points on your paper, the most you can earn back by revising it would be half of 23 points, or 11.5 points. When you submit the revised paper, please attach the original paper (with my editing marks) so that I can analyze the changes.
For the first paper, choose one of the topics below:
1. Turn-of-the century America was troubled by many different kinds of conflicts over race, ethnicity, and class. Choose two or three texts and describe how each exemplifies a different one of these conflicts or problems. Possible choices include: "The Gift of the Magi," Ghost Dance Songs, Whitecloud, Bonnin, Washington, African American Folktales, Early Chinese Immigrants, Corridos.
2. Explore the relationship of nature versus industrialization as exemplified in the following 2-3 of the following authors and/or readings, such as: Ghost Dance Songs, Whitecloud, Bonnin, Corridos, Jewett, Frost, Moore.
3. Examine the status of women at the turn of the century in the writings of authors such as Alcott, Jewett, and Chopin.
4. Using Frost’s poetry, discuss the theme of human alienation, the feeling of not being connected to either another individual, a community, nature, one’s self, or one’s destiny.
5. Compare and contrast the use of diction in the works of writers such as Twain and Harris.
6. What is a definition of naturalism? Discuss several examples from our various readings so far that help illustrate the traits of naturalism.
7. Discuss and analyze allusions to the Hebrew and Christian bibles in the works of writers such as: Twain, Porter, and Frost.
8. T. S. Eliot makes several references to ancient works and writers in his poetry, such as: Greek mythology, the Hebrew and Christian bibles, Milton, Shakespeare, and Dante. Discuss Eliot's references and their purpose in achieving greater understanding of his work.
Paper #2 (Final Exam): 1500-2000 words
All quizzes and bulletin board activities MUST be completed before you submit the final exam/paper 2.
The final is not optional and you must earn 120 pts. or more to pass the course.
Unlike previous assignments in this class, there is NO one week grace period for the final exam. Please note the due date for the final exam in the schedule--it is approximately one week before the last day of the course.
If the final exam is more than 2 days late, you may lose 80 pts.; if the final exam is more than 3 days late, you may receive an F in the course. All major assignments (the papers and the midterm) must be completed in order to pass this course.
For both papers one and two, please follow basic and literary guidelines as discussed above. You also need to study the 1301/1302 review where the specifics of grammar, mechanics, and MLA documentation are covered in detail. The final exam must include at least two direct quotes from the stories and three outside sources using MLA documentation. Two of these sources should be scholarly articles that support your thesis. Use the ACC Library (or other library) to find these sources. To access online literary databases, go to the ACC Library Online. Next, click "Find Articles," then go to the Humanities and Literature databases to find literary biographies and analyses. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a reduction of one letter grade on your exam.
Remember to submit an outline (and thesis statement) for your paper to me via email two weeks before the paper is due (Thursday). The outline should be no longer than one page and you do not have to use Roman numerals. The purpose of the outline is to look at your thesis statement and the organization of your paper to make sure that you are on the right track. After your outline has been approved, you can begin writing the paper. You will submit the rough draft of the paper to the appropriate discussion board thread (for peer editing/evaluation) by the Thursday of the week the paper is due. For Paper 1, the outline is worth 5 points and the peer editing is worth 5 points. For Paper 2, the outline is worth 10 points and the peer editing is worth 10 points. Do not submit the final version to me until your outline has been approved, at least two other students have critiqued your paper (and vice versa), and you have made modifications. If you encounter difficulty getting your team members to peer edit your paper, you may submit it to the Student Lounge and appeal for assistance.
The final version of this paper must be submitted to your instructor via email by the date noted on the schedule. Please note in your submission, the names of the students who peer edited your paper and vice versa.
For this paper, choose one of the topics below or suggest another one for approval (you cannot discuss a work or author already addressed in paper one):
1. Examine the image of loss in the poetry of poets such as: Frost, Millay, Bishop.
2. Polemical writers in each literary tradition use rhetorical language to move their audiences. Analyze the effectiveness of 2-3 writers such as: Washington, Malcolm X, Twain, MLK.
3. What do contemporary poets have to say about some of the traditional themes of poetry: love, death, loss, or the passing of time? Choose one theme and use the works of 2-3 poets studied in this course to illustrate your points.
4. Choose one of the writers we have read this semester and write an essay showing how his or her life is reflected in one or two specific works.
5. What is an American? Consider at least one writer from early in this literary era who captures a definition of an American (perhaps Twain, Alcott, or Jewett) with later writers who have a different spin on this myth (perhaps Malcolm X, Kingston, Cervantes, or Cisneros). Answer the question using the works of the authors.
6. What one issue or idea best defines the American literary tradition that we have studied (from 1865 until the present)? Was it the industrial revolution and its consequences that we still see manifest today? Or was it the false notion of privilege as displayed in the works of authors like Fitzgerald? Was it the diversity in the writings we have encountered from authors that typifies our "melting pot" society? Was it the realism and even cynicism that grew out of the post-Civil War loss of innocence that had once defined us? In other words, are we still a society of "optimistic Americans"? Or was this era about something else? Make your case by discussing at least three authors from this course (and their writings) as evidence.
7. America is, and perhaps always has been, a proudly capitalistic nation. Using 2-3 authors (and/or their literary works), describe this experience. Use only authors studied in this course.
8. Compare and contrast the use of personification in the works of authors such as Bishop and Moore.
9. Compare and contrast the visions of the city and urban life in authors such as: Langston Hughes or James Baldwin (NY), Saul Bellow (Chicago), T.S. Eliot (London), Williams (New Jersey), and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Paris).
10. Discuss the relationship between traditional or minority cultures and the "mainstream" culture of white America authors such as: Anaya, Kingston, Cisneros, Morrison, Baldwin, Cervantes, Soto, and Hughes.
11. Many writers have described their works in terms of a search for empowerment or self-realization. Discuss the success or failure of 2-3 writers such as (Rich, Bishop, Ginsberg, Brooks, Plath, Kingston, etc.) in achieving these goals.
12. Discuss the use of humor in the works of one or more American authors such as Twain, Hurston, Updike, Barthelme, and Bellow.
13. Compare and contrast the use of language in at least two writers (examples: Bishop and Moore; Baldwin and Bellow; Plath and Rich; Cervantes and Brooks, etc. ).
14. The ancient Greek poet, Sappho, wrote beautiful poetry about her love for another woman. Conduct some research on Sappho and "sapphic" verse, and then write a paper in which you discuss several feminist poets (such as Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Gloria Anzaldua, Sandra Cisneros, etc. ) and discuss how their subject matters and/or style compare to Sappho's.
Optional for Final Exam
If two or more members from the class are interested, they can write this final paper as a team. Email me the names of the students and the topic and I will set up a group page in Blackboard. If you are not interested in writing a paper in a group setting, please submit an individual paper.
Within the group, I will monitor teamwork and expect to see regular postings and participation. If I observe a member who is causing the team difficulty by not participating adequately, not meeting deadlines for tasks, not communicating, etc., then that student will be removed from the team and asked to create a completely different paper on his or her own.
If you choose this option, I will expect to observe several activities in the group's discussion board:
1. One team member needs to send me an email telling me which members of your group have agreed to participate in this assignment. If you want me to set up a separate group folder for this paper, please let me know.
2. Brainstorming and deciding on the topic.
3. Dividing up various responsibilities regarding the paper and setting up deadlines for each responsibility. For example, you might want to decide that one person writes the intro and conclusion, while other members write other sections of the paper. Either way, it is a group effort. Even if one person doesn't do his or her share, you are all still responsible for the final product. (I will deal with the person who is not contributing and you can certainly alert me to that fact as well.)
4. Constructing an outline for the paper and choosing one person to submit the final outline to the instructor when it is due.
5. Putting together a rough draft for the paper that everyone proofreads and comments on no later than one week before the due date.
6. Collaborating and communicating in a respectful manner throughout the process.
If you have any questions or concerns about this option, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Grading Criteria
Please read the syllabus to learn more about the grading system in this course.
A Papers: Superior
A papers set the standard of excellence. An A paper will show all the following characteristics:
1. The paper has a well-defined thesis, strong topic sentences, and smooth transitions.
2. Organization is entirely logical; there is a clear beginning, middle, and end.
3. The paper has been written in a clear, literate, and scholarly fashion. Analytical skills are superior.
4. The paper displays insight, originality, and a thorough understanding of the subject under discussion.
5. Elegant writing unmarred by proofreading errors, grammatical problems, spelling mistakes, or typos.
6. In research papers, documentation is ample and in the correct form, and indicates that the writer has examined the most important available sources.
A papers are engaging and say something interesting. Most of all, they teach me something new, or show me something I have not seen before.
B Papers: Good
B papers have most of the following characteristics:
1. There is a well-defined thesis.
2. The argument is clear and logical, with little irrelevant material, but there may be minor problems in organization. Analytical skills are evident.
3. The subject matter is thoroughly understood, and there is some evidence of original thought.
4. Research papers are correctly documented and are based upon an adequate number of sources of good quality.
A "B" paper makes no major errors in style, mechanics, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It has a clear thesis and contains good topic sentences and transitions. B papers are generally well-written, and not marred by any serious problems.
C Papers: Acceptable
C papers have most of the following characteristics:
1. While there is a definite thesis, it may not always be made clear to the reader.
2. A person writing a C paper has difficulty in developing, supporting, or illustrating the thesis in the body of the paper. Analytical skills are weak.
3. A "C" paper has weak topic sentences and lacks transition.
4. The paper contains minor errors in style, mechanics, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
5. While understanding of the subject is adequate, there is little originality.
6. In research, documentation is adequate and in the correct form, but there may be reliance on sources of lesser quality.
D Papers: Poor
One or more of the following characteristics may result in a D grade:
1. The thesis is poorly defined and supported.
2. The argument is illogical or unclear, and there may be unresolved contradictions and/or irrelevancies. Analytical skills are absent.
3. There are stylistic, grammatical, mechanical, and/or spelling errors.
4. There is some doubt that the writer fully understands the subject matter of the paper.
5. C papers fail to complete the assignment fully (i.e., inadequate paper length, failure to address assigned topic, etc.).
6. In research papers, documentation is adequate, but there may be some deviation from the correct form, and the sources may be poorly chosen and/or limited in number.
F Papers: Unsatisfactory
The following types of papers will be given failing grades:
1. Papers which do not meet university standards of English literacy and contain many stylistic, mechanical, grammatical, and/or spelling errors. Analytical skills are absent.
2. Papers not based on the assigned topic. Even a brilliant paper can earn an F if it is completely off the topic you were assigned to do.
3. Papers that fail to complete the assignment fully (i.e., inadequate paper length, failure to address assigned topic, etc.).
4. Papers written by students with a clear intent to cheat. In general, cheating includes plagiarism from another source such as the Internet; copying from another student is a form of plagiarism. Plagiarism will always earn you an F not only for the paper but for the course, and might even result in disciplinary action like suspension or expulsion: it's serious stuff.
5. Research papers which consist of little more than a series of facts or quotes, with little or no attempt at interpretation.
6. Research papers based on a single source (unless the assignment calls for the use of a single source).
7. Research papers with insufficient and/or incorrect documentation.
I won't fail any paper that shows honest effort. That means F's are reserved for students that show no effort (a paper written two hours before it is due, for instance), and for those who aren't honest.
American
Lit II Schedule |
Group
Work and Discussion
| Reading
List |
American
Lit II Class Syllabus
Created by Becky Villarreal Austin Community College 2007