4130: Eighteenth-Century Literature

Masquerade, Menace, and Meaning

Essay Assignment # 2: Research Paper (8-10 pages)

Like your first essay, your research paper should be driven primarily by your thesis—your own critical position on the text itself. It’s important that you not let your research drown out your own voice. On the other hand, make sure your research isn’t relegated to the margins; it should be important to the ideas you choose to develop in your paper. A variety of sources are acceptable: critical articles or books that deal with the particular text you are working with; theoretical articles or books that deal with more general critical frameworks but not your particular text; and historical sources (including Porter) that illuminate either the subject matter of the text or the period in which it was written. For criticism, the MLA database, available on the library’s website, will be your most valuable resource. You must incorporate at least THREE properly documented outside sources. Be careful about the internet: although it can provide useful information—such as bibliographic lists that lead you to specific articles—it can also lead you to inappropriate sources. Some scholarly journals are actually available online, and those of course are fine. But sites designed to provide a supplement (this is putting it politely) for students (Sparknotes, etc.) are NOT acceptable. In most cases, my advice is to rely on material available either (either physically or electronically) through the library. If you have any questions about how to find useful sources or whether specific sources are appropriate, please see me or email me.

Schedule of Deadlines:

Thursday, April 3: submit paper proposal by email.  (NOTE: This is different from the instructions found in your original  syllabus. Make a note.) Your proposal should be at least a page long (typed and double-spaced, of course). It may not be in the form of an outline or stream-of consciousness brainstorming; I expect paragraphs. Your proposal should describe the topic you have developed, your approach to that topic, and the major ideas or questions you plan (at this point) to explore in your paper. (Formulating a series of complex questions would be one viable strategy.) I would like you at this point to mention at least ONE outside source you think you will use. If you already know your paper is going to be based on specific passages or images from the text that you see as central, you might want to mention or discuss those here. The more detailed and fully developed your proposal, the better feedback I will be able to give you. I’ll be collecting these and responding to them.

Thursday April 10: No class. Individual conferences. Bring outline & list of 3 likely sources. (You’ll sign up for a conference time on Tuesday.)

Tuesday, April 22: Rough draft workshop. Drafts must be at least 5 pages long.

Friday, May 2: Final papers due. No late papers accepted. Include a works cited page (proper MLA style). In a folder, turn in proposal, rough drafts, and your peer evaluations. Your title should be meaningful and specific; strive for originality. Use a standard 12 pt. font (Times New Roman or Palatino, for instance) and margins; there should be no fewer than 250 words per page (use the word count function to check this if you’re unsure). Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, and fastened with a paper clip or staple. Make sure your pages are numbered. Your paper must be at least eight full pages or your grade will drop. Proofread carefully.

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You are to develop your own topic within the general framework of the class.

We have focused on the trope of masquerade, broadly defined, in literary texts from the Restoration and 18^th—generally in the context of social concerns or constructs such as class, gender, virtue, individualism. Our discussions have tended to focus on these issues, and in particular, ways in which these texts either undermine or reinforce eighteenth-century ideologies or hierarchies. Your topic should arise from these broad central ideas in some way. Since this is a research paper, you will work to bring either historical information or critical responses or relevant theories (or some combination thereof) into conversation with your own ideas. The goal is to establish relationships between your own ideas and the outside sources you introduce.  Most importantly, make sure you formulate a complex and compelling thesis—an argument that structures your entire essay. Each paragraph should develop a discrete idea with a clear relationship to your thesis.  Work closely with whatever text(s) you choose, incorporating relevant quotations and careful textual analysis.

If you want to discuss your ideas or your work in progress with me at any point, please don’t hesitate to email me or come to my office.