4145: Victorian Literature

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. You must make use of at least four outside sources (NOT counting your primary texts). A variety of sources are acceptable: critical articles or books that deal with the particular text or author you are working with; theoretical articles or books that deal with more general critical framework for Victorian literature but not your particular text; and historical sources that illuminate either the subject matter of the text or the time period in which it was written, in a way that’s crucial to your argument. Avoid online sources, unless (of course) you are able to access scholarly journals online OR you find reputable, scholarly sites containing, for instance, useful historical material or links. Wikipedia is unacceptable. If you have any questions about how to find useful sources or whether specific sources are appropriate, please see me or email me.

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

The Victorian novels you have read (as well as Browning’s narrative poetry) tend to confront and/or reflect specific social problems, hopes, and anxieties characteristic of the age. The supplemental readings in Victorian prose, meanwhile, have addressed these issues quite directly, and suggested a deep connection between fiction and non-fiction in the Victorian period. Our discussions have focused on a variety of questions arising from these concerns, including (but not limited to)

--the representation of social reform (often mapped onto the experiences and actions of individuals, but standing for broader interests)

-- the politicization of “sympathy” as an idea and a social force

-- the representation of class and gender, and the political implications of these representations

-- representations of public and private (or political and domestic) spheres—in particular, ways in which these novels either undermine or reinforce Victorian ideologies or hierarchies.

-- the social (or anti-social?) function of art

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. I encourage you to make use of the essays in Victorian Prose, or to allow them to suggest additional reading.  In addition, you have all done (or are about to do) research for your oral presentations this semester. You are welcome to build upon this work, providing your paper with have a very specific, well-defined historical angle as a component of your analysis (naturally the writing would be new, and you would be working with a far more complex thesis than you did originally). You are welcome to incorporate multiple texts from the class, although I would caution you against attempting to deal with too many works in a paper of this length.

You should work to integrate your sources into your argument, entering into conversation with them or building your own ideas on them: in other words, they should become an organic part of your paper.

Paper Proposals due Wednesday, Nov. 15 (NOTE: This is not on your syllabus, but it is required; this is designed to help you to get an earlier start on your papers.) Your proposal should be at least a page long and should describe the topic you have developed, your approach to that topic, and the major ideas you plan at this point to explore in your paper. 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.  Please submit these by email to facilitate my quick response.

Rough draft due Monday, Nov. 20  (must be typed, double-spaced, and at least 5 pages long). Mandatory in-class workshop). The minimum length at this stage is five pages; I’ll be checking to make sure you reach that goal. Naturally, your paper will still be in the early stages, and your draft may be pretty rough—but remember, the more you have, the better feedback you’ll get. The most important goal for your rough draft is to establish a working structure for your best ideas, and begin shaping a compelling thesis that accurately reflects your central point. You should also be incorporating some research at this point—don’t plan to insert your sources at the last minute; they should be integrally related to your paper, not just an afterthought.

Final draft due Friday Dec. 2  in my office by 5:00. Turn in both drafts, your peer evaluations, your proposal, a works cited page (MLA style) if applicable, and a title page. 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. Make sure your pages are numbered. Your paper must be at least eight full pages. Proofread carefully. If you want to discuss the possibility of an alternate due date, please contact me before Thanksgiving break.

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