2300: Practical Criticism
Essay Assignment #3: Research Paper (8-10 pages) on Gaitskill’s Veronica
Like your first two essays, 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 three outside sources (NOT counting your primary text). A variety of sources are acceptable: critical articles or reviews that deal with Gaitskill or with this novel; books or articles dealing with the critical framework you choose (including Bressler, of course); and historical sources that illuminate the subject matter of the text in a way that’s crucial to your argument; books or articles dealing with music, or beauty culture, or any other cultural aspect of the novel and the world it depicts that’s relevant to your analysis. 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 for this paper. On some level, your topic should be informed by one or more critical approaches you have encountered this semester, whether in Bressler or in class discussion. You will certainly want to return to Bressler to brush up on these approaches, and review that useful “questions for analysis” that he provides; this may very well help you develop ideas for your paper. Briefly, though, here they are:
Gender criticism: Examining the construction of masculinity and/or femininity in the context of power, social structure, identity, agency.
New historicism: Understanding the novel as simply one of many forms of cultural expression; analyzing specific cultural moments as a way of understanding a text more fully. (Applies to the moment of the text’s production, as well as the period represented in the text.)
Cultural Studies: African American, post-colonial, or queer approaches: Analyzing the process of “othering,” looking at clashes between cultures, the linguistic differences between them; considering who is silenced, and who gets to speak.
You may fuse these approaches in any way that seems appropriate to you; in many ways, their methodologies intersect.
Your introduction should establish a critical framework for your paper, along with your thesis. Your thesis will present an argument about the novel--an interpretive position, in other words--that arises from your critical approach.
Since this is a research paper, you will work to bring your critical, theoretical or historical sources (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 Gaitskill’s novel, incorporating relevant quotations and careful textual analysis. Select rich, provocative passages to provide yourself with the most productive material possible.
Paper Topics due Mon., Nov. 16 In a page or so, describe the topic you are developing, your approach to that topic, and the major ideas you think you might explore in your paper. What central question are you seeking to answer? This can be rough, tentative.
Workshop, Wed., Nov. 18 Bookends: the introduction and the conclusion
Notes for paper due Mon. Nov. 23. Type out at least SEVEN relevant passages from the novel and follow them up with at least half a page of freestyle textual analysis. UNPACK. Look closely at language, metaphor, punctuation. Choose rich, complex, even puzzling passages: they’ll yield more useful ideas. Describe/summarize two of your research sources, and discuss—in a few lines—how you intend to incorporate them into your argument. In class:Writing workshop. Architecture: building a research-based argument.
M 11/30 Rough drafts of research papers due (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. Your paper may 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.
W 12/2 Last day of classes. Present briefly on your research project.
Final draft due Mon. Dec. 7 at final exam. Turn in both drafts, your peer evaluations, a works cited page (MLA style), 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 or staple. Make sure your pages are numbered. Place all required materials in a folder. Your paper must be at least eight full pages. Proofread carefully. If you need to discuss the possibility of an alternate due date, please contact me before Thanksgiving break.
________________________________________________________________________