Segue-ing into "children and evil":
Feb. 8, 10 Discussion of The Night of the Hunter, GCP, RE
Feb. 15 Paper #1 due in class
Feb. 17 "The Turn of the Screw," Henry James.
http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=JamTurn.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=all
Feb. 22, 24 Discussion cont'd, "Turn of the Screw"; readings, TBA
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Paper instructions
You'll be getting topic directions and prompts in a future post. Meanwhile, here are the basic directions:
3. Write a one-page, single-spaced paper. Do not use any of the usual flourishes. That is, do not write an introductory paragraph, do not write a summarizing conclusion paragraph, do not do any plot summary (other than what is required to provide a context for a point you are making, e.g., “When Silas gets drunk at the dinner party, he……”). Do not write any sentences that begin with “I think” or “I believe.” (This is not because there’s some rule against using the first person pronoun; it is because I already know that it’s you, and you will need the space.)
4. Make a full and complete argument supported by reference to and quotations (short!) from the text(s) you are writing about.
5. Be succinct. Ruthlessly edit your words. All of us use “extra” words we don’t really need when we write papers. This is not going to be easier to write than a 3-5 page paper. Basically it’s going to be all the important stuff you’d put into a longer, more leisurely production. It will take the same amount of time as a much longer paper.
6. You do not need a “Works Cited” list or footnotes; this is not a research paper, and I am familiar with the texts you will be using. This is, however, a formal academic paper, so make sure your writing style conforms to that model.
7. Proofread your paper before turning it in. Read it aloud to yourself too—this is a good way to catch problems. Have someone else read it--it's not cheating, it's in fact good writing procedure.
1. Use the paper prompts to think about or against the text you are writing about. Do not retype the prompts into your paper; just refer to it/them using the authors’ last names) and quote only a phrase or two if necessary.
2. This is not a research essay, nor is it a journal entry: make a cogent, compact, textually-supported argument. Don't waste time with rhetorical circling ("I think," "I feel") or plot summary; just go for the jugular, as it were, right away, stay on point, and get the job done.
3. Write a one-page, single-spaced paper. Do not use any of the usual flourishes. That is, do not write an introductory paragraph, do not write a summarizing conclusion paragraph, do not do any plot summary (other than what is required to provide a context for a point you are making, e.g., “When Silas gets drunk at the dinner party, he……”). Do not write any sentences that begin with “I think” or “I believe.” (This is not because there’s some rule against using the first person pronoun; it is because I already know that it’s you, and you will need the space.)
4. Make a full and complete argument supported by reference to and quotations (short!) from the text(s) you are writing about.
5. Be succinct. Ruthlessly edit your words. All of us use “extra” words we don’t really need when we write papers. This is not going to be easier to write than a 3-5 page paper. Basically it’s going to be all the important stuff you’d put into a longer, more leisurely production. It will take the same amount of time as a much longer paper.
6. You do not need a “Works Cited” list or footnotes; this is not a research paper, and I am familiar with the texts you will be using. This is, however, a formal academic paper, so make sure your writing style conforms to that model.
7. Proofread your paper before turning it in. Read it aloud to yourself too—this is a good way to catch problems. Have someone else read it--it's not cheating, it's in fact good writing procedure.
8. Due at 9:30 pm in class, Tuesday, Feb. 15.
9. Some of you (volunteers I hope) will be reading your papers to the class (everyone will eventually get a turn).
10. Attendance is very important.
10. Attendance is very important.
*if you miss class for any reason, please do not email your paper--just bring it to the next class you make it to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)