Literature in History IIIPaper #1
Due 11:00 p.m., Saturday, 27 September
Send papers as Microsoft Word attachments to rpfeingold@smcm.edu
I will confirm receipt, so if you havent heard from me by midnight, try again.
Your paper should be roughly 6 pages, or 2100 words
(+/- 10%). I do count words, since fonts differ wildly; I suggest you do, too.
Please dont include your name anywhere on the paper itselfI try
to grade anonymously. For further information
about my general technical expectations, please see my paper-writing
FAQ page (keeping in mind that it was written for Intro students, so some
of it might seem too elementary).
Assignment:
Assuming youve written a literary analysis
paper before, this shouldnt be too surprising. Write an essay about a
recurrent theme, image, collection of symbols, idea, or narrative device in
A Room of Ones Own orThe Good Soldier. Dont stop at
listing or describing the phenomenon in question, but formulate an argument
about what it means, why it matters vis-a-vis an overall reading of the text.
Remember that this is an analysis, not an opinion piece. This is not to say
that your ideas dont matter, but rather that these ideas should
be about the text, and rooted in the text. It would not do,
then, to argue that Edward Ashburnham is a bad man because adultery is ammoral,
or hes unkind to his wife, or he doesnt think through his actions.
Neither should you make it your thesis that patriarchy is the worlds greatest
evil, or that Woolfs narrator needs to stop whining and take responsibility
for her own actions. All of these things are potentially reasonable assertions,
but they tell us more about you, and your personal philosophy, than they do
about the text. Thats writing for another time and place. Here, I would
want you to tell me what Dowell ultimately thinks about Edward—or what
the text wants us to think about him (these two are not necessarily the same
thing!). I would want you to explain how Woolf sees patriarchy functioning,
and articulate the relationship she draws between individual and larger society.
Make sense?
I expect a clearly stated thesis; a well-developed
argument; and careful, close analysis of individual textual passages that you
cite to support your argument. For an essay of this length, I would prefer that
you dont rely heavily on secondary sources; if, however, you do consult
any, you will of course include a bibliography.
Possible general topics include:
The (un)reliable narrator — this is one that
could work for either text. We have here two first-person narrators, each of
whom is granted certain types of authority by the texts authors—and
denied others. Why? To what purpose? And how? In what ways do the narrators
strive to assert their authority? In what ways do they—deliberately, or
not—undercut it? How does this affect us as readers?
Chronology and storytelling—again, could work for either. Neither text
is exactly a straightforward linear narrative. Yet surely linearity is the best,
the clearest way to get ones point across. What do the twisted, back-and-forth,
narrative ramblings of our speakers contribute to their tales?
Comedy or tragedy? This is pretty much only for The Good Soldier. Critics
have argued that the novel is one, or the other. What do you think? Why? (hint:
it might be helpful to look up common definitions of these terms before launching
into your argument).
The definition of good in The Good Soldier. Dowell talks
a lot about good people—and also a lot about people doing
what might be considered very bad things. What, to him, is good?
Does it mean the same thing to the author, or to us a readers, as it means to
Dowell?
What is The Saddest Story?—Lots of things in the novel qualify
as this, and Dowell keeps on shifting about. Is there any definitive answer?
The role of metaphor in A Room of Ones Own. How do Woolfs
sometimes elaborate metaphors relate to the real, concrete ideas shes
discussing—and in what ways can we understand her concrete assertions
metaphorically? The room, the money, the fish, the turf—the list goes
on and on…
Appearance(s) and reality in The Good Soldier. What does the novel
have to say about the importance of each, and about their relationship to each
other?
On Beyond Patriarchy—wahat advantages, special
opportunities, responsibilities, possibilities does Woolf see for women in general,
and women writers in particular? How do these relate to the limitations, restrictions,
and realities of the past?
Youre absolutely not required to write on one of these topicstheyre
just here as suggestions, in case you cant think of anything. And please,
feel free to talk to me about ideas, either in person or over e-mail.
One final note: Plagiarism. As I say on the course website (note the citation, even though Im citing myself), I take plagiarism extremely seriously. Intellectual theft robs the original author of his or her work; you of the learning youre supposed to be here for; your classmates of the chance to have their work evaluated on a level playing field; and me of a tremendous amount of time and energy. You have no idea, really, how monumentally pissed off I get about plagiarized essays. Read the section on academic honesty in the student handbook, and familiarize yourself with its provisions. You might also look at my Paper-writing FAQs for some resources on avoiding accidental occurances. A failing grade for the semester is the minimum penalty for plagiarism in this course.