Write a 5-page paper on one of the following topics. You must submit a proposal stating your topic. The proposal must be approved by me. If you do a paper without having your proposal approved by me, your paper will not be considered acceptable. The content of the proposal varies according to the topic. Please consult the descriptions below for the contents required in a proposal for that topic.

You should probably look at the general directions given with the first paper topic, for general pointers that apply to all topics: to include a thesis, avoid lists, give evidence, etc.

Topics:

1. Compare three or more translations of a work we read in class.

The Proposal. The proposal for this topic consists of submitting proper bibliographic listings for the translations in an email with your name on it, as well as a brief explanation of what parts of the literary work you are likely to consider in your paper. If you need information on a proper bibliographic listing, click here

• Be sure your paper makes some overall point or position about the translations. That is, be sure your paper has a thesis and is not just a list, as before.
• You obviously don't have to compare every single word of two translations to do a good job: look at parts throughout the work, though. Compare some key passages.

 

2. Read something new and compare it to something we read in class, first or second half. (Or even reuse something you've read for another class.) Be sure your paper makes some overall point or position about the things you are comparing. That is, be sure your paper has a thesis and is not just a list, as before. Give evidence for your views: this means referring to specific places in the texts you are discussing. Any plot summary that you do will not count as part of your paper, so describe your source briefly as you discuss it, or include a plot summary separately from the five pages of your paper.

The Proposal. The proposal for this topic consists of submitting a proper bibliographic listing for the book in an email with your name on it, as well as a brief explanation of what aspects of it you think will be comparable to the work we read. If you need information on a proper bibliographic listing, click here

Examples of works which may be used in Topic 2 include (but are not limited to):

• Larry Niven's modern Inferno, or a modern Medea.
• A modern heroic novel to compare to Gawain.

Tips for Writing a Comparison

 

3. Compare a work we read in class to a movie or -- God help us -- TV program. Be sure your comparison is careful and well defended. Be sure your paper makes some overall point or position about the things you are comparing. That is, be sure your paper has a thesis and is not just a list, as before. Give evidence for your views: this means referring to specific places in the text and in the TV show or movie. Any plot summary that you do will not count as part of your paper, so describe your source briefly as you discuss it, or include a plot summary separately from the five pages of your paper.

The Proposal. The proposal for this topic consists of submitting a proper bibliographic listing for the movie or TV show in an email with your name on it, as well as a brief explanation of what aspects of it you think will be comparable to the work we read. If you need information on a proper bibliographic listing, click here

Tips for Writing a Comparison
Sample Paper, Topic 2.

 

 

4. Locate a source and read it and write a brief report on it. This topic is like the one you had to do for the midterm paper. In a briefer format, I have adapted the directions you had last time below, but you may want to refer back to them. The source should be a secondary source about something we have read or will read in class.

The Proposal. As with the first paper, the proposal for this topic consists of submitting a proper bibliographic listing for the source in an email with your name on it. I will look at this bibliographic information and may ask to see the source itself before I give my final approval. If you need information on a proper bibliographic listing, click here

Help with Summary Writing
Sample Paper, Part b

1. Criteria for a source:

   • It should be 8-30 pages long.
   • Except in special cases, it must be dated later than 1995.
   • Show it to me for approval, before or after class. All assignments must be done on sources approved by me.
   • Xerox it and submit it with your paper.

   What to pick as a topic:

   • Any aspect of Vergil's Aeneid
   • Any aspect of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
   • Any aspect of Dante's Inferno
   • Comparisons of Dante and Vergil

   How to write the report:

   • Write a paper that is 5 pages long. The first part of it should be a summary of the source. The second part should analyze the source, comparing it to the topics we discussed in class.
   • Consult the directions and suggestions for Paper 1 for more information on writing this paper.