Assignment Instructions

This final project will require you to gather research material, analyze it, evaluate it, and bring it together to act as support for your writing. All options require strong critical engagement with both the focal primary text(s) and with the required peer reviewed sources.

General Requirements for the Project:

All submissions must:

• use 3 peer reviewed sources in addition to whatever primary texts they discuss (and these sources must be used, actually cited, in the essay, not just listed in the works cited at the end)

• be 1000-1500 words long

• must be original to this class (no resubmissions from other courses are allowed)

• be in MLA format and use MLA style citations (see Research and Documentation Online for MLA formatting models; most of you sources will probably need to use the "work from a database" model)

BE CAREFUL that you do not create a cut and paste essay of information from your various sources; your ideas are to be the focus of the essay, and the research should only supplement and support your ideas. Also, take great care not to plagiarize; if in doubt, cite the source. See the sample essay for an example of an MLA formatted essay.

These projects will be graded using the Research Project Essay rubric .

DISCLAIMER: Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin. Both you and your instructor will receive the results.

Topic Choices for the Research Project

Choose one of the following prompts to guide your project.

o Unrealistic Elements in Reed's The C Above C Above High C: Ishmael Reed's The C Above C Above High C is full of unrealistic elements--inserted scenes, superimposed characters, slide images as backdrops--that can be confusing, especially when one is reading the play. Pick 1 scene that makes use of unrealistic elements, and create an argument about how the use of that element affects the scene. Why do you think Reed made the choice to write the scene using unrealistic elements instead of writing it in a more realistic way? Do unrealistic elements open up specific possibilities that would not be available in a more realistic play?

o Classifying The Merchant of Venice: The Merchant of Venice is a troublesome play to classify in the usual Shakespearean categories of comedy, history, or tragedy. Though it ends with several marriages, and therefore matches the usual pattern of a comedy, it also contains some very dark and problematic elements, such as Shylock's essentially forced conversion to Christianity. How do you think that we should view this play? Is it really a comedy? Is there any way to argue that it is a tragedy? Be sure to clearly define your understanding of tragedy and comedy; for some helpful sites, see Comedy and Tragedy by David L. Simpson of DePaul University, and the Comedy and Tragedy pages by Lisa Schnell of the University of Vermont.

o Social Issues in Reed's The C Above C Above High C: Reed's play is focused on major social issues of the 50s, not only those pertaining to race, but also those pertaining to sex and gender, and he approaches those issues from some interesting directions. Choose 1 social issue other than race that Reed engages and analyze his presentation of that issue through the particular characters and non-historical encounters that he depicts. Why does he approach the issue using these particular characters and their concerns? Is his approach effective? Make sure that you specifically define the social issue and characters being used, and if necessary, do some historical research on that issue to better inform your view.

• Satire in The Importance of Being Earnest: Oscar Wilde is known for his satire, and The Importance of Being Earnest is no exception to Wilde's usual mode of satirical writing. The effect of satire will change, however, depending upon the audience, and one of the fascinating things about this play is that the people Wilde satirizes are also the people he expects to be watching the play. Why does Wilde satirize the viewers who will be buying the tickets? What kind of reaction might he be aiming to evoke in his audience?