Research Paper Assignment

Literary Theory Paper

Word Count: 2000 words.

Description:

This semester, we have been discussing horror literature and film and how what scares us relates to who/where we are in society. You will take this idea and apply it to a piece of horror literature we have not read in class. The point of this project is to understand and apply literary theory, ("isms"), while strengthening your research skills.

Your paper will consist of an analysis through a theory (critical lens) of your choosing.

• Feminism (gender theory; what is the piece saying about women's, LGBT, masculinity issues of the time period and its relevancy to today)

• Marxism (class theory; what is the piece saying about class and socioeconomic issues of the time period and its relevancy to today)

• Postcolonialism (race/culture theory; what is the piece saying about race/cultural issues of the time period and its relevancy to today)

• Any other "ism" of your choosing

You must write at least 2000 words on this argument using a healthy amount of research to justify your claims. Just a reminder: if your paper is less than the required word count, the highest grade you can receive is a 60.

Requirements:

• 2000 word count

• 10-15 academic sources - this count does not include the primary reference or any non-academic sources (i.e., dictionary.com, or the online enclyclopedia, Buzzfeed, or anything else found on google.com).

• You must create an argument (based on theory) stemming from a piece of literature we have not read in class.

Actions that will be taken for the project:

• Choose a piece of literature.
• Choose your critical lens (theory).
• You will first submit a portfolio, which is the first part of the project.
• Write your paper.

An A paper will include all of the following things:

• A clear, argument-driven thesis that shows understanding of the concepts we discussed in class.
• Professional and appropriate language.
• Evidence that the paper has been carefully revised i.e.: little or no grammatical errors and stylistic issues).
• An organized, logical structure.
• Transitioning topic sentences.
• Paragraphs that are united by a single, big idea.
• Perfect MLA formatting throughout the essay and the works cited page. 10 points will be deducted for every MLA formatting error.
• Evidence that the student understands the argument being presented on the source material.