Please write an analytical essay, exploring some aspect of a literary work or literary works we have read this semester, written in support of a central thesis statement. Remember, this is not a report; this is an analysis. Merely summarizing the content of several works will not be enough to achieve a passing grade. You must have your own insight into the work or works meaning, derivation, etc. Please make sure that you choose work or works from the period we have studied (700-1775 C.E.). You may do a comparative analysis of a work from this period with a more modern one, but essays must treat at least one work from the period we have studied in depth. Topic: Heroism as depicted in the literature we’ve read For many students, choosing a suitable topic proves to be the most difficult part of the assignment. In order to help you choose a topic, its helpful to focus on a text or texts you enjoy. Ask yourself which literary works or authors you have enjoyed reading thus far. Why did you enjoy this particular work (or works) or this author? What stands out about his or her writing? What makes the author or the work unique? Does the authors work remind you of a more modern one? Often such questions can lead you to interesting topics. You may also want to review the essay questions from previous midterms. Many of them can easily be worked into longer critical essays. The following topics have yielded interesting thesis statements and papers in the past, but they by no means represent a complete list of what is possible: Grading Criteria: In addition to following the format specified above and adhering to the standard conventions of English (grammar, spelling, etc.), I will be looking for work that makes a clear, comprehensible point about a work or works we have studied or will study during the semester and supports that point with evidence both from the text or texts themselves (primary sources) as well as at least two secondary sources. This means you must read and incorporate the opinions of other critics into your own argument. The library databases are a great source for finding literary criticism. Papers should be well organized, meaning a clear introduction, thesis statement, paragraphs with topic sentences and detailed supporting sentences, and a conclusion. Readings that can be used as sources: Beowulf Dream of the Rood , The Wanderer Wulf and Eadwacer The Wifes Lament Lanval Chaucer, General Prologue and Millers Tale,” “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue” and “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.” The Second Shepherd’s Play “Early Modern Period,” and Introduction to Edmund Spenser Book VI of Faerie Queene The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe Begin King Lear by William Shakespeare Paradise Lost Oroonoko The Country Wife The Rape of the Lock Gullivers Travels Beggar’s Opera A Modest Proposal Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard The Deserted Village Attached is a rough draft i started.
