1) A contextual analysis: This type of paper would focus on the work’s social, cultural, and political contexts. For example, what was going on in London while Jonathan Swift was writing Gulliver’s Travels? How did “coffee-house culture” influence Swift, and what did people think about stories regarding naval exploration or colonialism at the time? Or, how did the Civil War influence Walt Whitman?
(2) Adaptation: This type of paper would consider the age-old question, “How good is the movie version?” Of course, in order to answer that question, you must not only watch the movie, but also read the book. Your analysis would focus on questions like, “Why did the director change that scene, or delete that scene?” and “Why did that actor get cast in that particular role?” and “Why is that music playing in the background of this scene?” Your ultimate goal in this kind of paper is to compare and contrast the original version with the adaptation, whether that’s a movie, a television show, or a painting.
(3) Comparison: This type of paper would compare two or more of the works we’ve looked at in class. How, for example, could you compare and contrast two different plays we read–Atsumori by Zeami Motokiyo and Tartuffe by Moliere? Or, how would you compare and contrast the poetry of William Blake and that of William Wordsworth?
