English research paper ,with strong thesis statement

Choose one of the works we have encountered during the term. Then focus in on an

element in the work that made you wonder about this element beyond the limits of

story. Below are just a few examples of possible “elements.”

You may have been struck by the bleakness of the setting in “Araby” by James Joyce.

This may have led you to wonder what life was like for real people at that time in Irish

Catholic Ireland.

You may have been wondered about Miss Emily in Falkner’s “A Rose for Emily” and the

great societal changes taking place in the South after the Civil war, which she was

unable to accept. What were those changes? What did they mean for people like the

Griersons?

Maybe the situation of women in the 19 th Century struck you as something you wanted

to explore further after reading “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin or “The Wife”

by Emily Dickinson.

You might want to research ancient Greek theater and relate it to your reading of

Oedipus the King, or you may have become curious about the genre of Magical Realism

exemplified by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

I urge you, however, not to just take one of these examples but to think about which

of the literary works we’ve read had the most meaning for you. Your element could

be about setting, history, societal behaviors, or morals of a given time—any strong

thread in the story, poem, or play that made you want to learn more. All discussion

must relate to the literary work you have chosen.

Requirements

Your paper must be four (4) pages in length plus an additional Works Cited page

You must follow MLA format. See “How Your Papers Should Look” in COURSE

INFORMATION

Your paper must contain a clearly stated thesis.

The paper must contain at least three quotes from the literary work and must refer

to at least three outside sources.

Your research must include at least three high quality sources in addition to the

literary work source,

General Outline for Essay

Original Title

Introduction

Interesting Beginning

Identification of title of story play, or poem and author

Thesis Statement

Body

Topic sentences to introduce the main idea of each paragraph

Development of thesis with reference to scenes in the story

Inclusion of at least three direct quotations from the story

Reference to at least three high quality sources not from the story

Conclusion

Restatement of thesis (not repetition)

Encapsulation of main ideas

Satisfying ending

Cite the website or book for all your sources, using correct MLA format.

Include correct parenthetical citation in the body of the essay. Please make

sure your essay is typed in Times New Roman 12-point font and looks like the

sample essay you were given early in the term. Delete extra spaces between

paragraphs. Your paper must be 4 pages in length plus a Works Cited page.