L354 Guidelines for the Short Papers
The short papers should make an interpretive argument about
a single text that we have studied this semester. They should be from 1200-1500 words in
length, double-spaced, and conform to MLA style.
The papers must have a clearly articulated thesis statement, which is supported by
a close reading of the text, including relevant quotations. Thesis statements must advance a particular
interpretation of the text and not simply restate obvious features. For instance, “Yezierska’s novel Bread Givers tells the story of a woman
who rises in the world by gaining an education” would NOT be an acceptable
thesis because it merely summarizes an aspect of the plot. A good thesis provides room for argument, so
that other readers might disagree with your interpretation. For instance, someone could disagree with
this thesis: “Although early in Yezierska’s novel Bread Givers, Sara seems to reject her Jewish heritage in favor of
assimilation to American values and customs, by the end of the novel she
acknowledges the importance of her heritage to her future, and she strives to
reconcile Old and New World values.” You
don’t necessarily need to cram the whole thesis into a single sentence – you
can spread it over two or three -- but you should make the thrust of your
argument clear to the reader by the end of your second paragraph, at the
latest.
No research is
required for the short papers.
Instead, concentrate on building your own interpretation of the
text. If you do need to consult other
sources, keep the references brief and cite the sources in MLA style.
Use quotes from the
text to support your argument. Cite
key passages and then discuss them. If
something is worth quoting, it’s worth talking about. Don’t ever fall into the trap of believing
that “the quotes speak for themselves,” or somehow make your argument for
you. Use long quotes (over three lines) sparingly, and only when your reader
needs to have the exact words in front of him to understand what you’re saying
about the text. As a rule of thumb, your
comments after a quote should be at least as long as the quote itself. If you don’t have that much to say about the
quote, paraphrase part of it to provide context and only quote the key words.
Pay attention to the transitions
between paragraphs. Each transition
should advance your argument by making a connection between the ideas in the
two paragraphs.
The conclusion
should do more than merely restate your thesis.
After all, the first time your readers saw your thesis we hadn’t read
your paper. By the end of the paper our
understanding of your argument should be more nuanced, and the conclusion
should reflect a deeper understanding of the text than was possible at the
beginning.
I enjoy discussing possible paper topics and commenting on
draft essays, and I’ll be happy to help you along the way, but you’ll need to
take the initiative and ask for help.
See me before or after class, during office hours, or make an
appointment. If you have a draft, you
can also send it to me by e-mail, and I’ll add marginal comments. If you send me a draft a week in advance of
the deadline, I’ll have comments to you in a day or two, and then you’ll have
time to revise.
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