A. Find at least one quote from the literature textbook  about Romanticism or Cooper you would like to use in your essay. Write it down.  Include all the bibliographic information, such as

author

title of the article

title of the book

page your quote is on

page __________ to page _____

city it was published in

publisher

copyright date

editor

edition

B.  In addition, find at least one quote from the Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism (or 20th century or

Contemporary Literature-- whichever volume is about your author),

or from the Gale Research Literary Criticism site,

InfoTrack student guide,

or a site with selections from the sources in the library,

from  another Galenet Infotrack source, ContemporaryAuthors,

The Dictionary of Literary Biography,

Twayne's Author Series,

Student Resource Center-- Gold,

or a good encylopedia.

Print that article (three pages or less) or make a zerox of the article.  Highlight the quote you think you will use in

your essay.

 Make sure you write down

all the data that your Works Cited is going to call for.

THE LITERARY RESEARCH ESSAY

Objectives:

1. Using writing to explore aspects of Romanticism, clarify ideas, and demonstrate both  your understanding of and  ability to recognize romanticism in a new setting.
2. Compiling information from secondary sources (film script, literature text, and one other source such as a literature criticism text, an encyclopedia, or an internet source) using available technology.
3. Organizing notes from multiple sources in useful and informing ways.
4. Employing precise language to communicate ideas clearly and concisely.
5. Using standard English to meet demands of occasion, audience, and task.
6. Writing in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
7. Compiling written ideas and representations into a research essay.
8. Showing proficiency in use of language, mechanics, spelling, capitalization, etc.
9. Using the correct MLA format for internal citations, and Works Cited page.

Expectations:

·         Daily Grades for on task behavior in the library/classroom/toga lab during research process.

·         Major Grades for the final product and process part

Guidelines for your research essay:

1. Create your Romanticism mind map
2. Read the intro to Romanticism in Elements of Literature (pp. 136-150)
3. Review what makes a good thesis
4. Watch the movie :)
5. Make a list of the top ten things you liked about Last of the Mohicans (or whichever movie you prefer)..

    6. Choose Last of the Mohicans, The Two Towers, The Fellowship of the Ring, Muppet Treasure Island, Princess Bride or Braveheart.

    7. Analyze the movie you choose for at least three aspects of Romanticism contained within the script.

8.  bubble, or draw boxes, or make a bulleted listed about how these characteristics show

up in your movie of choice. 

9. After you have made your list, think about which categories you could best

support, as well as which categories are most interesting to you personally.

10.Write a good thesis.  Get it approved.

11.  Write a five paragraph (or more) essay, using the organizational patterns we have discussed in class.

Guidelines for organizing your essay:

1. Introduction in which you name the author and the novel and the director’s film adaptation using either an anecdote, a quote, a startling statistic, dialogue, the history, or a question and gradually leading to a carefully worded  thesis that romanticism is an essential component in the movie.
2. Body paragraphs discussing the aspects of romanticism you can explain well.  Within these paragraphs you are citing information that proves your thesis.  You should plan to use at least  six  effective interesting quotes [four from the script, one from the literature text, and one from another academic source]  to prove your position.  Your body paragraphs should make it completely clear to the reader that you understand all about the characteristics of the romantic hero or rejection of European values, etc. as applied to the movie as well as why the romantics liked that particular aspect so much. 
3. A conclusion that restates the thesis and puts the ideas of romanticism in  perspective to the general aspects of life or literature or  movies today. 

ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS:

1. YOU MUST DO YOUR OWN WORK.  USING QUOTES OR INFORMATION OR SENTENCES WITHOUT CITING THEM IS PLAGIARISM AND WILL RESULT IN A ZERO.
2. YOU MUST INCLUDE INTERNAL CITATIONS EVERY TIME YOU QUOTE OR PARAPHRASE.
3. YOU MUST INCLUDE A TYPED  WORKS CITED PAGE IN MLA FORMAT.
4. YOU MUST MAKE A ZEROX  OF THE PAGES YOU CITE IN YOUR PAPER. (Plan to bring change to make copies.)  YOU MUST HIGHLIGHT THE QUOTE YOU ARE USING OR CHANGING AND  ATTACH THESE COPIES TO YOUR FINAL DRAFT, WHICH YOU WILL TURN IN TO ME.
5. YOU MUST TURN IN NOTES, CHARTS, DRAFTS AS PART OF YOUR PROCESS.  IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO WRITE A FINAL DRAFT THAT IS PERFECT.  I WANT TO SEE THE PROCESS.
6. YOU MUST TURN IN A TYPED FINAL DRAFT IN MLA FORMAT.

Due Dates:  Thursday March 13  B—At start of class, Essay rough draft, intro, body, and conclusion  and zeroxes with quotes highlighted.  Peer editing/response

                    Friday  Mar 14 A

Monday Mar 24 B—write rough draft of works cited in class/Hawthorne

Tuesday Mar 25 A

Wed. Mar 26B—turn in typed rough draft of works cited—Poe documentary

Thursday Mar 27 A

Friday Mar 28B—Works cited returned/ fix errors

Tuesday April 1B Entire final copy of essay, works cited, and process parts due. 

Wed. April 2 A 

For more tips

 Steps:  Easy!!  One step at a time..

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Romanticism

Literary Research Assignment

© P Carnie, February 2003