Introduction to Literary Research

Final Paper for Literary Research: Fall 2009
Final paper. Students will write a research essay of at least
8 pages on Paine or the writer you are researching for your
PowerPoint presentation (your previous assignments should help you to come up with ideas for this project). In addition, you will include an annotated bibliography with at least 15 appropriate scholarly sources. Articles from websites will not be accepted as scholarly sources (articles from on-line databases such as JSTOR are of course acceptable). The essay itself must incorporate the work of at least five of these scholarly sources. This is the culmination of the course; it should be a work of substance.

Complete an intelligent and well-written research essay that discusses issues related to Tom Paine and your reading of his works. The topic is your choice. You might range widely, focusing on aspects of American life and literature in the late colonial period, or on Paine’s influences on other (and later) writers and thinkers.  You might focus sharply, discussing Paine’s use of a particular theme or rhetorical technique.  The decision is yours.

I am very willing to help you brainstorm for intriguing approaches. Our main concern is that you choose a topic that requires literary analysis. A topic that calls for both sophisticated library research and a close and detailed reading of Tom Paine’s work and/or a related author’s work will be a good bet.

Be sure to review and make use of the sources that have been summarized and discussed in the Summary/Annotation assignment, but also complete a literature search using the MLA Bibliography, Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, and WorldCat for books and articles on related topics that were not included in that assignment.

Due in Class, Wednesday, December 9.