Assignment 1: Comparative Research Paper over Fences

HUM 3310 Module 6

Assignment 1: Comparative Research Paper over Fences (100 pts –

After reading (or watching) Fences, and then researching scholars’ analyses of the play, your job is to write a short paper in which you quote, summarize, and paraphrase two different scholarly critiques of the play. Use the articles that you summarized in last week’s Annotated Bibliography. Here are some tips to help with the paper:

· What kind of paper NOT to write: I am not asking for a paper that summarizes the play. Instead, the purpose of this assignment is to steep you in the literary analyses of this play written by two scholars who do this for a living. The assignment leads you to read two professional interpretations of Wilson’s classic drama. Your thesis is to be an assertion about these two literary analyses, not about the play itself.

· What you should write: Write a comparison or contrast paper in which you describe how the two scholarly critiques you have found on Fences share (or don’t share) similar points of view on the drama.

· Length of paper: The paper should run no less than two-and-a-half pages in length.

· Title:

To help you organize your essay, here is a model compare/contrast thesis statement and model outline that you can use to help:

While authors [name of author #1] and [name of author #2] hold a similar view about Fences in terms of [similarity], they differ in their views about [difference #1] and [difference #2].

These similarities and differences will be their views or interpretations of theme, characterization, symbolism, or some other literary element. You will organize the essay around this thesis statement:

I. Introduction paragraph

A. Speak broadly about the theme of Fences (properly citing sources)

B. Offer the reader a brief summary of Fences, making sure to include the works cited entry for Wilson from our textbook.

C. Introduce the two literary critiques and authors you will be comparing/contrasting by giving their names, article titles (in quotation marks), and a brief summary of their articles. They each should have a separate sentence.

D. End with the thesis statement: While authors [name of author #1] and [name of author #2] hold a similar view about Fences in terms of [similarity], they differ in their views about [difference #1] and [difference #2].

II. First, authors [author name #1] and [author name #2] hold a similar view about Fences in terms of [similarity].

A. Details/example from author #1 article including 1 properly introduced/set up quoted (with intext citation).

B. Details/example from author #2 article including 1 properly introduced/set up quoted (with intext citation).

C. Interpretation and explanation about how these two examples are similar.

III. Next, authors [author name #1] and [author name #2] differ in their view about [difference #1].

A. Details/example from author #1 article including 1 properly introduced/set up quoted (with intext citation).

B. Details/example from author #2 article including 1 properly introduced/set up quoted (with intext citation).

C. Interpretation and explanation about how these two examples are different.

IV. Lastly, authors [author name #1] and [author name #2] differ in their view about [difference #2].

A. Details/example from author #1 article including 1 properly introduced/set up quoted (with intext citation).

B. Details/example from author #2 article including 1 properly introduced/set up quoted (with intext citation).

C. Interpretation and explanation about how these two examples are different.

V. Conclusion (do not include any new source quotes)

A. Recap the thesis statement in different words.

B. Recap the main points or examples of similarity and difference from the body paragraphs.

C. Offer the reader a reflection about how understanding these similarities and differences of opinion about Fences help the reader to see this literary work in a different light or a broader perspective.

As mentioned above, be sure to include a works cited page which includes the proper MLA 8th/9th edition works cited entry for your two literary critiques from Academic Search Complete as well as the entry for the Wilson play in our textbook (use the discussion board model, but italicize the play title rather than placing it in quotation marks). This means a total of three sources. These should be listed in alphabetical order (according to the first part of the entry – the author’s last name), and they should have a hanging indent according to MLA conventions.

· As usual, this should be in MLA with a Works Cited page. It will be graded according to the attached rubric:

Criteria

Pts

Introduction – begins broadly about the play, and then narrows to a thesis that identifies the different areas of focus of the two scholarly articles

20

Paper clearly identifies similarities between two articles

20

Paper clearly identifies differences between two articles

20

Conclusion brings the paper together and makes some assertion about the significance of the play and the research

20

Paper is prepared professionally, follows MLA guidelines, and contains few errors

20