As part of the course requirements, you will write a 7-9-page (not counting the works cited page), analytical research paper that compares and contrasts (examines similarities and differences) one Harry Potter novel and David Copperfield. Although you will certainly focus on the first twelve chapters of David Copperfield - David's childhood - you should consider the entire novel. (You cannot base your essay on Dickens or Rowling novels outside of our course reading, although you can reference these in your essay. You can also reference the movie adaptations if relevant. Since this is a research paper, you will use secondary sources (see below) to support your thesis.
The research paper will require a minimum of four secondary sources. (The novels are primary sources.) Two sources must be for David Copperfield and two for the Rowling novel you choose. Of these four sources, only one can be a website, although you do not have to use websites. One must be a journal article, and one must be a book, book chapter or an essay in an essay collection. Although you can use the introduction in the Penguin edition of David Copperfield, it does not count towards the four minimum sources. You can use more than four sources; they can be any type of source. The works cited page, then, will contain a minimum total of six sources--four secondary + the two novels you are writing about.
There are two parts to this assignment. 1.) Working bibliography and 2.) The essay and the outline
ESSAY TOPIC
You will keep a paper topics journal (bluebook in class) during the first half of
the semester. Keep a list of possible topics as you read and participate
in class discussions. We will certainly mention topics in class, but feel free to see me to discuss possible topics
you think might be viable for a research paper of this scope.
Once you choose your topic, you may refine or adjust it as you conduct research and think about your ideas.
Keep the essay's length in mind. Remember you are comparing and
contrasting two long novels, so your topic will need to be narrow enough.
You might also conduct some quick, preliminary research to see what sources discuss your topic. Begin by conducting a search for articles (library databases--MLA International Bibliography/JSTOR) and online book catalogue (library stacks). Then find these sources and preview them. If they will be fruitful, then record them until you have a chance to read them carefully and take notes.
Working Bibliography (15 pts)
Remember, an effective bibliography achieves balance in terms of the dates
of sources and the variety and types of sources.
You will turn in a annotated bibliography ahead of your
essay
(due date - see syllabus), which must contain a minimum of 5
secondary sources (not counting your two novels, which are primary sources). The purpose of the working bibliography is to obtain an understanding of sources you might use for your paper. These sources will help you think about your topic and
obtain a sense of how they complement your ideas. They will also let you see how other writers approach a topic.
You may end up using additional sources in the final essay or not using all of the sources you list, hence the name "working" bibliography.
This bibliography will contain 1.) the MLA citations for each source and 2.) a minimum three-to-four-sentence summary of each work. Summaries should indicate the main point(s) or idea(s) of the source. Avoid being too general or vague. You also might indicate the connection of the source to your topic. List sources in alphabetical order. It should consist of at least two journal articles and one book (or book chapter ) or essay from an essay collection. (At least one source for each novel.) Websites are optional, but you can include them; however, you should include no more than two legitimate websites for the working bibliography. If you wish to included additional sources beyond the required five, they can be any type of source.
See the sample annotated bibliography I gave you.
Format: Typed, one-inch margins, double spaced, 12pt. font (set by Word), Times New Roman, no extra spaces between paragraphs, indent each new paragraph.
***Modifications based on our class discussion.
- You can be flexible with the type of source, e.g., 4 essays from book collection & 1 article. Explain what you are doing to find additional articles.
- If you only have 3-4 sources, give those, but indicate what you are doing to find additional sources.
- If you are not quite finished reading a source and taking notes, summarize what you can, but indicate what you have left to do.
- All sources do not have to be directly about
the novels. For example, for DC, you might use an article or
book chapter on social class or the position of women in the
nineteenth century. You might also use information about each
author's life. For Dickens, you could look at the biographies
in the stacks. (Use the index to look up specific topics.)
Be sure to search the library’s discovery tool, Search@UW, including all
of UW-System libraries. Use UW Borrowing for books our library does not have.
For journal articles, use MLA
International Bibliography, JSTOR, Academic
Search Complete (EBSCO) as well as other relevant humanities
databases. See me or a
librarian for help. You can also request articles and books using
Interlibrary Loan.
- The Penguin edition of David Copperfield has bibliographies that you should consult, located after the introduction
- Consult bibliographies in sources you find/Check notes included in sources
- Dickens: Journals that you should consult might include Studies in the Novel, Dickens Quarterly, Victorian Studies, Dickens Studies Annual, Nineteenth Century Literature, English Literary History, The Dickensian.
- Dickens: Databases you might use include the MLA International Bibliography and JSTOR
- Rowling: Databases you might consult include ProjectMuse, Literary Reference Center, Humanities International Complete, Literature Criticism Online
- There are two books (essay collections) about Rowling's Harry Potter series on reserve--Reading Harry Potter and Reading Harry Potter Again. Each essay ends with notes you can mine for sources. And each book ends with a select bibliography.
- Search terms are important. Be sure you keep track of search terms and use relevant search terms related to your topic.
- Browse the Dickens section in our library's book stacks. Check tables of contents and indexes. Search the book collection for books about Rowling/Harry Potter.
- For Harry Potter, see the Pottermore and official Rowling websites. (See Course Notes on our class website.) Also, you can try a Google search for materials, but be careful about the source--assess its credibility. For Dickens, academic websites can also be used. Check authors and sponsoring organizations of sites (-edu? -org? -com?). See the websites I have listed on the course website (under "British Literature" link).
- You will write an informal outline of your entire essay before you begin drafting your essay. The outline will be due with the final essay, although we will most likely share your outline in class. This outline will help you solidify the content and structure of your essay before you start drafting. It will also help you envision what quotations you will use and where in the essay they will go.
- Use the handout I gave you as an example of the type of outline you will construct. Do not just make up your own type of outline. As we went over in class, include a few supporting points for each main point along with 1.) quotations from the novel you will use and 2) quotations from secondary sources--give title and/or a brief description of the quotation + page number. You do not have to write out the full quotations.
- How long should your outline be for this essay? (Refer to our class discussion.) The outline can be handwritten or typed.
The research paper will be a literary analysis of one or two of Dickens's novels. Based on your topic, you will develop a specific thesis about how a novel explores and develops that topic. In essence, your paper is an argument intended to convince readers that your thesis is a valid one, that your interpretation of the novel is a valid way of reading it.
You will support your thesis with:
- examples and analysis,
- quotations from the novel, and
- secondary sources--use your annotated bibliography.
You will use the MLA citation style (humanities) for parenthetical citations and for your works cited page. A copy of the MLA Handbook (8th ed.) for our course is on reserve in the library.
IntroductionRemember the function of an introduction--introduce your subject, raise key questions, situate your topic within the existing scholarship, and/or define your parameters (choice of texts). Your intro. does not necessarily have to include all of these. Finally, your introduction should include your thesis statement.
Thesis StatementAs you know, your thesis is the main point or idea of your essay. If you think of a literary analysis as an argument, then your thesis is the main point your are trying to prove. This "point" comes from your reading, thinking, and writing about the novel or novels you have chosen. Consider this introductory paragraph comparing Dickens's OT and Roman Polanski's adaptation of the movie. The thesis is in italics:
As seen in both the novel and Polanski's movie adaptation, Oliver Twist is portrayed with innocence as a major personal trait; however, this picture of innocence varies throughout these two sources, therefore altering the audiences' image of Oliver as a whole. These sources show Oliver remaining pure in a corrupt place, but these images go about different ways to create his character. In Dickens's novel, Oliver is described as being unaware of his surroundings, therefore giving the reader the image of Oliver as a small, meek child, but Polanski ultimately reinterprets the character of Oliver. The movie adaptation works as a translation of Dickens's novel by changing the way in which the audience views his character. While the novel merely portrays Oliver as a meek child who is unaware of his surroundings, the movie's actual visual sources show Oliver as innocent, yet independent at the same time, giving the audience two different understandings of the character of Oliver as whole. **There is a specific point here, but the writer's thesis might further specifiy what these two different understandings are. What is the significance of showing Oliver as more independent? Why reinterpret the novel this way?*
AudienceAssume readers, who are students taking a 200- or 300-level English literature course, have experience reading literature and literary criticism as well as basic knowledge of the novel's plot, although the plots in Dickens's novel can be complicated. What would this audience expect to learn from your essay? What would be their reason for reading it? What writing style would they expect? Keep these questions in mind as your draft and revise.
OrganizationFor a comparison/contrast essay, you might block your discussion (discuss one novel then the other) or use an alternating structure based on common points/ideas of comparison, moving back and forth between novels. There are pros and cons to each method. Organize your essay by developing and linking supporting points/ideas. Move logically and clearly from supporting idea to supporting idea, each, in turn, supporting the thesis. Use clear topic sentences that focus each paragraph as well as clear paragraph transitions. Also, be sure paragraphs are not too long (overloaded) or too short (underdeveloped). An outline is an effective way to visualize the entire structure of your essay.
Development/SupportChoose your supporting ideas carefully. Do not focus on plot summary. You should only use plot summary briefly to contextualize points/ideas. Be sure to defend supporting ideas clearly and specifically using concrete examples. You may, for example, define key terms/words, interpret dialogue and actions, assess characters, explain the meaning/significance of key ideas/concepts.
Using/Integrating QuotationsQuotations emphasize and highlight important ideas/points that would be lost or muted with paraphrase or summary. They also allow readers to experience the language of the text. Remember, however, that quotations are not a substitute for your thinking, so they must be interpreted and explained. Don't overuse quotations and be careful about using long (block) quotations. Choose quotations judiciously. Check the MLA Handbook for advice about integrating and punctuating quotations and citing page numbers.
Grammar and MechanicsThe essay length is 7-9 pages, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12pt (set by Word), Times New Roman. Since you are indenting paragraphs, you do not also need extra spaces between paragraphs. Please use page numbers. Include a title (not "A Comparison of Dickens and Rowling") Use a paper clip rather than stapling.
- Coordination and Subordination/Comma Usage
- Run-ons/Parallelism/Modification - Consult a current handbook for help and see me
- Use third person for the essay
- Discuss novels using the present tense
- Use "Dickens's" or "Rowlings's" for the possessive