Explore a theme or comment on a cultural/literary phenomenon in one or several pieces of works studied so far. The followings are just a few points that you might want to pay attention to:
1. Your paper should have a clear focus, a well-defined theme supported by sufficient evidence from the literary works. The title should give some indication to the theme of the paper. To write a paper is to present your personal view and observation on literary works, originality, therefore, is highly valued. Yet while creative interpretation is encouraged, correct understanding of Chinese culture, society and literature is essential. Comparison with a Western literary work and its underlined values is also welcome. The quality of the paper often depends on how significant your conclusion is. Do not re-tell the plot of the fiction you are going to write about, use their details to support your argument.
2. When you write anything, bear your readers in mind. Avoid what is self-evident to your intended readers, because it will weaken your paper.
3. It is useful to state in your initial paragraph the purpose, the theme, or the main argument of your paper. Thereafter every sentence and every paragraph should in one way or another contribute to or support it. Organize your argument/presentation so that it takes your reader logically and step-by-step to your conclusion. It is wise to give a graceful, but not repetitive, summery in the concluding paragraph.
4. Watch your language and grammar. The writing quality of the paper will significantly affect your grade. If you are not confident of your writing, ask a friend to proof-read it before handing it in. Also you might consider seeking help from the writing center at the English department, if it is available.
5. You can use classroom notes to support your view, but it will be better if you can go beyond, even if a little bit, what you were told in class. What is expected is in-depth analysis of literature, using details from literary works to support an argument. You might want to read secondary materials (literary criticism, history, cultural studies, web-pages), not to copy their ideas and re-present them as your thesis, or to patch them into your paper. When you use ideas from others, you should put a footnote to indicate the sources. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden.
The followings are some suggested topics for this essay, though you are free to choose your own topics. Best papers often do not follow my suggested topics and they amaze me with their striking originality:
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