Research:
Your essay should include some outside research and engagement with the critical community’s work on your subject. For a 200-level literature essay no more than two peer-reviewed sources are recommended. When using outside sources make sure they are reliable and academic ones – Answers.com and Wikipedia are not reliable academic sources, but all books in the library are, as are all peer-reviewed journals or online sources. As a first step, consult the MLA Bibliography, JSTOR, and Project Muse for articles and, when in doubt, ask me or a librarian for advice as to what is appropriate critical material. Please also cite your primary sources (i.e. the literary work/s you are analyzing) in your Works Cited page. Quotations from primary or second sources within your essay must be cited appropriately using MLA bracket citation style (not footnotes). If you are not familiar with MLA, see the Writing Centre, librarians, or me for help.
Please make sure that you have a clear argument that is your own and use your research either to support your case or to outline your unique take on a subject. It may be that you disagree with the critical material you cite, but in challenging an argument, you must propose a well-supported case of your own. Avoid plot description, sweeping historical assumptions or generalizations, in favour of demonstrations that you are thinking critically about the literature and subject you are writing about. Always quote from the literature you are analyzing to support your argument.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will result in a failing grade for the assignment. All cases of plagiarism must also be reported to the Dean’s office. Late essays will be subject to penalty unless an extension has been granted at least one week in advance of the due date, or for emergency situations.
Grading Criteria: Essays are graded both on content and on writing style. The difference between an “A” and a “B” paper grade is as follows: A “B” paper reiterates what we have discussed in class, has a strong and clear argument, and is well-written in terms of grammar and style. An “A” paper is also stylistically excellent, but goes further in its ideas and conveys to me that you have thought independently and that you have considered the subject in some critical depth. I want to know both what you think and that you are thinking, and I want to see that you always support your arguments with evidence from the texts you are analyzing.
You can choose ONE topic between these two:
Discuss the significance of colour symbolism in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Compare the treatment of the myth of the fairy queen in “Lanval” and The Wife of Bath’s Tale.
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