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Literature Paper Number One Guidelines

1

IAH 204

Fall 2014

Armstrong

Due Date: October 9th, 2014

You will submit your papers to the OriginalityCheck Dropbox titled “Paper #1” on the D2L site

for this course. Late submissions will have 50% automatically deducted from your grade (10 points), so be sure to turn your paper into the dropbox before your section meeting time on Thursday. No exceptions without prior correspondence with me.

Grading:

Your paper is out of a total of 20 points and amounts to 20% of your final grade for this course. The rubric can be seen on the OriginalityCheck Dropbox on D2L. In sum, 3 points are for comprehension of the material, 5 points are for organization, 2 points are for grammar/mechanics and spelling, and the final 10 points are for your analysis and interpretation.

Plagiarism Policy:

ANY instances of plagiarism, intentional or otherwise, will result in automatic failure of the assignment or course and notification sent to the dean of your college. Plagiarism is defined as the direct or indirect incorporation of ideas other than your own into your work without proper academic citation. If you aren’t sure whether or not something is plagiarism, the best thing to do is to cite it anyway. If you are not sure about how to cite information properly, you need to come and talk to me, or Professor Wang, immediately in our office hours.

Guidelines:

• Do not put your name, PID, or any other identifying information on your paper. (Your paper will be identified on D2L).

• Your paper needs to have a strong, clear, and comprehensive thesis followed by an organized presentation of the evidence in favor of your argument from the text(s). In other words, the purpose of your paper is to prove your analytical argument.

• Papers need to be between 4 and 5 pages, double-spaced, in size 12 Times New Roman font. The margins of your paper should all be 1”. Any deviation from these norms will result in a lower grade and will prevent you from developing your argument properly.

• Make certain that your paper is written in a proper academic register. Phrases like “I think,” “I believe,” and “so-and-so resonates with me” need to be avoided. Be assertive and confident in your writing. Also, you must avoid the use of contractions and colloquialisms such as “isn’t” and “don’t” (contractions), and “just my two cents,” “dude,” “cool,” (colloquialisms) etc.

• Be sure that you focus on addressing the issue in the topic you choose. Your goal is not simply to list the questions for consideration provided and answer them in order. Rather, you need to form a cohesive and organized argumentative paper using the questions as a guide.

• You do not need to answer every question listed in the topic of your choice. The questions are only a guide to your thinking of how you might outline your paper. Asking questions is part of the writing process, especially when one writes about literature. This is why the questions are there, so do not ignore them either.

• It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that your paper contain a thesis statement. I will briefly explain thesis statements in recitation, but if you are still unsure, see me during my office hours. If you do not have a thesis statement, you cannot pass this assignment.

• If you are choosing a compare/contrast paper topic, then do not simply list similarities and differences. You need to go beyond this superficial layer into the realm of analytical thought. Ask yourself: what do these similarities and difference signify and why are they important?

• Your paper must be mostly analytical in nature. In other words, do not simply summarize the story of the text(s) that you are focusing on. You must go beyond simply retelling the story. You need to make an argument that goes beyond the text to deal with complicated issues and answer questions raised by the text(s). An “A” paper is one that deals with these difficult questions, probes deeply, maintains their complexity, and handles the issues well in an organized and sustained manner. A superficial interpretation of the text will not earn the highest points possible for the analysis.

• If you are going to use sources outside of the course pack, then you must cite the ideas or information that you took from said sources in a bibliography at the end of your paper (the bibliography does not count towards the page requirements). If you are only going to cite the course pack, then you do not need a bibliography, but you should still use in text citations in the following format: (CP course pack page/original page).

• Wikipedia is not a suitable source of information for your paper.

• Make sure that you properly proofread your paper. Grammar and spelling are a part of your grade; do not ignore this facet of the rubric.

Finally, make sure to see me or send me an e-mail if you are stuck, confused, lost, or have any questions about preparing for or completing this assignment.

Having said that, DO NOT wait until the last minute to begin asking for help, or I may not have time because there are so many students. Use your time wisely.

Topics for Paper # 1

(1) Confucianism in Cultural Studies

Although Confucianism has been present in East Asian culture since the Spring and Autumn Period, the way different scholars and rulers have interpreted this thought system and implemented its teachings has varied across time and space. For this essay topic, compare and contrast the interpretation of Confucianism as different individuals and/or groups in ancient China and Japan contributed their own perspective to the original concepts established by Confucius. It is not necessary to discuss every individual and group discussed in class. Your paper should be more focused and precise than a general overview. Also, do not simply compare and contrast different Confucian approaches in your analysis, but make sure to support your argument as to what is significant about the different interpretations of this philosophy that you discuss.

(2) Interpretations of Daoism

One factor contributing to the large amount of writers who have composed commentaries on Daoist writing is the open-ended nature and unconstrained thinking this philosophy encourages. Add your perspective to the long standing conversation on the nature of Daoist thought by analyzing the major concepts that appear in Laozi and Zhuangzi. Develop your interpretation by considering what these two thinkers contributed to the philosophy as a whole and in what characteristics they are similar or different.

(3) Sima Qian and Han Historical Writing

Consider the role of historical writing during the Han Dynasty and the objectives this work sought to achieve. With this information in mind, develop an analysis of how Sima Qian’s writing could be reflective of this. Using his pieces “Letter to Ren An” and “Lian Po and Lin Xiangru” discuss what major concepts the Grand Historian focuses on and how he communicates them to the reader. Make sure to support your interpretation with specific examples from the text.