Exploring the #MeToo Movement in Connection with Margaret Fuller’s “The Great Lawsuit” and Transcendentalism

The purpose of this exercise is for you to research a topic about the authors we have covered that interests you, and then write a convincing, studied, and nearly flawless paper that examines that topic in depth.  The topic need not be something we’ve covered in class, but it must involve the texts that we have covered.  That being said, it might focus on just one text, a couple of texts, or, at the limit, a theme or idea that occurs in three texts.  This is a chance for you to take a measure of the critical field surrounding the ideas and issues animating antebellum literature, and then, most importantly, integrate your argument into it.  You will need to survey what critics have said about your topic, and then using your own insights into the texts or ideas, you must find a way to stake a claim to your own arguments. 

SPECIFICS

This is a research paper, and therefore, you must have an adequate number of secondary sources to situate your argument effectively.  For the purposes of this assignment, you will need, AT THE MINIMUM, seven works of secondary criticism—that is, chapters from academic works, monographs, articles from peer-reviewed journals, etc.—and only TWO of them can have been written before 1999.  The paper must be double-spaced, with one-inch margins all the way around, and must make use of FOOTNOTES.  There must be page numbers on every page, and your name must also show up on every page.  At the end of the paper, I need to see a correctly notated Works Cited page, and a word count.  Your grade for this paper will be penalized if these very basic aspects of the assignment are not met.

TOPIC DISCUSSION and DRAFT READING

I am more than happy to discuss your topic with you at any step along the way, but certainly closer to now than when the essay is due would provide the most benefits.  I am also happy to read a draft of an essay or a part thereof (say, the thesis statement, opening paragraph, etc.), and give you comments.  However, I will not accept any draft later than ONE WEEK before the paper is due.  After that time, while I am willing to discuss your topic with you, I won’t have the time to respond effectively to your writing.

LATENESS POLICY

Turning in an essay late flies in the face of everyone’s having a level-playing field in working on this assignment.  Therefore, if you take more time than is allotted for this assignment, and turn in a paper late, you will be penalized.  If you turn in the assignment late—and by late, I mean the minute after the assignment is due—you will be penalized 10 points for every day.  I count days as starting at midnight.  If you want to, you may turn in your essay early, so if your plans keep you from campus when the essay is due, you may always hand it in before then.

ADVICE

As with the shorter paper, I am assuming that by the time you zero-in on your topic, you have a good idea about what you are going to write, and that it springs from a solid reading of the text(s) you are working with.  Start with a recent piece of criticism that you either admire or that you disagree with: use that work’s bibliography as a starting point for filling out your own.  From there, you can then use subsequent bibliographies to build your argument.  Remember to look at the article in at least three ways.  First, look at the argument that the author is making and evaluate it.  Does the author overread?  Underread?  Not focus on a scene?  Focus too much on one character?  How do these omissions or foci skew the argument?  Second, look at the way that the author makes the argument.  Where is the “thesis” and what is it?  How does the author deal with other criticism?  How does the author maneuver the primary texts?  Use it, in other words, as a model.  Lastly, after looking at several articles, see if you can take a step back and articulate more major trends that are going on.

As with the shorter paper, I am assuming that by the time you zero-in on your topic, you have a good idea about what you are going to write, and that it springs from a solid reading of the text(s) you are working with.  Start with a recent piece of criticism that you either admire or that you disagree with: use that work’s bibliography as a starting point for filling out your own.  From there, you can then use subsequent bibliographies to build your argument.  Remember to look at the article in at least three ways.  First, look at the argument that the author is making and evaluate it.  Does the author overread?  Underread?  Not focus on a scene?  Focus too much on one character?  How do these omissions or foci skew the argument?  Second, look at the way that the author makes the argument.  Where is the “thesis” and what is it?  How does the author deal with other criticism?  How does the author maneuver the primary texts?  Use it, in other words, as a model.  Lastly, after looking at several articles, see if you can take a step back and articulate more major trends that are going on.

Focus on a critical issue, a literary theory, or a thematic category that

is NOT related to text X. Read deeply in this outside idea. Then,

import it into your argument, and apply it to the text. The advantage

of this approach is that you run little risk of rehearsing another

intervention, or of having to qualify your argument to clear space.

The disadvantage of this approach is that the application process

needs to be sufficiently compelling to justify its use. NOTE:

insufficiently understanding the theory can lead to a dangerously

narrow reading, and not taking account, critically, for all aspects of

the theory in its application can lead to troubling blind spots in your

argument.