Today’s Agenda:
1) Presentation
2) Group Discussion 0f reading
3) Class Discussion of reading
4) Strategies for explaining the relationship between a literary element and a theoretical framework.
a. There are some basic techniques you can follow in your paper to keep it on track and focused.
b. Once you have laid the foundation for your argument, it is time to begin thinking about how your element and your theory relate.
i. I begin this by process by thinking about the general function of the element in the text, and then I try to talk about this function in terms of the theory I am considering. For example, you begin by asking yourself why something is important, and then you talk about how its significance may relate to the theory in question.
ii. Very quickly, you will realize that you have only a very basic understanding of your chosen theory, and that you will need to do some research to gain better insights into it. This is okay. You need to become more comfortable with the experience of not knowing, and which doing research to get the information you need. At the beginning of this process, you can expect to bounce back and forth between research and writing. This is not a bad thing to do. In fact it is a good thing. However, also realize that there is far more research on this topic than you could ever hope to cover for this paper, so you will need to be selective in how you research. I would encourage you to begin research by looking at definitions and short summation of the theory. You can get into technical issues in a later class.
1) You should begin by identifying a body of research that you can turn to as you make your argument.
2) You should begin by searching for at least 15 possible, relevant sources for your paper. Once you have identified these sources, you should examine them to see how they may relate to your topic or topics. You should begin this research in our library. Books, essays, journal articles – there are going to be resources both on and off line that you can use.
3) Skim – do not read word-for-word – the material until you find comments that relate to the topic or subject you are interested in. You may not find comments that directly relate to your argument itself, but you may find supporting evidence or facts that you can use to strengthen your argument. Highlight important information and keep in close by as you write.
4) Once you have done an initial round of research, it is time to come back to your foundation, the element that you have identified. Your success with the paper will in large part depend on how you stay focused on the element and how it appears to function within the text.
5) Now, one of the things to be aware of is that these theories are all limited in some ways, so you will find that there are things that your element does that do not seem to fit under the theory. That’s okay. If this happens, talk about why you think this is the case, and what it may tell you about the element within the text.
6) We are going to take some class time today to look at the work we have produced, and come up with a research and writing strategy for the weekend. How can we get the information that we need? When will we get it? Where will we get it?
[...] Friday, April 10 [...]