For the final essay, you will write an analysis of the last literary text we will study together, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet
Primary Texts (Sources) and Topic: For the final essay, you will write an analysis of the last literary text we will study together, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. Focus your analysis on one theme of the text; choose a theme pertinent to our class discussions about the novel that interests you. Reading and Writing about Literature explains and provides an example of analysis assignments, so review that section thoroughly (though we have been practicing analysis all semester long, obviously). Consider elements appropriate to an understanding of fiction, such as character(s), point of view, setting, symbolism, or style to help you explore this theme. Note that, while you may need to remind the reader of the occasional plot element, plot cannot be the primary focus of your analysis.
Research and Secondary Sources (Texts): All of the guidelines we have discussed this semester for what constitutes a viable scholarly secondary source hold true for the final essay. The only additional requirement is that you must consult a minimum of four secondary sources for this assignment and your sources must come from different media: at least one secondary source must be from a print source (a physical book or journal, etc.) and one must be from a digital source (an article in an electronic database, a digital edition of a scholarly journal, etc.).
You have a wealth of secondary material available to you in the additional articles included in the Norton Critical edition of the text (I draw your attention particularly to the sections labeled “Puritan Background and Sources” (291 – 386) and “The Scarlet Letter [Criticism]” (418 – 669). Though they are technically primary sources, not secondary, you may make use of “The Custom House” and the excerpts from Hawthorne’s American Notebooks as if each were a separate secondary source in fulfillment of the assignment. You may, of course, consult other print sources, as well.
Consult the assignment sheet for Essay 1 (still on Blackboard if you don’t have your copy) for further details regarding how to conduct research.
Formatting, Citations, and Works Cited: By this point of the semester students should understand all the basics of formatting, citations, and the works cited page, so you will be graded accordingly. Consult Reading and Writing about Literature, especially the sample research paper, or the wealth of additional resources we have discussed for further information. Since you likely will make use of at least two separate texts from the Norton Critical Edition of the text, you will need to make use of cross listing (see citing multiple works in a compilation or anthology in chapter 8 of Reading and Writing about Literature).
NOTE ON QUOTATIONS: Since this is a longer, more substantial research essay, you may find it necessary (though it is certainly not required) to incorporate a longer block quotation or two; this is permissible, though, of course, you should continue to quote only what you need to make your point. Quotation should still remain a small percentage of your text, no more than 10 or 20 percent, with your own writing comprising the bulk of your composition. Note also the slight differences in format for block quotations as compared to regular quotations included in your essays (consult Reading and Writing about Literature or MLA Handbook for further details).
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