Essay #2
Final draft due via e-mail by midnight on Tuesday, 11/19
[20% of final grade]
We have seen throughout the semester that the novel, as a
genre, frequently engages with forms of art, either in terms of content (in
other words, the text is about art in
some way) or in form (in other words, incorporating
art into the text of the novel). We have also carefully and closely read
through a number of novels that owe a specific debt to an art other than that
of the novel. This includes music, painting, photography, sculpture, poetry,
philosophy, and architecture. The purpose of this essay will be to present an
interpretive argument about one novel;
the starting point of your interpretation should be this novel’s engagement
with, incorporation of, or juxtaposition to another form of art.
Your essay should not simply catalogue where we find
examples of this art in the novel, however, but should thoughtfully present
your understanding of how the different forms of art – the novel and sculpture,
for example – are able to illuminate one another in your chosen novel. What do
we learn about sculpture by comparing
it to fiction? Do we see any of the formal properties of sculpture in the
composition of this novel? Are there any key similarities or differences
between art forms that provide us with insight into the significance or meaning
of this particular novel? Does a greater understanding of sculpture lead us to
an understanding of this novel that we might not otherwise consider? How does
sculpture impact the characters, plot, imagery, or theme of the novel? How does
the art of sculpture relate to language arts more generally? These are some of
the questions that you might use to brainstorm different topics and lines of
argument. (And obviously I’m just using sculpture
here as a consistent example; you are free to choose any form of art that
is relevant to your chosen novel.)
In order to more fully address your topic, you will need to
incorporate research into this essay. In particular, you will need to find,
read, and cite at least three academic
sources. These sources must be from scholarly
books or journals; the distinction between what is and isn’t considered scholarly
will be addressed in class, and we will also address why this is important. Even
if there are no books or essays directly related to your chosen novel, you can
look for sources that deal more broadly with the art form or topic with which
you are engaged. For example, how has sculpture been discussed or defined by
art historians, and what can this nuanced understanding tell us about how
sculpture differs from other kinds of art? What are some dominant trends or
themes in sculpture throughout history? Or, are there articles about any other novels that deal with sculpture as
a theme? What have scholars and literary critics said about this combination in
the past? Again, these are just examples of the kinds of questions that you can
ask as you begin this process.
This paper should be at least 6 full pages of text, not including the Works Cited page, and should
not be longer than 8 pages of text. All quotations, paraphrases, or summaries
should be cited according to MLA style, which will be addressed in class before
the assignment’s due date. You cannot write about the same novel that your
chose for the first essay. As a formal
writing assignment, you should be careful in your word choice, punctuation,
sentence construction, and organization. You should present an introduction
that sets up your overall interpretation and thesis, followed by paragraphs of
supporting textual and research-based evidence that demonstrate your ideas
about the novel. Finally, your essay should conclude not with a summary of what
you’ve presented so far, but should end with the most full expression of your
overall argument – something that the reader can continue to think about and
apply to their reading of literature even after they’ve finished your essay.
It’s no easy task, but it is our role as literary scholars to respond to these
texts with the same careful attention with which they are composed for us.
- - - COMPLETED ASSIGNMENTS - - -
Essay #1
Complete rough draft due in class for peer review on Tuesday, 10/1
Final draft due via e-mail by midnight on Friday, 10/4
[15% of final grade]
The purpose of this assignment is to develop your own critical response to one the novels that we will have read by the paper’s due date: either The Awakening or The Art Lover. Your paper will argue a thesis that aims to reveal an original interpretation of the novel based on textual evidence within that novel. This, of course, is the general aim of all literary studies, but our task here is slightly more specific.
For this assignment, it is not necessary to do any outside research; rather, you will present your own close reading of the text, which means that you should present a thoughtful, thorough, and interpretive analysis of the novel, considering the significance of individual words, curious or unexpected phrases, punctuation, pictures, or any other stylistic device that contributes to the rhetorical play of the text.
More specifically, I would like you to choose one of Milan Kundera’s “Sixty-three Words” and explore its significance in your chosen novel. There are two directions you might explore here. First, you may think about the overall idea that the word implies. (Where do we find “forgetting” in your novel, for instance? Who is forgetting what, and why? What does it mean to forget? How does the text portray/depict/describe forgetting? And so on.) On the other hand, you might also look for one of Kundera’s words as it appears in your chosen novel. Can you follow this word through the novel? (For example: How does Chopin specifically use the word “beauty” in The Awakening? Is it used differently at different points in the text? What are the parameters of its definition in this novel?). It is not necessary to cite or mention Kundera in your essay. Instead, just treat this essay as an occasion to discuss the meaning of word in a text; you don’t have to say why you are embarking on this particular task.
After looking at the significance of your chosen word, you will then have to connect the significance of this word to the whole of the text. In other words, how do the intricacies of the word or idea that you have selected impact a larger interpretation of the work? Does a heightened critical awareness of the subtleties of your word afford the reader a more complete understanding of the text? These are only a few questions that you may want to begin by thinking about. As you begin developing a thesis, though, the first question you should ask is: What have I noticed that others may have missed? My advice, therefore, is to avoid the obvious. What didn’t we discuss in class? What really struck you when you read the novel for the first time, and was this impression amplified by subsequent readings?
The length of this assignment is at least four full pages of critical analysis, and no more than five. All papers should be double-spaced with 1” margins on all sides. You should cite quotations from the text using current MLA guidelines, which will be outlined briefly in class. As a formal analysis, your writing should reflect a decidedly academic tone, including proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation – to say nothing of clarity and style. A more complete rubric for evaluation will be presented in class at a later date.
Short Writing Assignment #2 (Due via e-mail by midnight on Sunday, 9/22)
In The Art Lover, Caroline refers to her collection of assorted clippings,
scraps, and images as a kind of “private life, a life of my own” (27). It’s
interesting that these are all things external
to her, though, right? That these are literally the opposite of what private means, when you stop to think about it?
In
light of your
own relation to the world around you – mediated, as it is, through what
you
read and view – please choose one part of your world and describe it.
Just something from your own world and experience, like Caroline does
from hers. Basically this assignment is like a more
intellectualized version of “show and tell,” because in addition to
showing and
telling, you are also to think about just how this fits into your world –
either as something very important, something very mundane, or something
in
between these two poles.
Please compose a short essay of at least 3/4 of a page,
single spaced, and email it to me along with an image of that thing (either a
photo that you take, or the link to that image online). You may
draw on the tone and/or style of The Art
Lover for inspiration here.
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Short Writing Assignment #1 (Due in class on Thursday, 8/29)
What does “art” mean, and what does “art” mean to you? (These two questions may have very different answers, or maybe not.) Write an informal essay of at least one full page that addresses the meaning of art in some way. You should define the term according to how you understand it. Please do not do any outside research, or look up any quotations from famous artists. Really, this should be your own thoughts about art. You can be positive negative, neutral, or anything in between – just be honest. Please print out your essay; we will be discussing them in class.
