ENGL 1170.104: Linked Stories  Tags: linguistics_language_literature  

Paper 5 - Drown

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE: F, OCTOBER 31 BY EMAIL AT 6 PM

DRAFT DUE: M, November 3

Final Due: W, November 12

I. annotated bibliography - Due Friday, October 31 by Email at 6 pm

Locate at least three reviews of Diaz’s Drown.  Now create an annotated bibliography for the paper you will be writing (see prompt below), using the sample annotated bibliography handout as a guide. 

II. First draft – Due Monday, November 3

In your essay, briefly summarize each reviewer’s stance and then argue for your own interpretation. You may agree with some aspects of the reviewers’ positions, which is fine and in fact understandable. In the end, however, you must formulate your own conclusions about the novel and use textual evidence to back up your claims.

The paper should be 5-6 pages, not including the bibliography.  Use MLA format—double spaced, 12-point font.

III. Final draft – Due Wednesday, November 12

Rationale: This assignment requires you to begin researching and integrating outside sources into your arguments and your papers.  You will have to consider other points of view and concur with or refute them, while developing your own opinion on the text.  While this topic provides the most leeway for personal opinion of any paper this semester, you must remember that any and all opinions on the work must be backed up with textual evidence – you must be more than declarative, you must be persuasive. 

Paper 6 – Interpreter of Maladies

DRAFT DUE: W, November 19 in class

Final Due: W, December 3 in class

I. Draft due Wednesday, November 19

Choose one of the following topics:

A.        What is the significance of the title of Lahiri’s collection to the contents of the book as a whole?  Consider at least three stories in addition to the story titled “Interpreter of Maladies.”  What does it mean to be an interpreter in Lahiri’s work?  What “maladies” are present in the book?

B.         In the story “A Real Durwan,” it could be argued that the characters primarily perceive one another as signifiers of social status rather than as human beings.  In what ways do the other stories in Lahiri’s collection explore the causes and consequences of perceiving others this way?  Consider three stories in addition to “Durwan” in your essay.  

C.         Many of Lahiri’s stories deal with relationships, especially as they relate to husband-and-wife roles within marriages. What do you think Lahiri is saying about relationships in the stories that feature couples? There is no need to see these relationships as particularly “Indian”; rather, I think you can explore various relationships in the book simply on the basis of their “human” characteristics.  Consider at least three stories in your essay. 

D.        You may submit your own topic.  You must run this by me first, I must approve it.  Your essay must consider at least three stories from the book.  Submit your proposed topic to me by Monday, November 17, in class – you should write a paragraph in which you state your thesis and (briefly) how you will argue your thesis. 

Write an essay of 6-7 pages in length, drawing on at least two outside sources.   They may be critical articles on Lahiri’s book, interviews with Lahiri, book reviews, or other relevant material.  Provide an annotated bibliography along with your paper.  The bibliography does not count towards the 6-7 pages.  Wikipedia does NOT count as an outside source.  Use MLA format—double spaced, 12-point font.

II. Final Paper due Wednesday, December 3

Rationale:  This paper combines elements of previous assignments for this course, and I expect to see you demonstrate writing skills and techniques that you have learned at the word, sentence, paragraph, thesis, and essay levels.  The goal here is to integrate outside research, close reading analysis, comparisons of stories, and the stylistic and rhetorical devices and lessons of the semester into one final paper on a book you have not yet written about.