Guidelines for the Final Papers ENG 3014: Critical Issues in Literary Studies

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Guidelines for the Final PapersENG 3014
Critical Issues in Literary Studies

• Prepared by
• Dr. Caroline (Kay) Picart
• Associate Professor of English Humanities
• Courtesy Associate Prof. Of Law
• Florida State University

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• Things to Avoid!

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Things to Avoid (1)

• Extremely general statements Since the
  beginning of time . . . or All humans. . .
• Blatantly obvious statements Women are
  eye-candy in films or Philosophy deals with
  reason and the mind.
• Papers that are a loose collection of interesting
  facts, but do not make a coherent argument.
• Plot summaries that do not further the argument
  significantly

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Things to Avoid (2)

• Not making a clear and compelling connection to
  the central themes that bind the course together
  
• the nature of mimesis or representation
• the reader's relation to the text
• whether ethics matter in relation to the creation
  and reception of literature
• what is the nature of aesthetic pleasure
• what roles expression and emotion play in the
  generation and interpretation of texts
• and whether literary texts, as art objects, are
  independent of external relations and depend upon
  a unique system of internal relations, among
  other questions.

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Things to Avoid (3)

• Not documenting texts, films, actors, characters
  cited, using an official method of documentation
  (APA, MLA, Chicago)
• Not having a well developed introduction and
  conclusion

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Things to Avoid (4)

• Structuring your paper as if it were a checklist
  for the various criteria outlined in the
  syllabus. The paper should flow and argue
  effectively for a definite position.
• Not checking for spelling, grammar or overall
  coherence
• Not using film form and specific scenes to
  illustrate key argumentative points.

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Things to Avoid (5)

• Not having a bibliography/filmography or works
  cited at the end.
• Not having a cover page with the requirements
  specified in front.
• Not providing proof or insufficient proof for
  claims (if you are making historical claims about
  certain periods, then document evidence that
  these claims are true avoid large historical
  leaps)

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• Things to do!

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Things to do

• Have a clear and compelling thesis statement that
  connects to a few selected central themes of the
  course (your interpretative voice, and a clear
  methodological framework, are crucial to this)
• Use required texts to provide proof for your
  claims
• Document all sources properly using an official
  citation system (APA, MLA, Chicago)

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Things to do (2)

• INTEGRATE theory into the flow of your argument.
  Dont just insert a quote, and think that that
  insertion is sufficient to integrate the theory
  with your argument.

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Things to do (3)

• Illustrate abstract points by citing specific
  examples. Cut down on broad generalizations
  concerning 10 or so movies or texts in favor of
  in-depth characterizations of say 2 or 3 movies
  or texts or a mix thereof, with specific scenes
  or passages or themes analyzed thematically and
  formally in keeping with the argument you wish to
  put forth.

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Things to do (4)

• Spend the majority of the paper analyzing, rather
  than describing.
• Have a well developed conclusion that flows from
  the exposition.

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• FINAL
• GUIDE-
• LINES

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Dont Forget (1)

• Have a cover page that specifies
• Which 5 texts (critical articles, films, scripts
  or press kits) are required/used in class
• Which 5 are new
• All these should be cited completely, using
  either the APA, MLA or Chicago systems (specify
  which you are using)

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Dont Forget (2)

• That cover page should also specify an abstract
  (100 words at most) that summarizes the
  findings/argument of the paper.
• That cover page should also summarize any major
  changes you have done, in response to my
  comments, or if you have chosen not to do any
  changes, a justification for why you have chosen
  not to. You may use as many pages as you need to
  cover this well.

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Dont Forget (3)

• You are REQUIRED to hand in your original draft
  with the final paper. NO final papers will be
  accepted without the draft.

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Dont Forget (4)

• Within the body of the final paper itself,
  BOLDFACE OR UNDERLINE
• your thesis statement
• any changes (grammatical, theoretical,
  argumentative, etc.) done from the draft to the
  final paper

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Dont Forget (5)

• You will need a final bibliography or works
  cited, with the entries alphabetized, and done in
  keeping with a standard format (APA, MLA,
  Chicago).
• The TOTAL number of pages allowed are 6 pages
  minimum, 8 pages maximum, all double spaced, 11
  point font, 1 inch margins all around. This does
  not count the Bibliography or the front matter.
  Any deviation from these results in deductions.

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• The best of luck!