EN12: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

Research Paper Assignment

The final research paper will be due at the beginning of class on Thursday, April 30.

The essay should be approximately 9-10 pages long. In it, you should choose a fairy tale that we have not studied in class. You should locate two versions of this fairy tale; ideally, at least one of them should be a classic or folk version. You should analyze the tale for its meaning, with attention to the significance of the differences between the version you have chosen. Please make photocopies of both versions of the fairy tale and attach them to the essay.

You should locate and apply to your argument at least two secondary, critical sources. These should be scholarly sources, not popular sources or reference works; ideally, they should have been published in peer-reviewed journals or in books from academic presses. One of your critical sources may be one of those included in Maria Tatar's Classic Fairy Tales.

For some sources of fairy tales as well as criticism, refer to the books on reserve for this class at the circulation desk of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library.

Beginning on Monday, April 24, we will have class presentations on fairy tales. Each student will make a 5-10 minute presentation on the fairy tale he or she has selected, briefly describing its plot, its various versions, and its most prominent themes. We will also devote class time during the last weeks of class to discussion of problems and strategies in research and writing.

Students in Section X (Monday and Thursday at 2:00) will be able to pick up their papers with my comments on Tuesday, May 5 from 9:00AM-12:00AM (the assigned exam time). Students in Section W(Monday and Thursday at 11:00) will be able to pick up their papers with my comments on Thursday, May 7 from 1:30PM-4:30PM (the assigned exam time).You will then have the opportunity to revise the papers, if you wish. Revisions will be due on Saturday, May 9.