(This information about the short papers is copied from the syllabus, with a couple of changes/clarifications in brackets.)
NOTE: See new information about the second paper at the bottom of this page.
Two Short Exploratory Papers: Grapple
This assignment asks you to describe your response to a specific literary work from class, to explain what it is about the work that evokes that response, and then to “grapple” with that response in some way. That is, the idea behind this paper is that you try to go beyond your initial reaction to consider other possible ways of responding to the work.
I would encourage you to use a blog entry and/or one of your collage experiments as starting points/development ideas for your papers. For example, you might use something you’ve written in a blog entry as a starting point. Read the comments to that entry and consider the evidence that both supports your reaction and maybe takes your reaction in a new direction. Use your collage (or the process behind the collage) to consider whether aspects of the literary work in question recur or are similar to anything you’ve encountered elsewhere.
I’ll use the following criteria to assess your papers:
* does it explore a reaction to a specific aspect of a literary text?
* does it use actual textual evidence to explain the reaction and to support various ways of interpreting the text?
* does it have a beginning (that introduces the text and [the question you are exploring), a middle (that explains your initial reaction and explores at least two other possible ways of thinking about the text), and an end (that reflects on where you are now in your response to the text, even if your initial reaction still stands)
* does it show careful proofreading, avoiding spelling, punctuation, and other mechanical disruptions?
[And, I would add:
* does it consider the significance of each possible interpretation? Why does it matter? What’s at stake?
And, above all:
* does it show that you've really "grappled" with some aspect of a text? Does it show your ability to consider multiple ways of thinking about a text and to use those multiple ways of thinking to come to some sort of (possibly tentative) revised way of looking at the text?
SECOND PAPER:
Your second paper may either be a revision and expansion of your first paper (resulting in a slightly longer paper of 5-6 pages) or a completely new paper (of about 3 pages).
If you choose to revise your first paper, please remember that you'll need to *add* to the paper, but that this addition may or may not be simply amended to the end. You may need to revise and add to the paper as a whole. Also, try to include a third perspective: try to go beyond the cultural habit that we all have of looking for only two choices. And, of course: be sure to consider the significance of each perspective. How does one way of looking at the text change your overall view of the text? How does it potentially serve as an action, moving you to reconsider something about the women's roles, social expectations, etc.?
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Comments (4)
Vanessa Weitlich said
at 10:28 am on Jul 19, 2006
Kaylene's Exploratory paper:
I think this paper explores Kaylene's reaction to the text as well as the reactions from people who discussed it. I think she does a good job on reflecting back on all the reactions she presents and giving her opinion of each one. Kaylene used examples from the text really well to support and explain the reactions she presents.
I think she does a good job of introducing the text and I like how she introduced the question she was focusing on by mentioning the different ways the specific situations could have been interpreted. She then went on to describe in detail her initial reactions and the reactions of her peers and the way those reactions affected her opinion. She concludes it well in giving credit to all the arguments, and then stating her final reaction.
I think she does a great job of providing the significance of each reaction she addresses. I definately think her ability to grapple was shown. She presented different views and her opinion on each of them and then organized her final opinion based on her observations and thoughts throughout her paper.
brandy said
at 10:33 am on Jul 19, 2006
Kaylene-Your paper was great and very thought out. I liked how you gave pertinent background information to help with the overall meaning and interpretation of Eva. I also liked how you gave many facts from the text and your documentation of the information was accurrate. Your paper also addressed all of the criteria that Donna gave us. Nice job in my eyes.
brandy said
at 10:46 am on Jul 19, 2006
Jenny- I liked your paper alot. Your interpretation and my own is similiar. We feel that mothers need "a little room for thinking" and there is no harm in this unless there is harm being done to the children. I also liked how you described the different perspectives of our classmates as well as addressing words like "lugged" and "lurched" which are evident in the text. These words do have a negative connotation to them as you addressed and play a nice part in your paper.
Vanessa Weitlich said
at 10:49 am on Jul 19, 2006
Jenny's Exploratory Paper: I think your paper is really good and fulfills all that was asked to do in the assignment. I really liked your paper because I had the same reaction to this poem as you did, but just backwards. I initially thought that she wanted an escape from her life and would do anything to get out. I felt that when she mentioned living in a palace that she wanted a place to be served and to no longer be expected to do anything. Then, through reading a blog on this poem and class discussion, I, like you, sort of changed my view. I acknowledged the fact that she may need some time to herself and all of the other points you made in your initial reaction. I came to the view that maybe she just needed a break from her life and not a permanent escape. I think you said it well when you said the author kind of left it open for the reader to interpret it freely. When you said that it made me think that people in different stages of life may interpret this in different ways. We may read this in ten years when we have children and have a whole new understanding of it.
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