ENGL1302 - Holton: Your Assignment!

Requirements for Setting/Research Paper

• Length: 1000 words minimum (1600 maximum)
• Full MLA format, including citations and Works Cited
• At least one paragraph devoted to a developed discussion of setting
• Any other elements (character, conflict, POV-- as appropriate) are optional
• At least one but not more than three scholarly sources (Sources must come from ACC Library—databases, eBooks, documentaries, etc. No “public” sources are allowed unless you get specific permission from me first.)
• You must include several specific quotes from the story and comment on the language of those specific quotes in order to show why/how that language supports your topic sentences and thesis. It should be obvious that you have read the story in depth and have specific points to make about your chosen quotes.
• Outline patterns can be one of the 3 basic types (which will be explained): train car, trail mix and focused/dominant element; I am more than willing to discuss other outline options with you.
• The thesis changes for the focused/dominant element option. Instead of being a central idea, it is an argument that setting is the dominant element in the story and seeks to prove that without analyzing setting carefully, several major ideas would go unrecognized or undeveloped. 
• If AI is used at all, you are required to carefully document it in at least 2 paragraph addendum at the end of your paper. AI Use is extremely limited in this class, per syllabus rules.

Plagiarism : As with every assignment you complete at ACC, you must take special care not to commit any plagiarism whatsoever.
Using ideas and/or wording from other sources without proper citation is a serious offense and will result in a zero on the paper with no opportunity to resubmit.
A failing grade in the course is also a potential result for this offense. It is your responsibility to know how to cite properly and to make certain that no plagiarism ever occurs in your papers.
A quick reminder that you are NOT ALLOWED to use generative AI on any paper for our class, including this one. Please review the AI policy on the syllabus CAREFULLY before writing any paper in this course. There are specific rules about how AI is allowed to be used and how it's not allowed to be used. 

You will need to turn in:

• electronic copy of final draft uploaded correctly to Blackboard (submitted to Global Reference Database, also known as Safe Assign) 
• Be sure your file type is one of the allowed file types before you submit it.

Stories allowed for this paper:

• “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
• “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• "Kew Gardens" by Virginia Woolf

If you already received permission to use a different story for this assignment you may still do so, but otherwise, please stick to one of these three options.

Recommended topics for each story--you are still welcome to discuss other ways to research and analyze the story with me.

I will be able to give more help if there are fewer variables on this assignment.

Sonny’s Blues: Explore Baldwin’s life (via one or both of the documentaries about him on the Kanopy Database which the ACC Library has for you to use. These two docs are called “The Price of the Ticket” (straightforward biography) and “I Am Not Your Negro” (Baldwin’s civil rights involvement). Explain why understanding certain aspects of Baldwin’s life impacts your reading of “Sonny’s Blues.” What do these facts allow you to see in a work that you would not otherwise be aware of? Why? You would still be analyzing character development, conflict, and setting (at least) but your discussion of these structural elements would be enriched by your awareness of Baldwin’s life and work. 

“The Yellow Wallpaper”: Research the historical background of the rest cure and discuss how and why Gilman portrays it accurately in her story. Why is her use of point of view, character development, conflict and setting particularly helpful in illuminating the abuses and problems this rest cure produced in the late 19^th century? Consult the Gale eBooks database for information on the rest cure.

"Kew Gardens": Research the real-life Kew Gardens and the ongoing & extensive ecological work being done there currently. Contrast it to Woolf's visionary/painterly work of language art and explore how these two modes of seeing the garden collide. Alternately, you could research Woolf's printing press and how she self-published this work along with artwork done by her sister. 

In order for me to be able to add comments to your papers, please submit only these file types: DOC, DOCX or PDF  because these file types support comments AND Safe Assign in Blackboard.

Be sure to click the little box that says you also allow your paper to be submitted to the Global Reference Database. Thank you!