Sample Outline

This is a sample outline. You do not have to follow it, or you may follow parts but not all of it, but most of the papers I observed seemed like they could benefit from a greater organizational strategy.  

Outline Template:

First Paragraph Block:

            *Introductory Hook

*Necessary background info (introduce book, time period, critical lens)

*Thesis statement (2 sentences, should include topics and cultural observation)

            *Forecast Sentence (transitions to next paragraph)

Second Paragraph Block:

*Topic Sentence (mini-thesis statement for the paragraph)

            *Paragraph 2 should summarize your scene and introduce your characters
            *Paragraph 2 should also set up cultural context for your scene (discuss Victorian England)

            *Forecast Sentence

Third Paragraph Block:

*Topic Sentence (mini-thesis statement for the paragraph)

            *Supporting background information/contextual details for your first quote from your scene from the book. Should be murder weapon quote that comes early in the scene.

            *Quote #1 from Book 1 (set up/contextualize/integrate)

            *Analyze Quote #1

            *Quote #2

            *Analyze Quote #2 from Book 2 (set up/contextualize/integrate)

*Analyze how all these quotes support your thesis, tie in to cultural context/analyze culture

*Quote #3, from outside critical source….

*[Continue as above]

            *Forecast Sentence

Fourth Paragraph Block:
           *Repeat 3rd paragraph strategy, but you should be further along in your scene by now. Do this for as many paragraphs as needed, moving slowly through the scene.

            

Final Paragraph Block

            *Conclusion: Re-instate your thesis statement in different words. Summarize what has been accomplished in the essay. Close with a compelling hook. Remember not to bring in any new arguments, instead focus on reminding your reader of what has already been accomplished, in an interesting way and making an ultimate observation about culture. You could, if you wanted, tie in the Victorian culture to our culture to close with a compelling hook.

WORKS CITED PAGE

            *Follow MLA style exactly, as explained in AWR.

Essay One Workshop

ROUGH DRAFT WORKSHOP GUIDELINES

DIRECTIONS: As always, take time and care in responding, as you will be graded on these handouts. Make sure to write about 3-5 sentences in response to each section; you should be addressing all questions within a given section with specific answers. “The thesis answers the prompt,” or “The essay looks organized to me,” are NOT specific answers—for example, if the essay is that organized, then you should be able to tell me what specifically is so organized about it.

Questions:

1) Does the writer have a strong hook for the introduction? If not, suggest one. Does the writer introduce their topic clearly and succinctly, providing the necessary historical and plot background information so that the reader is not confused about the topic at hand? Give one or two suggestions for improvement in this area (do not skip).

2) Does the essay’s thesis seem to be undeveloped or too broad, or is it just specific enough to argue in an 4-6 page paper? Does it have two sentences, the first addressing one specific critical interpretation? Does the second sentence outline the main topics that will be discussed in the essay? Many any necessary suggestions for clarification and more specificity as well (do not skip). Lastly, please remember that the thesis needs to address the prompt.

3) Please note any places in the essay where further clarifying details could be added. This is something everyone in the class needs to work on. Is the writer clear about which scene(s) they are analyzing? What is happening in those scenes? Who are the characters involved, how are they defined, etc? Make sure historical context information is also provided.

4) Is the writer incorporating research from three extra scholarly sources into the essay (not .com sources or dictionary/encyclopedia sources)? Do the sources seem to be strong and ON TOPIC? Why or why not (do not skip)

5) Does the writer have strong quotes from the book (Dracula) that they intend to use in the essay? They should! Are those quotes “murder weapon” quotes? Which quote is the strongest and which is the weakest? Suggest an ordering for the quotes that would help the writer work from their strongest point to their weakest (keeping in mind the importance of chronology/topic organization as well)—do not skip! Are the quotes smoothly integrated into the essay and not plopped?

6) Does the writer have sufficient analysis for their quotations? Remember, analysis is even more important than the quote itself. Make sure the writer is not simply explaining the quote in a summarizing fashion, but connecting it to its larger significance (relationship to their thesis). Make suggestions for improvement below, and be specific (do not skip).

7) Is the essay organized? Do the body paragraphs seem to build logically upon one another? Give at least one suggestion for improving the organization of the essay (do not skip). Starting at the beginning of the scene and then going forward from there is a good idea.

MLA Powerpoint

Hi guys,

Here is the MLA powerpoint we started to go over in class today:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/15/

The rest of the website has a lot of helpful, easy to follow MLA and formatting guidelines. I recommend it!

Best of luck with your essays.

Professor Durbin

Updates

Hi guys,

Just updated the course schedule (see several posts below).

On Wednesday we will have our rough draft workshop. Bring two copies of your rough draft, typed and double-spaced, to class.

Friday we will discuss the ending of Dracula, and your final paper is due via email only. We will also watch part of a film that day too.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Best,
Prof D

BLOOD AND DRACULA: Essay #1

ESSAY 1: BLOOD AND DRACULA

 Please write an essay that: 

• Analyzes one scene in the novel Dracula, explaining how that scene represents one of the three critical interpretations of blood discussed in the introduction to the novel. The three interpretations are religious, psychoanalytic/sexual, and racial/eugenic. This essay will require close reading of the text, with specific examples cited from the novel to prove your points. Please note that you may not analyze the novel from the straight literal perspective, as there is nothing to analyze--you would simply be summarizing.

*Your thesis should be composed the two main factors connected above.  Several specific examples of thesis statements will be provided in class.

*While you may analyze one of the scenes you were assigned to analyze in class (such as the blood transfusion scenes or the three vampire women dream sequence), you may not simply rehash what we already discussed about these scenes. In other words, if you choose to analyze one of these particular scenes I will expect serious, thoughtful, original analysis. You may find it is actually easier to analyze a scene that we did not already cover in class.

*You are required to provide plenty of evidence and examples specifically from Dracula and from at least three outside scholarly sources to support your argument. Reference sites, such as Wikipedia, Bookrags, Sparknotes, dictionary. com, or any dictionaries or encyclopedias whatsoever, are not acceptable as “outside sources.”  Instead, consult the library’s research databases and free e-periodicals (available through the library’s website); you may also use the introductions to other editions of Dracula. If you are uncertain about the validity of a source (particularly websites), please email your professor ASAP. Please ask your peer mentors for additional library research help.

*You are required to meet with one of your peer mentors prior to turning in the final draft of your essay. You will receive participation points for fulfilling this requirement.

   

*Since this is an academic analytical essay, only the use of the removed 3rd person perspective is acceptable (no “I,” “we,” “our” “your” or “you,” please). Use academic language throughout; avoid talking about your personal experiences or opinions about the novel. A good “tone” for the writing is to mimic the tone of the introduction to Dracula.

Length: 4-6 pages, double-spaced, Garamond or Times New Roman font

Your essay should include the following components:

A good title that is not too long or too vague. The title should capture the essence of your essay in an interesting and compelling way. It should also include the title Dracula as well as the name of your character—but should also indicate what exactly your essay is focusing on. For example: Blood Transfusions as a Form of Ethnic Cleansing Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a sufficient title.

• An introductory hook that captures the reader’s attention in a strong, but not over-dramatic way. Short and succinct statements go a long way. You may want to open with an image of or quotation from the scene  you are analyzing. You will then want to quickly and naturally move into a clear presentation of your thesis statement.
• A thesis that makes your position on the topic unambiguous (clear), appropriately qualified, and clearly arguable. The thesis should come at the beginning of the essay. Repeat it throughout the essay when the reader might become lost; repeat it as well at the end of the essay, though don’t necessarily repeat it word for word. The thesis is the most important part of your essay, and everything that comes after should exist to prove its validity.
• Clear transitions between paragraphs or topics, and topic sentences (mini-theses) at the beginning of each paragraph.
• An awareness of the historical time period and social context in which the novel was written. This ties into understanding the critical interpretations of blood in the novel. You will likely need to do some further outside research into Victorian England (and possibly Stoker’s Irish background) to understand this aspect of the essay fully. Your outside source(s) will be invaluable in this regard, as “proof” for the validity of your arguments. Always, always, always tie in your observations to the cultural context of the novel.
• Plausible reasons and convincing support for your thesis. You must have at least two or three specific and compelling reasons for your argument. Your support for these reasons should be taken firstly from the novel itself, as well as your outside research (both are crucial). Don’t forget that you will need to provide evidence from the scene itself in order to interpret it critically. In other words, you should use clear examples from the text as often as possible to back-up your arguments.  If, for example, you are writing about Jonathan Harker’s shaving / mirror scene with Dracula in the bedroom through the lens of the pyschoanalytic interpretation, you could utilize the quote: “The whole room behind me was displayed, but there was no sign of a man in it, except myself” (Stoker 36).
• A logical order of organization that will guide the reader through your argument in a clear, convincing way.
• An awareness of your audience. You are speaking to a general academic audience, who may or may not have read Dracula. You need to give context to the quotations you take from the text, and not assume that your reader knows the book as you do. Your audience is also secular, so if you choose to write about Dracula via the religious perspective, do not bring in your personal spiritual beliefs.
• Proper MLA documentation. Your final draft should include a Works Cited page with a list of all sources used in the paper (likely just the one outside source as well as the novel Dracula). In addition, you may use more than one outside source if you so choose. 
• If you have trouble filling up 4 pages with your scene, you may choose to analyze two corresponding or related scenes (for example, two scenes with Renfield, or two blood transfusion scenes, or a scene with Lucy's sleep-walking and another scene where she is getting a blood transfusion).

*Remember when using resources the goal is not to simply plop them into the essay and hope the reader understands their purpose.  It is the job of the writer to smoothly integrate short pieces of information into his/her prose according to proper documentary style, as well as to discuss the research’s significance to your essay.  Also, remember you will not impress a reader by presenting huge chunks of quotes and that there will be a significant grade penalty for using block quotes (quotes longer than five lines).  Finally, don’t forget to introduce your resources!

Blog

 

 

I will update this blog regularly, with class news, notes, assignments, homework and reading changes, and additional work. That means you should check this blog regularly, as in, every day or twice a day. An easy way to keep track of the changes here is to subscribe to the blog.That way, every time something happens on the blog, you will be instantly notified.

You are solely responsible for any and all knowledge of information and updates made to the blog at any time. That means no excuses will ever be accepted due to failure on your part to follow the blog closely and regularly. Treat all information here as you would a reading assignment--carefully read it, and make appropriate notes. 

For my part, I will never change an assignment or a reading with less than 24 hours notice. However, if class is to be canceled, that update may appear at the last minute. Please make a note.

Syllabus and Welcome

ENGL 120: Why Read?

Monsters and Fairy Tales

Professor Kate Durbin
Fall 2013
Office: Mendenhall Belfry
Office Hours: MW by appointment
E-mail: katedurbinteacher@gmail.com (NOT MY WHITTIER)
Class Blog: www.whyreadfairytalesmonsters.blogspot.com
Moodle: I don't use it

Required Texts: 

My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me Edited by Kate Bernheimer
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Norton Fairy Tales 

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker
Readings via links on Class Blog (check syllabus)

*Make sure you have the copies of the books that are in the Whittier College bookstore. You can order them online, as long as they are the same editions of the bookstore copies and they arrive early enough (I recommend 2-day shipping on Amazon). If you order and your book doesn’t arrive, that’s not going to fly as an excuse for skipping your reading. Make it happen.

The first book we will be reading is Dracula—so purchase that one immediately.

Course Description:

“Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms.” –Angela Carter

“Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or woman who has read perhaps three and you give me a dangerous enemy indeed.” –Anne Rice

In a time when literary reading is on the decline, what might the value of reading be? Might it be possible, as Anne Rice suggests, that it is dangerous not to read? A question like this is further complicated when it comes from the writer of horror stories, stories that are seen as “dangerous.” There are different kinds of dangers in this world--some good, some bad. Why might it be valuable not only to read in an era of vast inattention, but also to read “dangerous” narratives? What might these narratives, of our monsters and our fairy mythos, reveal to us about our cultural fears, desires, and what we believe it means to be human?

Is ignorance the greatest danger? What might reading give us that prevents dangerous ignorance? Is this something that only reading can give? This will be "the" question this class attempts to broach.

This class will serve as an introduction to the aesthetics and critical reading of monster narratives and fairy tales. The primary goal of this course is to help you become a better reader of literature, with an enhanced ability to analyze, discuss, and write about literary texts. By the end of the course, you will have  garnered new skills and intensified old ones to help you appreciate the joy and complexity of literature, and the gifts only it can offer you. You also might become a little more dangerous, even monstrous—in a good way.

This course satisfies the Liberal Education requirement COM 2. INTD 100 is a pre-requisite. It is assumed that you have a basic working knowledge of grammar, paper formatting, and MLA style.

Course Requirements:

For this class you will write three papers, one paper revision, and do one group presentation. The papers will be 4-5 pages in length, and you will receive separate instructions for all of them. One will be an in-class essay. You will also have short exercises and quizzes throughout the semester.

All papers must be typed and carefully proofread. Papers should always have a title. If you have grammatical or stylistic questions consult reference guides such as A Writer’s Reference or the OWL @ Purdue website. If you are using a computer lab, always be sure to give yourself extra time, and to save your material frequently.

Plagiarism—claiming ownership of ideas and language that are not your own—is simply unacceptable. Plagiarized papers will result in a failing grade for the course, and a report will be submitted to the office of Student Life.


Participation and Attendance:

There will be moments when I will lecture. Aside from these times, class should operate like a seminar. This means that it is imperative that you read the material--on time--and are prepared to discuss this material in class. Part of your grade is participation-based, and it is required that you speak up in class in order to receive full credit with participation. You will also be quizzed regularly on the reading, and failing to do the reading will severely harm your class score.

Always be prepared, and always come to class on time. Classes for which you are more than ten minutes late will count as absences, and two tardies count as an absence. 

More than three absences may result in a lower grade; more than six may result in a failing grade. Any absences at all can only mar your performance in the class. Inform me in advance regarding major religious holidays or other significant reasons for being excused.

Class Policies:

No laptops unless I approve them for notetaking (ask first). I don’t want to see your phones out—if I do, I will take them away, no exceptions. If it seems you are not paying attention or you are talking while I am talking, you may be asked to leave the classroom and take an absence for the day. If you show up without having done your work, you may also receive an absence for the day. On workshop days, it’s absolutely necessary that you come prepared with your drafts of your papers. On those days if you come unprepared you will be asked to leave, no exceptions.

Class is only 50 minutes long, so you should have no reason to get up and leave the room unless it’s an absolute emergency. That also means that you should not have more than one or two emergencies in an entire semester, as emergencies by their very nature are rare. Please use the facilities before class—it’s your job to be in class on time as you would for a job. Please do not show up to class then ask if you can leave to get a drink of water or use the restroom. If you do so, you are tardy.

Abiding by these policies will allow us a pleasant, productive class session. Anyone who repeatedly abuses these policies is treating his or her peers with disrespect, and will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

Communication (Blog):

I will communicate with you regularly via this class blog, so check it for updates here. I ask that you check it every 24 hours, and in the mornings before class. I will also post any updates to the Course Schedule here. You don’t need to print the syllabus out, but you may want to.

Papers

All papers, other than rough drafts, will be submitted electronically ONLY via email. I will give you a specific time that they are due, and anything after this time is considered late. For every half hour your paper is late, your grade is lowered one whole letter score. Do not turn in late papers. 

I ask that you submit your paper both as an attachment in .doc or .docx form, as well as copy and pasted in the body of your email. Please do your best to maintain proper MLA formatting when you copy and paste. I will send you a "receipt" when I receive your email, usually within 12 hours--provided you turned your paper in on time. If you don't receive the receipt, I didn't get your paper.

Your grades and my notes on your papers will also be returned to you electronically via email—so check for them there.

Literally the only papers you will turn in hard copies of are your rough drafts for workshop. You are usually required to bring two copies. DO NOT JUST PRINT ONE COPY IF I REQUEST TWO. 

You may NOT bring your laptops instead of hard copies for workshop. There are very few things you have to print in this class, so please be considerate when it’s time to actually print something.

Email:

I do not check the Whittier email address EVER so please contact me via katedurbinteacher@gmail.com. I do check this email address several times a day, and will get back to you asap. I recommend this over any other means of contacting me. Please do not send me facebook messages related to class concerns. Thank you.

Grade Breakdown:

Paper 1: 20%
Paper 2: (in-class) 20%
Paper 3: 25%
Paper Revision: 10%
Presentation: 10%
Attendance, participation, reading quizzes, and brief assignments: 15%

Students with Disabilities:

Students desiring accommodations on the basis of physical, learning or psychological disability for this class are to contact Disability Services. Disability Services is located in the Library building, first floor, room G003 and can be reached by calling extension 4825.