The course essay will be about 8 pages in length (not counting the Works Cited page). Use the primary source (the work you are discussing) and no more than 3 to 4 secondary sources (critical materials about your primary source, such as books, journal articles or academic websites). Note: Sources such as Cliff’s Notes, Pink Monkey, or Grade Saver are NOT acceptable secondary sources and will not be counted as valid. Be sure to give credit for all sources used; evidence of plagiarism will result in a grade of F for your essay. Take time to choose a topic that genuinely interests you. For example, you may discuss an ethical issue faced by a single character in a work, compare the issues faced by two different characters, evaluate a single work in regard to a specific ethical theme or conflict, or compare/contrast two (but no more than two) different works on some ethical point. Make sure your essay has a clear, well-focused thesis stating the point you wish to argue. Beware of discussing a topic that is too large for the length of your essay; it is better to go into greater depth on a narrower topic. Mere plot summaries or descriptions of the story are not acceptable. Please be sure to submit a prospectus to me that presents a draft of an introductory paragraph (thesis plus key points to be developed).
