Eleventh Grade Research Paper - Mrs. Sullivan



Junior American Literature Research Paper -2018

Overview: Critical Analysis: The main focus of your paper will be to argue whether the literature of Arthur Miller shaped or reflected a specific time period.

In academic writing, an argument is when the writer makes a claim, or thesis, about a topic and supports this idea through the use of valid evidence. As a part of this paper, the writer includes counterargument while trying to persuade the reader to agree with his or her thesis.

Focus: What effect does the literature of a specific literary period in American history have on society? Does it serve to shape society or reflect society?

You will research Arthur Miller the author of The Crucible focusing on how his literature reflected society, shaped society, or both reflected and served to shape society. Below are suggested topics:

1. Research women in the 1950s and compare them with the women portrayed in The Crucible. Argue whether The Crucible portrays women in a positive way and supports feminist theories or reinforces stereotypes of the 1950s. Some ideas to consider:

• common attitudes held about women

• percent of women in the work force

i. average salary

• feminist activity

• literature

2. The Crucible and McCarthyism: Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible directly in response to the Communist “witch hunt” of the 1940s and 1950s, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Since a research paper on this connection cannot add much to what has already been written on the subject, instead try to find a connection between modern-day America and the Salem witch hunts. Being a member of the Communist Party was never a crime in America, yet many members lost their jobs, and their lives were ruined. Choose a group of people whom you believe have been the subject of a “witch hunt” of one kind or another and draw parallels between them and the characters in the play. Try to find a group that has been targeted despite not breaking any laws. Such groups may include the following; Jewish people in the Holocaust, Japanese Internment victims during WWII, victims of Racial or Cultural Segregation.

3. Fear and public hysteria: The outbreak of witch madness in Salem was small compared to the mania that ravaged Europe for two hundred years before and after 1692. Compare the American version of witchcraft to the European “model.” Did the events begin differently? there a reason was over so quickly while in Europe it ravaged for years?

The play begins with rumors that the Salem has become plagued by witches, and soon this rumor generates a fear that spreads faster than wildfire. The fear escalates to such a dramatic degree that the dominant class must respond by quashing the supposed witches with extreme strategies: the trials and subsequent hanging of witches. Carefully research mass hysteria and how it escalates in society, identifying who the responsible parties are, what their stakes were, and what tactics they used to escalate concern within the community. What are the psychological conditions that are necessary to produce mass hysteria? Propose a thesis statement in which you state your belief about the inevitability of the witch-hunt, and explain how the fear tactics employed convinced otherwise rational people to believe irrational ideas.

• Research to explore the theory that ergot poisoning caused by a fungus growing on wheat, produces hallucinations and hysteria

• Another theory to research is that Salem was the victim of an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica, an infectious sleeping sickness.

• A less exotic theory for hysteria is based on the fact that Salem seemed to be geographically divided between the haves and have-nots. This same boundary also just happened to separate the accusers from the accused. This suggests that the entire witch hunt could possibly have been nothing more supernatural than a ploy in a long-running city feud.

• Research these and possible other theories. In your paper, explain them and decide which one you believe is most likely to have actually occurred.

4. Superstition and Religion: What is the religious background of Salem witchcraft? Were these people religious fanatics, or were they noble visionaries who somehow went astray?

Compare the theocracy of the Puritans with the looser form of government in Virginia during the same time period. Which was better? Which was more successful? What are the problems inherent in a Theocracy? Whose interpretations of God’s law are right and whose are wrong? Is it possible to govern people’s spiritual lives as well as their spiritual lives?

5. Authority: Research the concept of authority under the Puritan Theocracy. Who were powerful, and how did they attain their power? How does a Theocratic authority influence the events of The Crucible? Consider the following:

• Part of what went wrong in Salem came from a dispute over who had the authority to decide whether or not witchcraft was being practiced in a particular instance.

1. How did the dispute arise?

2. How was it resolved?

3. How is authority presented in The Crucible?

4. Is Proctor’s downfall ultimately caused by what the judges see as his rebellion against authority?

5. How do the witch trials empower individuals who were previously powerless? Why are Danforth, Hathorne, and the other authorities so resistant to believing the claim that Abigail and the other girls are lying?

a. In your paper, discuss how Arthur Miller uses his literature to make pointed comments about individuals and how people should operate in society.

6. Senator Joe McCarthy and McCarthyism: Choose a thesis statement for your paper that discusses how McCarthyism and the fear of Communism influenced Miller’s play. The backstory The Crucible centers on American fears during the 1950s, including Communism and the fear of nuclear war. Tensions between the United States and Russia increased, so many Americans fearing annihilation, blindly supported the criminal charges made against innocent people by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Discuss the similarities between the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy-initiated trials of the 1950s. Consider the following questions:

 

1.   Who was Joe McCarthy?  (Provide background information.)

2.   What was McCarthyism?

3.   Describe the Army-McCarthy Trials.

6. Blacklisting in the 1940s and 1950s – Research the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and consider the following questions to guide your research.

 

1.   What was the purpose of this group?

2.   When and why was this group started?

3.   In the 1940s and 1950s, why did the HUAC go after people who worked in Hollywood?

4.   Describe the blacklists and the impact felt by those who were on the list and accused?

5   People from which fields and/or careers were on the blacklists?

6.   The witnesses who were subpoenaed to testify at the trials faced what dilemma?

Thesis Statement:

Develop and support a thesis sentence that makes a connection between the life, the works, and the literary period in which Arthur Miller lived. Below is an example of a Thesis Statement using a different author:

Familiar with all medieval social classes, Geoffrey Chaucer reveals his cynicism toward the clergy and a hidden faith in The Canterbury Tales.

Research:

• Author of novel – The first part of your paper must include research on the author Arthur Miller

o Family life and education

o Political climate of setting

o Social climate of setting

o Economical climate of time period

o Critical Reviews of the literature and author

Essential Questions to Consider:

• How does literature shape or reflect society politically, socially, and economically?

• What is the relationship between literature and place?

• How did the literary periods reflect the values of the history of America?

Research Questions: To be posted in Research Question Section of Noodle Tools:

Example Research Questions to Generate Research:

• How did the author’s early life experiences and education contribute to the central message of his/her memoir?

• What factors motivated the author to write his/her piece of literature?

• What personal conflicts or obstacles helped to mold the main character?

• What is the context of the work –when and why was it written?

• What social, historical, economical, and cultural issues are addressed?

• How does the literature reflect the issues of the time?

• How are the author’s personality, beliefs, and background reflected in the work?

• How was the play received in its own time? Now? What do critics, then and now, say about the work?

Requirements

Sources: You must use at least one primary and at least four secondary sources in developing your paper. You must submit at least 10 note cards.

Page length: Three typed pages double-spaced, exclusive of the Works Cited page

Margins: One-inch margins

Font: 12-point font New Times Roman, blue or black ink

Format: MLA (refer to Research Guide Packet)

Helpful Notes:

• Do NOT use the first person point of view pronouns (I, we, us, our, me) in your paper.

• Do NOT use the second person point of view pronouns (you, your, yourself, or yourselves) in your paper.

• Do NOT write: “In this paper, I will discuss …” OR “My paper will be about…”

• Your Thesis Statement will give the reader a clear idea regarding the focus of your paper.

• Your Thesis Statement must be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, and it may be ONLY ONE SENTENCE in length.

• Do not use personal pronouns in topic sentences. You must write a noun first before referring to that noun with a pronoun.

Steps

1. Discovery phase: choosing a topic – 25 points Due date: March 2, 2018

Brainstorming: In order to start thinking about your assignment, you need to FIRST complete the following brainstorming tasks:

1. Review the literary time periods in your textbook and on mrs-

2. Choose a literary time period, author / authors, and literature that appeals to you.

3. Fill out the graphic organizer by listing pieces of literature that you will be using as evidence of how literature reflects or shapes society, or both.

4. Fill out the handout provided that lists your topic, author, literary time period, and literary works you plan to use in constructing your Research Paper. (You will receive up to 25 points for this part of the project).

Selecting a topic: Once you have gone through this brainstorming process, now you are ready to select a topic. You will be spending quite a lot of time with this project, so make sure your topic is INTERESTING and MEANINGFUL to you.

2. Create at least ten Research Questions: Suggestions are provided in this handout. These questions will be posted on your Noodle Tools Dashboard.

Due date: March 6, 2018

3. Research/note cards Due date: March 13, 2018

Primary Source: If you are seeking to learn about the past, primary sources of information are those that provide first-hand accounts of the events, practices, or conditions you are researching. In general, these are documents that were created by the witnesses or first recorders of these events at about the time they occurred, and include diaries, letters, reports, photographs, creative works, financial records, memos, and newspaper articles (to name just a few types).  

You must select one source that will serve as your primary source. This should be a longer magazine article, journal article, or short book on the topic. You must cite this source in your paper. Memoirs, letters, and historical documents are primary source documents.

Secondary Sources: In contrast, a secondary source of information is one that was created later by someone who did not experience first-hand or participate in the events or conditions you’re researching. For secondary sources, often the best sources are those that have been published most recently. If you use a secondary source that was published decades ago, it is important to know what subsequent scholars have written on the topic and what criticism they have made about the earlier work or its approach to the topic.

You must find AT LEAST 4 secondary sources on your topic. Again, these can be in the form of newspaper articles, journal articles, magazine articles, books, documentaries etc.

* The following due dates are subject to change. Sufficient notice will be given if necessary.

All sources must be cited in MLA format and you must create a working bibliography.

NOTECARDS: Complete on Noodle Tools.

• For the sources you decide to use in your paper you need to take notes on note-cards.

• Notes should be a variety of paraphrasing and direct quotes.

• Page numbers (if there are page numbers) should be present for each note.

• You need a minimum of 10 note cards!

3. Pre-writing Due date: March 20, 2018

CREATING A FORMAL OUTLINE:

• The more detailed your outline is, the easier your paper will be to write.

• Your outline should at the very least include the following:

• A breakdown of paragraphs in the essay

• Place parenthetical citations into your Formal Outline.

• Your thesis statement

• The argument for each body paragraph (remember, because this is a longer essay, you will probably have more than 3 arguments to support your thesis).

• For each argument: the evidence from the research to support your argument

• For each argument: an explanation of how the research supports your argument.

• For each argument: possible counter-arguments that might come up against your argument and how you would defend your argument.

• Each line of the Formal Outline MUST be in sentence form. Key words and fragments are NOT a part of a Formal Outline and will not be accepted.

4. First draft Due date: March 27, 2018

Some of the considerations you need to take into account are the audience to which you are directing your argument (it does not have to be the teacher), the evidence you will use to support your argument, the appeals you can make, the structure of your essay, and your tone. Paper length is three pages.

Use the Google Document pages on Noodle Tools to construct all drafts of your paper. Your final draft will be graded from both the Google Document and Noodle Tools.

5. Works Cited page Due date March 30, 2018

Create your Works Cited Page on Noodle Tools.

6. Revisions Due date April 2, 2018

After a peer edit of your argument, you can take it home, polish it, and proofread it. Make sure your final copy passes the “yes” test in the Research Guide.

7. Final draft Due date April 5, 2018

Submit the paper to .

Your final draft should also appear as a Google Doc on Noodle Tools.

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