Purpose: This assignment relates directly to all primary course objectives:
1. awareness of major writers and literary periods in the canon of British Literature,
2. competence in literary analysis,
3. an understanding of fundamental literary and critical terminology, and
4. an awareness of aesthetic experiences as a dimension of life by demonstrating competence in literary studies.
Specific Assignment Objectives:
 Create a debatable focused thesis, an argument based on one or more of the assigned readings in the course.
 Develop the focused thesis in an organized essay that flows in a logical presentation.
 Support the focused thesis with both the primary source(s) and secondary scholarly sources.
 Use scholarly research to support the focused thesis.
 Incorporate and cite scholarly sources using MLA format.
 Create a researched essay focused on one or more of the course’s assigned readings.

Requirements for the Polished Research Essay
 Your essay will propose a central idea (thesis) that is supported and developed with body paragraphs that grow systematically out of the central idea. Everything in the essay must be directly related to the central idea and must contribute to the reader’s understanding of that central idea.
You started with a question, which you may have refined over time. The essay should provide a thoughtful answer to that question, using ideas and information from your sources. An essay makes an argument (tries to prove a point), so the essay should reflect at least solid critical thinking skills. (See the descriptions of A-level, B-level, etc. work in the course syllabus.)
Spring 2020 REVISED 2
 Both the primary source, the literary text you are using from this course, and the secondary sources are required to support the thesis.
 From three to five secondary, scholarly sources are required. Do not use unreliable online sources, such as Wikipedia or SparkNotes. Only scholarly sources are accepted. Ask a librarian for help.