Saturday, February 20, 2010
Paper Topics
I've been thinking about what I want to write my paper on, and I thought I would try and get some feedback. Probably the one I'm interested in the most is comparing and contrasting Gaiman's The Graveyard Book to Kipling's The Jungle Book . I realize that this topic in itself is probably too broad, so I was hoping to get some feedback on how I could narrow it. Another topic that I've thought about writing on is the subgenre of microscope stories and how it reflects thinking of the time. This topic might be too broad, too. If it is, I'm not too heartbroken because it's probably the one I'm least interested in. My backup is a topic from the list that Andy sent us about "The Golden Baby" and the Bermuda Triangle. One thing I was wondering about is how we go about using and citing sources. For example, I think I would need a secondary source for information on the Bermuda Triangle. I was wondering if we could use sources other than the texts we've read, and if so, how do we cite them?
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Maybe you could narrow down the first topic by talking specifically about one aspect of each. For instance, maybe it could be specifically about who brings up the kids and their relationship with human society, or specifically the antagonist, or even how they make the transition to the real world.
ReplyDeleteAs for citing things, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that sources are necessary for any of our papers, and would need to be cited (I hope) in MLA format. Definitely something to make sure Andy answers in class if not here.
I like the idea of focusing on their relationship to human society. Both Mowgli and Bod enter human society only to return home, realizing that they didn't fit in. They find later that they have to return to the real world. I love villains, so I also like the idea of focusing on the antagonists. I like to think a hero is only as good as his villain.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping for some MLA action, too. That's about the only style I know. If he doesn't answer on here, I'll be sure to ask in class.
I like your first topic. It works well since you've read The Jungle Book. If you chose to write about the protagonists' relationship to society, you could include their interactions with the females that introduce them to human society (Scarlet & The Water Girl).
ReplyDeleteI really like this topic too. You should go for it because it has stuck with you since you were talking about it in class. I also like the idea of the female being the link between the two worlds.
ReplyDeleteI'm most familiar with MLA citation style, but folks who are more comfortable with APA or Chicago are welcome to use those instead. Daniel's larger point is quite right: You are certainly welcome to use sources off our syllabus (such as Kipling's The Jungle Book), and any sources you use, on or off our syllabus, should be cited correctly, with credit for all the quotes and ideas that didn't originate with you and with a Works Cited list (or Bibliography) that includes all the publication information, for the benefit of folks who want to track down your sources.
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