We have come a long way from our first readings and discussions of literature and of our common novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe.
We have covered a lot of ground about the elements of short fiction, poetry, and the novel.
We have also examined the literary criticism about our novel, and you have compiled an annotated bibliography about key elements of that literary criticism on your chosen theme or topic.
This week, you combine all of our elements and craft a completed rough draft of what will become your final Portfolio.
As this is your first attempt at completing a full draft of your semester-long examination of the novel, we will view this draft as a separate assignment. So, for this week, focus on
Completing your body paragraph using our paragraph format.
Using the reverse outline to help you determine the main themesconsult the following website to help get you started: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/689/1/ (Links to an external site.)
Revising your thesis based on your notes from the reverse outline.
Constructing an introduction that starts broad and narrows to your thesis, a thesis that makes an overarching point on the novel and wraps up an introductory paragraph that foreshadows the topic sentences developed in the body paragraphs. Use the following website to help get you started: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/58/ (Links to an external site.)
Constructing a conclusion that recaps key points, restates the thesis, and offers a larger closing point that instructs your readers as to next steps or future action. Use the following website to help get you started: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/58/ (Links to an external site.)
The Portfolio Project is designed to require you to expand your understanding of Things Fall Apart by combining knowledge and application of content with your own interpretation and judgment. For the Portfolio Project, you will write a research paper about Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart, supplementing your own interpretation with information from three to five other sources. Your interpretation of this novel should reflect an international perspective. Information about planning your research paper and conducting your research can be found in the lecture material for Module 5. The Portfolio Project is due in Week 8.
Essay Formatting Requirements:
5-7 pages.
Minimum of three sources (excluding the novel)must be credible, authored sources; anonymous websites or sites like Wikipedia are not acceptable as one of your three main sources.
Double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-pt font.
Title Page: for an explanation of how to formulate a title page in APA, see The Purdue OWL (Links to an external site.) (scroll down to Title Page), or use the APA template provided in the CSU-Global Library.
Insert page numbers in the top right hand corner.
Include a reference page.
Use CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA (Links to an external site.) for correct APA formatting in the paper and on the reference page.
Your final paper will be graded not only based on content but also on the quality of your writing, syntax, and grammar. Please be sure to pay special attention to the quality of your written work. It is highly recommended that you closely proofread your assignment prior to submission. In addition, you are again expected to provide support for your arguments based upon both the required and recommended readings for the course, your research, and any relevant points culled from the discussion boards. Review the Portfolio Project Rubric, located in the Module 8 folder.
Finally, you will take the particular research question that you are developing as the thesis of your Portfolio Project and contextualize it in such a way as to convey an international or multicultural understanding of the novel. For example, if you are developing a cultural analysis of the novel, you will need to answer, as a part of your research thesis, how one culture develops in direct competition against the emergence of another foreign culture. Or, if you are developing a feminist analysis, you will need to answer, as a part of your research question, how one cultures treatment of women changes when confronted by another cultures differing attitude toward women. Or, if you were doing a direct compare/contrast analysis, you will need to directly compare specific aspects of one culture to another culture.
In other words, any critical perspective from which you frame your thesis and overall paper needs to convey a sharper international or multicultural understanding of the novel and should be reflected in your outline and reference list.
