You are to write a paper (seven to ten pages) on a literary topic related to The Picture of Dorian Gray in some way. Begin reading your novel on the first day of class and complete reading by midterm. Do not wait until the final days of class to write your research paper.
Think about questions like this:
Does the novel contain a great deal of symbolism? Perhaps you could write a paper that deals with the author’s use of symbolism in the novel.
How does realism play into the meaning of the novel?
How does a change in setting affect the development of the plot?
Is there something in the novel that stands out? Maybe one of the characters or how the characters interact with each other?
You may choose to address standard fiction elements such as characterization, symbolism, allegory, irony, realism, or settings. History papers and biographical papers are not acceptable for this assignment. If you find yourself telling me the life story of the author then that is incorrect. Begin planning your literary research paper now. This is an ongoing project that you will work on while you do other lessons in this course.
Research Paper Guidelines
In determining the grade for the paper, I will consider form (mechanics, grammar), content, documentation, and process. Each will affect the final grade for the paper.
Research papers will have a body of seven to ten (7-10) pages. The paper must also have an outline, and Works Cited page. (These pages are NOT considered as part of the body page count.) You will find a sample research paper, including a sample Works Cited page at the Purdue OWL website. Their website also offers information about outlining; be sure to click through the three subsections regarding outlining. The order of pages in the paper is the outline, body of the paper, then the works cited page. These are all to be saved and sent to me as one document.
The final Works Cited page will contain seven to eight (7-8) sources. The sources will be derived from appropriate books, periodicals, etc., to denote a variety of sources used; you are expected to begin your research with the CTC library’s online databases. Each of the sources used in the Works Cited must be used at least once in the research paper.
Cliffs Notes, Pink Monkey, Magill’s Surveys, Barron Notes, Schmoop, Sparknotes, Masterplots, Monarch Notes, eNotes, Gradesaver, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Prezis, essays from paper mills, Wikipedia, and all other similar sources are NOT appropriate.
You are to follow the MLA 8th edition format and documentation as described at the Purdue OWL site.
Use direct quotations sparingly (no more than 25% of the paper).
Be sure topic is sufficiently limited.
All words should be spelled correctly and errors in sentence structure eliminated.
The level of diction should be formal (no slang, contractions, jargon, or technical terms without definition).
The paper should be well written and scholarly.
All borrowed information must be noted whether quoted or paraphrased.
PLAGIARISM: You are responsible for constructing a research paper based on your own idea about a topic. Any borrowed material must be scrupulously documented. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in an F in the course.
