Lit Crit Paper 3 prompts

For those of you who can't log into WVSU's website and still need the paper prompts...here ya go!

PAPER III

Paper topics: It is your choice how you choose to deal with a specific topic. You do not necessarily have to respond to all of the ideas in the prompt, but I should clearly sense that you’re dealing with the general issues of a given topic.

1. Discuss the ways that the excerpt of de Beauvoir’s essay on the Eternal Feminine reflects some of the general concerns of post-structuralism. Consider the critique of essentialism and the challenge to the way that men and women are defined in terms of a binary opposition. Your sources will be the de Beauvoir essay and my hand-out on structuralism and post-structuralism. You can cite the hand-out.

2. This paper will explore the way that de Beauvoir’s ideas about the treatment of women reflect the existentialist principle that a person is defined by her or his actions. Look at the passages where she discusses the inactive, dependent role of women. How does this, in a sense, keep a woman from existing? Also consider the way that the myth of WOMAN (as an unchanging, timeless essence) adds to the problem.

3. Develop a paper on Bordo’s notion that anorexia (and/or agoraphobia and hysteria) make female bodies the site of an “unconscious protest” against traditional female roles and expectations? How does this protest operate? At the same time, how is this protest “counterproductive” and “tragically self-defeating? (2371). (Remember that Bordo reads the body as a sort of text upon which cultural values are inscripted; she interprets the various meanings of this text.)

4. Discuss Bordo’s claim that contemporary women are asked to embody contradictory “virtues,” in the sense that they are asked to be simultaneously “masculine” and “feminine.” According to Bordo, how is this demand communicated in contemporary culture? Why does it put women in a “double bind?” (2368). How do female bodies reflect the struggle to fulfill impossible demands? (Remember that Bordo reads the body as a sort of text upon which cultural values are inscripted; she interprets the various meanings of this text.)

5. Use ideas from either de Beauvoir or Bordo to make a brief commentary on a text or artwork. Choose one critic or the other. For example, you might look at a painting that perpetuates the myth of the Eternal Feminine in some way (woman as mystery, woman as praying mantis, etc.). Or you might take an image from a magazine and discuss the way it demonstrates the contradictory demands placed upon women (Bordo). In any case, you need to develop and explain the idea from the critical text and then apply it to your choice of text or artwork. You can also use “The Sphinx Without a Secret” if you would like, offering a brief commentary through the critical lens of either de Beauvoir or Bordo.

Formal Expectations:

1. Your paper needs to have a thesis in the introductory paragraph. The thesis needs to state the main point you will develop in your paper.
2. The goal of your paper is to present a careful understanding of the material. You can challenge the material if you would like, but such challenges need to be based on a clear understanding. And the short length of this paper will require you to spend most of your time developing this understanding.
3. You should outline your paper and stick to a structure. Paragraphs should be well-developed (more than a few sentences without a clear topic), with examples to support your points. Your paper should feel well-crafted and carefully planned.
4. Cite the text in your paper, rather than relying on generalizations. Vague points without support lack strength and specificity. At the same time, use brief quotes, since this paper is so short. You can just put the page number in parentheses, since we’re all using the same book (ex. Plato explains, “Art is worthless” (38).).
5. This is not a research paper. Your paper should depend upon class materials. If you feel the need to refer to something not in the class material, you must properly cite it. Anything that does not come from your own head must be cited.

Other requirements:

1. 12-point, double-spaced, Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins
2. 2-3 pages (less than 2 will hurt your grade)
3. Indicate the topic number in your heading

What constitutes plagiarism?

1. Cut-and-pasting from one or many sources, or minimally changing words and structure (even if you cite the source)
2. Re-phrasing an argument or statement from another source (even if it’s not word-for word)
3. Looking up background information from a source and failing to cite where you got this information; for example, do not look something about Plato up on the internet, learn about it, and write down what you learned as if it came from your own head (if you do any research, you need to give credit to the source by citing it)

Turning in your paper on Web-CT (there will not be physical papers):

1. Go to the proper discussion heading (Paper I), compose a message and put your name in the subject: McConnell Paper I.
2. Attach your paper in Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format. If you do not use Microsoft Office, you will need to post it in a generic format (like RTF), or to submit your assignment from a school computer.
3. After posting, click “update listing” at the top of the discussion board. You should check to see that your post is on the board, with an attached paper (it should have a paperclip icon next to it).