Research Essay Assignment for ENGL 2131
Due Date in D2L
Assignment: Combine Literary Analysis with Historical Analysis
1. Students will select a period of United States history from the list below, and then write
research paper analyzing the period and how the literature of the time reflected its values,
struggles, and ideas. No more than one-half of the paper will focus on historical analysis.
The second half of the paper (or more) will be analysis of prominent authors and their works
of the time.
The research paper must make a connection between the authors and the time period.
How does any one writer express the feelings of the time? How did the authors feel about
the historical events of their time? What themes permeate their works and how do they
connect to history?
Select one of the following times periods:
Puritan/Colonial
Revolutionary/ Enlightenment/Age of Reason
Romanticism
American Renaissance/Transcendentalism
Or choose one of the topics listed in the separate folder (There are 30 to choose from.)
Or:
I will entertain any other topic ideas that you come up with- contact me early for approval.
Each student must write a research/response/critical paper of 4-6 pages over one or more
of the works read in the class and/or the historical situation(s) pertaining thereto. The
paper should present your interpretive ideas and use research to support your argument
for interpretation of the work(s) and/or history. The first step is to propose a topic in a
one page proposal (no less than 250 words) in which you outline what you will talk
about, how it is relevant to the work, and what your basic premise for the paper will be.
You will need to have a strong thesis to guide your paper that identifies specific points
about the text(s) and/or history and explains your interpretation of the textual or historical
situation. To support your thesis, throughout the paper, you should use quotes from your
primary text(s) and quotes or paraphrases from your research material. You should also
analyze rather than summarize the materials. A plot summary is not necessary in a paper ofthis type. Analysis answers the “why” question and the “so what” question. That is, why is
your discussion of the literature/history important and how can your discussion clarify
important issues in the literature/history? The paper should be organized with a clear
introduction, body, and conclusion, which recapitulates your main ideas.
A research paper basically should be an exhibition of your ideas about your chosen work or
historical topic with a sprinkling of research material added in.
Ways to integrate research: 1) Introduce critical opinions and discuss whether or not you
agree with other interpretations which may vary with yours. 2) Offer additional information
about an author’s background and other works which relate to the one in question. 3)
Discuss your chosen work as a part of a certain genre. 4) Discuss the relationship between
your chosen work and its historical setting and the effects of history upon the work. 5)
Introduce historical and material evidence to support your claims. 6) Integrate factual
information about historical situations and/or figures.
Research Essay Assignment Guidelines for ENGL 2131
• Your paper will need a catchy title.
• Synthesize your ideas with research materials to reach new conclusions
• Demonstrate originality of thought and creative insight
• Use MLA format correctly for formatting, in-text citations, and works cited page
• Integrate research sources effectively, fairly, and ethically
The research paper should be 4-6 pages or 1000-1500 words. It should also use at least one
primary source and at least 4-6 secondary sources to reinforce the premise of the paper.
• Sources should be paraphrased and summarized in clear, concise language.
• Direct quotes from sources should be integrated into the paper with signal phrases and
grammatical transitions.
• Sources should be used ethically and stay true to the intent of the text(s).
• Paper should be formatted according to MLA guidelines.
• All summaries, paraphrases, and direct quotes should be accompanied by in-text citations.• The works cited page should contain properly constructed MLA citations for all primary
and secondary sources used in the paper.
• The paper should synthesize the writer’s ideas with research information to reach creative
insights into the topic at hand.