Paper on a Novel or Play

	English 204: British Literature II Report on a Twentieth-Century Novel or Play for Essay #2 Spring 2005 Dr. Tina L. Hanlon Ferrum College
	Requirements: Read one novel or full-length play from the list below. If you wish to report on a nineteenth-century novel instead of a twentieth-century one, discuss your choice with the professor, and be prepared to read an extra short story or short play from the twentieth century as well. Very brief oral reports will be scheduled during the second half of the semester. Papers may be turned in before or after oral reports, depending on the date for your oral report, but all papers must be in by April 22. The paper must be 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages plus a short list of references. It must have separate sections listed below. Except for the special requirements listed below, it should follow the guidelines given .
	Required Sections of Report The Author: One paragraph of background Summarize briefly, in your own words, main events of the author’s life, other major works by the author.
	Summary of the novel or play: one or two paragraphs In the summary section give an objective overview of the plot, main characters, etc. in your own words. Include the ending of the plot in your paper, but not in your oral report. Do not include any criticism or opinions in this section.
	Analysis of the Work: One to three paragraphs Focus on any elements of the work that you think are significant, such as plot, character, language, theme. Obviously, you can only give a brief discussion of one or two elements that you think are most important, so you may want to focus on how one character develops or one relationship between characters, or how one theme is conveyed by the work, or certain elements of the plot, such as suspense, flashbacks, conflicts, etc. (as you would select a restricted focus for a one-page paper).
	• Evaluation of the Work: One to three paragraphs Would you recommend this work to other readers? Explain why. Be sure that every opinion or evaluative comment is backed up by evidence and that you are applying criteria appropriate for that type of literature. For example, if you think the work is boring or amusing or exciting, explain what makes it so. If the work is satiric and uses comic exaggeration, don’t criticize it because it isn’t realistic enough. Even if you decide you don’t care for this type of literature or you disagree with the author’s view of the world, does this work contain something of universal significance or present a view of reality that is deserving of serious consideration? You may want to review sections I and V of the page Guidelines for Reading and Analyzing Literature” for ideas on comments you could make in your evaluation of the work. If your novel is marked (§) as a children’s book, this section must contain some comments on whether you would recommend it to children.
	Comparison of a movie version with the written novel or play (optional) Include this section if you would like to view a movie version as well as reading the novel or play. If you discuss the movie version, you must make specific comments on how the movie and the written work compare. Asterisks in the list of novels and plays indicate some of the works which have been made into movies. There are different movie versions or made-for-television versions of some works, and others on the list may have been made into films as well.
	References Give a complete citation for the novel or play you are reading and your source(s) of information on the author’s life. If you quote directly from the novel or play in your paper, use quotation marks accurately and give page numbers (as explained the guidelines Quotations and Documentation in Literature Papers at this link. If you choose to quote directly from any sources besides the novel or play, or you use information or ideas from any sources in sections other than your first section on the author’s life, it is your responsibility to give complete documentation within your paper and on your references page. If the professor has any questions about your use of sources or quotations, it is your responsibility to show the professor the sources you used before the paper can be graded. If you are working from books that are not in your possession when the paper is graded, it would be a good idea to keep photocopies of any pages from which you have taken ideas or quotations used in your paper, and be sure to keep complete information on any web pages you use. If you have any questions about using sources, check with the professor for assistance before the paper is due. Refer to a handbook like The Little, Brown Handbook or MLA Handbook or links on Composition Center web page if you need more information on documenting sources. Sample citations for a novel showing reprinting of an older novel (two dates are not always required) and a reference book—using MLA documentation style: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner’s, 1953. “Joyce, James.” The Oxford Companion to British Lit Literature. Ed. Margaret Drabble. 5th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1985. Other References Books for Sources of Information on Authors’ Lives (available in Ferrum Library; you will need additional information for complete citations on your References page): Contemporary Authors. Ref Z 1010.C 6 For Contemporary Authors Online and other reliable reference sources on literature, in Ferrum College Library web site, go to Resources by Subject, then Language and Literature, then Literature Resource Center. Dictionary of Literary Biography, Gale Research Co. Ref PS 129 - Ps 490 (exact titles and call numbers vary) If you use the Internet as a source of background information, be sure it is a reliable source, such as one inside or linked to your textbook web site, one available through our library's Reference Sources online, one provided by a professional organization on literature, etc. Personal home pages or any pages that do not identify their authors or sources are not acceptable as your only source of information on an author. Remember that many whole books are available online now.
	Works to Choose for Paper #2 on a Twentieth-Century Novel or Play * indicates that there is a well-known movie version of this work. Others on the list have probably been made into films or television productions at some time as well. You must read the text and watching a film is optional. § indicates a book written primarily for children, but also admired by adult readers. You must comment on whether you would recommend these books to children. (Take into consideration that some are not appropriate for younger children; you might look at the age recommendations given by the publisher or a bookseller such as BarnesandNoble.com). Novels Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart (in Norton anthology) § Barrie, James. Peter Pan, 1911 (also written as a play in 1904) Beckett, Samuel. Malone Dies, 1958 Conrad, Joseph. Lord Jim, 1900 § Dahl, Roald, James and the Giant Peach; Matilda; Danny, the Champion of the World; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory * Forster, E. M. A Room with a View, 1908; Howard’s End, 1910; A Passage to India, 1924 * Fowles, John. The Collector, 1963; The French Lieutenant’s Woman, 1969 Golding, William. Lord of the Flies, 1964; Pincher Martin, 1956 Gordimer, Nadine. Burger’s Daughter, 1979; July’s People, 1981 § Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows, 1908 Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World, 1932 Joyce, James. Dubliners, 1914 (There is a film version of “The Dead”); Ulysses, 1922 Lawrence, D. H. Sons and Lovers, 1913; Women in Love, 1920; Lady Chatterly’s Lover, 1928 Lessing, Doris. The Golden Notebook, 1962 Orwell, George. 1984, 1949; Keep the Aspidistra Flying, 1936; Coming Up for Air, 1939 § Pearce, Philippa. Tom's Midnight Garden,* 1958 Rhys, Jean, Wide Sargasso Sea, 1969 * Spark, Muriel. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, 1961 * Tolkien, J. R. R. § The Hobbit, 1937; The Lord of the Rings, 1954 § Walsh, Jill Paton. Goldengrove, 1972; Unleaving, 1976 * Waugh, Evelyn. Brideshead Revisited, 1945 * Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway, 1925; To the Lighthouse,1927 Plays * Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot, 1955. * Bolt, Robert. A Man for All Seasons, 1960 Churchill, Caryl. Cloud Nine, 1979; Top Girls, 1982. * Fugard, Athol. Master Harold...and the Boys, 1982 O’Casey, Sean. Juno and the Paycock, 1924 Pinter, Harold. The Birthday Party, 1957 * Russell, Willy. Educating Rita, 1979 * Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion, 1910; Major Barbara, 1905; Saint Joan, 1923 Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead, 1966; The Real Inspector Hound,1968; The Real Thing, 1982 * Synge, John Millington. Playboy of the Western World, 1907
	Oral Report: Spend 3 minutes at a scheduled time in class summarizing your report. Obviously, you will have to be very brief. Spend about one minute each on the author’s life, a summary of the novel or play, your analysis of the work, and your evaluation of the work. Place the emphasis in your oral report on whether you would recommend it to other members of the class and why. In most cases you should not tell the rest of the class how the plot ends.
	March 28, 2005 top of page

Report on a Twentieth-Century Novel or Play for Essay #2

Works to Choose for Paper #2 on a Twentieth-Century Novel or Play