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Alexie Writing Topics - Paper #2Here are the options for your second English 1B paper. As the course
syllabus makes clear, you must write four out-of-class papers this summer, one in each of the following categories: Analysis, Comparison,
Creative, and Research. Whichever category you chose to write in on your first paper is now off limits. You're down to three choices (e.g., if you wrote a Creative Paper on Lamott, your only choices on the Alexie paper are Analysis, Comparison, or Research).
Analysis Paper: Focusing on two or three of the stories in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, write a character analysis of Victor. What traits does he exhibit--physical, psychological, intellectual, and/or moral? What motivates him? What do his encounters with Thomas-Builds-the-Fire and other characters show about him? Focus especially on his complexity, contradictions, epiphanies, or any changes he experiences. Write this paper for someone who's read the book, and who won't be
satisfied with obvious or superficial observations. Also, write it
for someone whom you don't know personally. This way, you must develop
your essay as an argument of interpretation, demonstrating for your
reader how Alexie develops his character and why.
Explain how if they miss this insight into Victor that you provide, they will miss a crucial aspect of Alexie's artistry. You will need to offer specific
references from the stories for support, in the form of summary,
paraphrase, or quotation. But the focus of your writing is on your words and your
conclusions and interpretations. Don't just drop in references to the
book, hoping your reader will follow the context; integrate them, weave
them into the fabric of your discussion. Use MLA format correctly.
The length requirement for this option is 750-1,000 words (approximately 3-4
pages). A good analysis paper usually lives or dies by the quality of
its thesis. Use this link to consider Jack Lynch's advise on making a
strong thesis statement:
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/EngPaper/thesis.html
Comparison Paper: Compare the book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, with the movie, Smoke Signals. To what extent does Chris Eyre's movie capture the essence of Sherman Alexie's short stories? In what ways does he create something new and different? How do you account for the differences? Begin with the obvious similarities and build to subtle differences. Write this paper
for someone who's read the book and seen the movie; thus, they won't be
satisfied with obvious or superficial observations. Also, write it
for someone whom you don't know personally. This way, you must develop
your essay as an argument of interpretation, culminating in an idea
(a thesis) that brings your reader insight and clarity. You will need to
offer specific references to Alexie's book and Eyre's movie for
support, in the form of summary, paraphrase, or quotation. But the
focus of your writing is on your words and your
conclusions and interpretations. Don't just drop in references to the
book and movie, hoping your reader will follow the context; integrate them, weave
them into the fabric of your discussion. Be sure to use the
point-by-point method of organizing your essay in order to maximize
clarity. Use MLA format correctly.
The length requirement for this option is 750-1,000 words (approximately 3-4
pages). Follow this link to the Drew University web site for some
wonderful advice on writing comparisons:
http://users.drew.edu/~sjamieso/Comparison.htm
Creative Paper:
Create a fictional (but realistic) dialogue between Sherman Alexie and one of his detractors. Give Alexie a chance to answer the charges that he trafficks in stereotypes, betrays his own cultural heritage, and belittles Indian achievements by focusing on underachievers, slackers, and losers. Why are Alexie's stories so pessimistic? Why are there no happy endings? Is Sherman Alexie guilty of cashing in on the misery of his own people? Put yourself in the shoes of both speakers. Don't worry so much about creating a debate that one side or the other wins. Take time to develop a true dialogue in which both sides consider the other position but respectfully argue for their own. Try to mimic Alexie's voice and style in his words. Also, give his opponent his own distinctive voice. Write this in the form of a dramatic script, as though you are transcribing a recorded conversation. Invent a circumstance, a "setting," that puts them together. Because you're writing this for someone who's read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, you will want to briefly summarize, paraphrase, or quote from the stories as your "characters" discuss them. But don't worry
about MLA format on this assignment; one of the joys of creative
writing is that it sets you free from some of the restrictions of
traditional academic writing. Play. Enjoy. Create. The length
requirement for this option is 750-1,000 words (approximately 3-4 pages).
Research Paper:
Research the life, writing, and literary reputation of Sherman Alexie.
Begin by reading another of his fiction books (Reservation Blues, Indian Killer, The Toughest Indian in the World, Ten Little Indians, Flight, or The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian).
Then find information on his life and literary reputation that informs
your reading of his works. In what ways do his personal life and
experiences find expression in his literary work? What do literary
critics and book reviewers say about his work? Why is it important?
What is his unique contribution to contemporary American literature?
What common criticisms are most often leveled at his writing? What do
critics and reviewers tend to praise? Bring your secondary sources
into play in your paper, integrating them into the fabric of your own
thinking on Sherman Alexie. Remember, credibility in an academic research
paper is achieved not just through clear writing and careful editing,
but also by your handling of secondary sources. Consult more than one
type of source (i.e., books, web sites, articles, movies, etc.).
Variety and depth are two factors that readers of research papers are
looking for. Assume your reader is already familiar with Sherman Alexie,
but they are not an expert; your job is to broaden and deepen their
knowledge on the subject. Thus, this research paper fits more into the
analytical category rather than the argumentative genre. Study the OWL
(On-line Writing Laboratory) web site on Writing a Research Paper
before you begin. Click through the menu in the green bar on the
left-hand side of the web page for a nice, step-by-step guide. Use MLA
format correctly. Diana Hacker's web site on MLA Documentation Format is a handy and surprisingly thorough resource. The length
requirement for this option is 1,250-1,500 words (approximately 5-6 pages).
Due Date: If you are writing an
analytical, comparative, or creative paper, submit it to our
Turnitin.com web page Monday, July 28 before midnight. (See my
instructions on How to Submit Your Papers.) If you are writing a research paper, it is not due until August 4.
Grading Standards:
I use the same basic rubric for evaluating English papers that
Professor Jack Lynch uses. Follow this link to the "grades" page on
his excellent Rutgers University web site:
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/EngPaper/grades.html.
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