Students complete three essays during the term, in addition to an in-class oral report at the end of the term.
The essay topics will be determined on an individual basis with each student. You will be asked to submit proposals for each essay and to meet with me in conference, as needed, to discuss topics. Each paper should include a bibliography showing familiarity with a variety of secondary texts, both print and online. Your editions of the texts supply a number of useful materials and references. Use MLA Works Cited format for all references.
Example Essays
The following student essays are presented courtesy of the students and used with permission.
Essay 1
"Hawthorne's Redefinition of the Market-place" by Alice Chiang (PDF)
Essay 2
"From Trickster to Transgressor in Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Benito Cereno" by Kelly Chang (PDF)
"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Addressing Emancipation and Its Societal Implications" by Alice Chiang (PDF)
Essay 3
"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Boy's Search for Family" by Alice Chiang (PDF)