Welcome back, guys! I hope everyone had exactly the kind of spring break they hoped for, filled with adventure, fun, rest, or a combination of all three. Now we're back at it, at the exact halfway point in our curriculum. For us, a little time I like to call the time of conflict. Because that's where our literary focus will be. This blog post covers:
Thoughts on the Unit 2 Research Paper Final DraftsThe first thing we'll do in class on Monday is devote a few minutes for you to read and digest the feedback on your research papers. As in all writing, I encourage you to look back and think about what you did. If you decide you would like to revise once again, do it! Come see me during my Monday/Wednesday office hours during Huddle Time in the College Center, and we'll talk about your goals for revision and ways to accomplish them. One of the things we aimed to learn on this paper were the particulars of the research paper genre. For college students across disciplines, the research paper is the paper that will follow you into every class and possibly make up part of every grade in your ultimate GPA as it did for me. Even my math instructor had us do independent research. ACC asks that we rehearse and improve our research skills in Comp 1 and Comp 2. Our third (and in some ways last) essay will once again be a research essay. In other words, I really, really encourage to learn everything you can from your writing and my feedback, especially as it applies to research. Because we are immediately going to exercise that knowledge again, right now. An Overview of Unit 3: ConflictAs we read our literature in these next couple of weeks, you have an extra quest. In addition to locating quotes, taking them through the ladder of abstraction on your dialectical journals, and writing analytical paragraphs, you will be practicing asking questions. Then for Week 3, you adopt on of these questions as your research question. In other words, you are 100% directing your own research this time around. I'm especially excited about our short stories this Unit. Since we are looking at conflict, they are both properly crazy pants stories: "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Gilman Perkins. Then, you will each choose your own third short story to read, analyze, and share with the class via a short presentation. The Importance of the QuestionI'm pretty sure at some point, all the science in the world began as a question. Curiosity has always been a major driver of knowledge. For this next paper, you have complete control over your question. The only requirement from my end is that it stem from one of our short stories from the Unit, either one of the two that I chose, or the one that you selected. Once you've thought of your question, the question will direct your research. As you learn more, your question changes. It becomes more specific, more concrete. Then, at some magical point, you are able to answer your question. The answer to your question becomes your thesis. Here's a menu of questions to get you started off. These questions are optional, here to help you get the wheels turning. If one of them really speaks to you, feel free to apply to one of our stories and adopt it as your own.
Quick Musical Conflict PrimerDepending on who you ask, there are up to seven (at least) formal types of conflict. For our purposes, I want to focus on the most interesting and common sources of conflict, which also happen to connect to the literary elements we've studied so far: three about people and one about setting.
This conflict occurs within the character's mind. It often involves the character grappling with their own beliefs, choices, desires, or fears. In my opinion, all valuable literature contains an element of internal conflict. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. Music Video Lyrics
This type involves conflict between two characters, often stemming from opposing desires, beliefs, or actions. "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica Lyrics
Here, the character is in conflict with societal norms, laws, or expectations. This can involve fighting against social injustice, challenging cultural norms, or resisting oppressive systems. "I'm Just a Girl" by No Doubt Lyrics
This conflict pits the character against natural forces, highlighting the struggle for survival or the impact of the environment on human activities. "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" by Travis Lyrics *Note: Other, less widely applicable types of conflict are Person vs. Technology, Person vs. Supernatural, and Person vs. Fate Comments are closed.
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