Literature
EGL 1020
Paper 1 Assignment
For your first paper assignment for EGL1020, you will need to examine a particular element(s) of literature as it applies to one or more of the texts we have read. Presumably, this will mean that you will need to work with The Cask of Amontillado and/or The Secret Lion. However, you may choose any of the texts mentioned in the syllabus. Papers should choose one or more basic elements of literature (setting, character, plot, point of view, etc.) as we discussed in class and trace their development in one or more texts. The goal is to make a statement about how one or more of these elements works in one or more of the texts from the class. You are free to develop and shape your topic as you see fit. I have included possible topics below, but you are encouraged to modify or create your own topic as long as it fits the general requirements defined above. The primary goal here is to demonstrate your ability to recognize different elements in a given text and reflect on them in writing.
The paper should use Font size 12 or 13, and the paragraphs need to be double-spaced. Information directly taken from text, either verbatim or paraphrased, should be properly attributed to the author. The length requirement is 3-4 pages. See your text for sample essays and consult the examples online as well. Avoid using “you” or “I” in the paper. Keep it in the third person only.
Sample Paper Topics
1. Explain how the narrator’s point of view shapes the action and pacing of The Cask of Amontillado. Trace the plot and the different aspects of the story and how they are revealed by the narrator. You could also compare and contrast the narrators in The Cask of Amontillado and The Secret Lion. Be sure to include several examples from the text to support your thesis.
2. Discuss the types of characters present in The Cask of Amontillado and/or The Secret Lion. Are they rounded or flat? Are they sympathetic or untrustworthy? How do you know? Use examples from these stories to support your claim.
3. Focus on the setting in one of our texts. How is it portrayed? Does it change? What effect does it have on the characters or plot?
Joe Smith
December 25, 20XX
EGL 1020