Response Assignment 5: Final Paper Topics (Due 4/21)

Now that you have chosen a play to write your final paper on, read it, and had a chance to discuss your ideas in class; your fifth (and last) response paper assignment is to articulate your final paper topic in writing.  This response should be at least one paragraph long, typed, printed, and turned in at class next week. 

Note: If you for any reason did not turn in Response 4, it is very important that you do choose a play, read it, and submit a final paper topic.  

To help you in drafting your final paper topic, here are some ingredients to consider in a thesis statement:  You can think of one as having 3 parts: Description, Argument, and Methology...

1. The Description: This is where you introduce the reader to the play you're writing on and provide a summary of key aspects of the text.
2. The Argument: After you've provided context for the reader, you should summarize the argument that your paper will make. 
3. Methodology: You should also provide some information about how you will go about researching and persuading the reader of that argument.  

Keep in mind, when you're writing a paper topic, you don't need to know all the answers yet.  Having powerful questions is more important than obvious answers.

Here's an example of a paragraph that does a good job of presenting a paper topic.

When Gertrude Stein created Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights in 1938, her play based on the Faust legend, she related the invention of the light bulb to the instinctual human need for a god-like figure. This divine image presents itself as a struggle for each character, as well as a consistent theme throughout the play—“Good vs. Evil.” The lines between Good and Evil become thin and almost invisible in the midst of Faustus’ journey. In order to determine whether Faustus’ decision to sell his soul was made in nobility or greed, I will compare Stein’s Faustian legend to the claims of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in his essay, The Genealogy of Morals.

Please note: not all paper topics need to sound exactly like this.  Each of you will have your own voice and style as a writer and the example is meant to serve as a guide. 

Additionally, here is a helpful resource on how to construct a strong thesis statement from the University of North Carolina:

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html