The purpose of this paper is to explore and articulate the broader context of a

The purpose of this paper is to explore and articulate the broader context of a theme or important object in one of the works of literature we read in this class so far. You will present major ideas your research has uncovered about your topic and apply those ideas to the work of literature in order to uncover new significance and interpretations of the work itself.

After you select a work of literature, you will need to choose a target for your research. It could be anything from the history of airport terminal design (if you were looking at Harjo’s “Everybody Has a Heartache: A Blues”) to the cultural associations of piano in the 1950s (if you were looking at Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”). Each work of literature contains numerous possibilities. One strategy to identify your topic is by thinking about a theme in the work of literature and reviewing historical or social science research that relates to that theme in roughly the time period of the literature. Let your choice be guided by the research sources that you can find that speak to your topic. In addition to the work of creative literature, you must use a total of five Tier 1 or Tier 2 sources, at least two of which are peer-reviewed journal articles or chapters from scholarly books. Note that these sources should not be scholarly literary criticism about the work of literature itself. Rather, the scholarship should be drawn from history, the social sciences, or related fields.

These papers should introduce your research topic by using the work of creative literature. Summarize the work and describe how your object of study appears in the work. Your thesis itself should offer a synthesis of important ideas you find in your secondary sources and also apply those ideas to the literature. Here is a potential paragraph outline:
Intro–Use literature to focus and describe researched topic. Pivot and conclude with thesis statement.
First body paragraph–Discuss one component of the topic
Second body paragraph–Discuss a second component of the topic that builds on the first body paragraph
Third body paragraph–Discuss a third component of the topic that builds on the second body paragraph
Fourth body paragraph–Apply the ideas that you’ve developed in the prior paragraphs to the work of literature through using close reading and explanation
Conclusion–Restates your thesis and points to the broader significance of what you’ve learned about the literature and your topic. Answers the “So what?” question.
Body paragraphs one through three ideally should intentionally build upon one another. Effective transitions help you do this. Also, ask yourself, “What information needs to come first to support my later discussion?” Finally, at least two of the research-based body paragraphs should each draw on multiple secondary sources.

A few important points
For this project, your sources should not explicitly focus on the work of literature itself.
The sources in the Index Card Project are the sources you will use in this paper. The Index Card Project will help you complete this paper!
Make sure that you are interested enough in your exact topic to maintain your energy for a few weeks.
Make sure that you are able to keep an open mind about your exact topic. That means you have to be able to potentially change at least some of your thinking. If no reasonable person today could have a contrary view on the position you are presenting, you should consider another topic or modify what you are working on..
Your grade will be determined based on organization, logical development, use of sources, and editing concerns. You must also maintain a formal, academic style. Note that you must succeed in each of these categories to achieve a high grade.
Use MLA format, appropriate citations, and a works cited page. Failure to accurately represent and cite secondary sources will result in a failing grade.