The paper, 6-7
pages, typed, double-spaced, should explore a theme or comment on a
cultural/literary phenomenon in one or several pieces of works studied so
far. The followings are just a few
points that you might want to pay attention to:
1.
Your
paper should have a clear focus, a well-defined theme supported by sufficient
evidence from the literary works. The
title should give some indication to the theme of the paper. To write a paper is to present your personal
view and observation on literary works, originality, therefore, is highly
valued. Yet while creative
interpretation is encouraged, correct understanding of Chinese culture, society
and literature is essential. Comparison
with a Western literary work and its underlined values is also welcome. The quality of the paper often depends on how
significant your conclusion is. Do not
re-tell the plot of the fiction you are going to write about, use their details
to support your argument.
2.
When
you write anything, bear your readers in mind.
Avoid what is self-evident to your intended readers, because it will
weaken your paper.
3.
It is
useful to state in your initial paragraph the purpose, the theme, or the main
argument of your paper. Thereafter every
sentence and every paragraph should in one way or another contribute to or
support it. Organize your
argument/presentation so that it takes your reader logically and step-by-step
to your conclusion. It is wise to give a
graceful, but not repetitive, summery in the concluding paragraph.
4.
Watch
your language and grammar. The writing
quality of the paper will significantly affect your grade. If you are not confident of your writing, ask
a friend to proof-read it before handing it in.
Also you might consider seeking help from the writing center at the
English department, if it is available.
5.
You
can use classroom notes to support your view, but it will be better if you can
go beyond, even if a little bit, what you were told in class. What is expected is in-depth analysis of
literature, using details from literary works to support an argument. You might want to read secondary materials
(literary criticism, history, cultural studies, web-pages), not to copy their
ideas and re-present them as your thesis, or to patch them into your
paper. When you use ideas from others,
you should put a footnote to indicate the sources. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden.
