Description
Information about the Research Paper on A Doll House and the concept of “the problem play”
Be sure to review not only the syllabus statements relevant to the research paper (for information such as length=2,000 words; value=250 points) BUT ALSO any previous relevant statements or Announcements (such as the Plagiarism Statement in Course Information).This paper is a traditional research paper using a primary source (the play A Doll House) and secondary sources (only the definitions/descriptions of the concept “problem play” from the two specified websites ). See below.
Read the sample research paper in our textbook on pages 1992-2001 for aspects such as the following:
*how to incorporate primary source examples *how to incorporate secondary source material
WHAT TO INCLUDE: Your introductory paragraph should skillfully and effectively incorporate the definitions/descriptions of the concept of “the problem play,” based on the two specialized weblink sources from Oxford and Carson-Newman in Course Information. Throughout the paper, there should be a balance between direct quotes and your own words (paraphrase) with appropriate documentation. The bulk of the research paper should discuss all the specific ways/instances/examples of how the play A Doll House illustrates and exemplifies the concept of “the problem play.” The most effective approach is to specifically connect aspects of the problem play to actual illustrations from A Doll House all the way through the paper. Above all, this paper is NOT biographical. In other words, there should not be anything about Ibsen’s background, nor his personal life, etc. The paper deals solely with the play A Doll House and the concept of “problem play.” Overall, be sure to have a fairly even balance between the following:
*examples from the play A Doll House (brief quotes and paraphrases—documented)
*secondary source material (just the definitions/descriptions of “problem play” from the two weblinks). See Course Information. Avoid SparcNotes, CliffsNotes, Wikipedia, and other similar “lightweights.” Consult with me if this is not clear.
*your own assessments and conclusions about the correlation between the play and the concept
If there are places in your paper where you can effectively use any of the ELEMENTS we have studied this semester, such as aspects of characterization, irony, etc., then you should include them. Do not “force” the use of these ELEMENTS, but weave them into the discussion.
Everything related to documentation, Works Cited page, etc. should follow MLA (Modern Language Association) style. One reliable site is owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01 MLA is the format used in the sample paper in our book. Email me any questions you have.
Sources must be:
The Norton introduction to literature, shorter 13th edition
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms.html
http://msdarlingsenglish.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/8/8/14880058/oxford_dictionary_of_literary_terms.pdf