Several times throughout the semester, in response to a primary text (novel, essay, short story), you will write a one-page position paper (single-spaced, double spaced between paragraphs). This paper should not be a summary of the section of the text or a response in the sense of "I liked it" or "I hated it." Instead, each paper should try to put the text we are reading in context by responding to one the prompt: "How is this text working within or complicating Victorian culture/tradition/genre/mode”? What are you seeing that sparks interest? Responses should make explicit use of terms and ideas we have developed collectively in class and of prior critical material presented in class. At the end of your paper, list several questions that you think we should discuss or that came to you as you tried to think through the place of this text in the tradition we are studying. Feel free to include quotes that support your assertions.
For Woman in White and Lady Audley’s Secret, you have four possible weeks to hand in a paper. If we are reading more than one text that week (when we have short stories or nonfiction essays), you can choose what piece to write on. The dates for this are kinda confusing, but this works out to:
#1) Week 2 on the Prologue to Parallel Lives (everyone must do this one, and it is the only paper you’ll write in response to a critical essay).
#2) Weeks 4/5/6/7: you have a choice as to when to hand in your position paper on LAS
#3) Week 6: on writing by John Ruskin “Stones of Venice” (reading on d2l), so if you wait until now to do a paper on LAS, you’ll have two this week, which is totally fine.
#4) Weeks 8/10/11/12: you have a choice as to when to hand in your position paper on The Woman in White
#5) Week 11: a short story/excerpt of fiction by George Eliot (readings on d2l)
#6) Week 12 on excerpts of works by either Darwin or Lewes (both of these readings will be on d2l)
So, it is perfectly possible that you’ll turn in two position papers in either Week 11 or 12, on readings other than (and in addition to) WIW. Which again, is fine!
#7) Week 14: The Woman Who Did
I’ll make this more explicit on the schedule itself, with ** by those weeks when a paper can/should be written.
Papers are due at the beginning of the class during which we will discuss that text and will not be accepted late. Papers will be graded with +, √, —. To receive a '+,' a paper must make a serious attempt to address the question above and must draw on prior material in the course. The grades will be assigned as follows:
Of the 7 papers, if 4 or more receive a + grade, that = A; but 3 or more minus grades = C (and any other combination of this, adding in √ grades, = B)
Writing only: 6 papers = C; 4 or more + = B; 3 or more minus = D
5 papers = D; 4 or more + = C; 3 or more minus = F
4 or fewer = F
In other words, if you only do 5 papers, the highest you can get is a C, even if you get plusses on all 5 of those papers. I've also put this in graphic form. Here are a few sample Position Papers.