Final Paper Assignment Description

LANG 150
Final Paper Assignment (due 12/17 18:10)
Direction: please choose one of the 3 topics below and compose a critical analysis paper.
Format: MLA, double-spaced (1.5 inches)
Word Counts: at least 1,500 words (excluding works cited entry).
Submission Policy: Via email
Grading Criteria: available at UNIPA
Topic 1, The Atrocity of Normalcy

The Convenience Store Woman contains two characters who appear to be abnormal,
Keiko and Shiraha. Even though Keiko first thinks of Shiraha as one of “her kind,” as the
story progresses, their differences become explicit. How are they different? Why, other than
his misogyny, is Shiraha’s strategy to resist normalcy ineffective? How is it different from
Keiko’s; and after all, why is Keiko’s more effective to undermine normalcy?
Topic 2, Representing Something Unrepresentable
Trauma theorist Cathy Caruth explains how and why trauma is something that
cannot be represented. Analyze how Art Spiegelman paradoxically represents the
unrepresentability of Vladeck’s traumatic experience. For this topic, first, articulate the
relationship between trauma and representation by using Caruth’s two articles (available on
our course cloud). Then analyze/synthesize it with Spiegelman’s Complete Maus, how the
graphic novel illustrates the unrepresentability of traumatic experiences.
Topic 3, Your Topic
If you have a specific topic you want to write about regarding Murata’s Convenience
Store Woman, Spiegelman’s Complete Maus, or poems discussed in class, you can do that,
but you need to have my approval beforehand. If you want to write about poems, you need
to follow this procedure as well.
⚫ For Topic 1, please use at least one of the articles about Murata from the file
“Convenience Store Women Secondary Sources” in UNIPA. For Topic 3, you’re also
required to use at least one secondary source.
Grading tips 1
A) Mechanics
1) Does the paper have a proper heading? (your name, date, etc.) and an original title? Is
the paper written according to the mechanical requirements mentioned above?
2) Does the author properly cite references? Does the author create a Works Cited entry
properly?
3) Does the author introduce textual evidence properly? It means that never have a quote
as an independent sentence.
4) Grammatical competency?
B) Organization
1) Does the paper have a strong thesis statement?
2) Does the paper have strong topic sentences for all body paragraphs?
3) Does the paper use textual evidence effectively?
4) Does the paper analyze textual evidence logically and convincingly?
Grading tips 2
A) Introduction
An introductory paragraph is a place where an author presents his/her overall
argument. Thus, it should include information about a primary source in relation to
the argument. Also, and more importantly, an author MUST provide a thesis
statement at the end of the paragraph, explaining his/her argument.
B) Body paragraphs
1) A body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the point
of the paragraph. Never start a paragraph with a description of a scene. What is
important is your point to be discussed in the paragraph.
2) When an author introduces a quote, he/she should provide contextual
information for the quote. The presentation of textual evidence should be
followed by the author’s analysis/explanation of why it is important and how to
read the quote. This is an integral part of an academic paper. The author’s
explanation must be thorough, and he/she should never assume that textual
evidence is self-explanatory. It is the author’s responsibility to explain and
analyze the importance of textual evidence.
C) Conclusion
The conclusion is a place where an author reiterates the overall point of the paper.
One of the most common problems with the conclusion is that an author sometimes
introduces a new idea in the conclusion. Don’t. Whatever is to be stated in the
conclusion must have been explained before. Also, a conclusion must be a
substantial paragraph. Having a disproportionately short conclusion means that an
author does not reiterate his/her argument effectively.

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LANG 150

Final Paper Assignment (due 12/17 18:10)

Topic 1, The Atrocity of Normalcy

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