STARK STATE COLLEGE

MASTER SYLLABUS
FALL 2018 
Division Name: Arts and Sciences
Department Name: English and Modern Languages

COURSE INFORMATION
Course Name: American Literature: 1865 to Present
Course Number: ENG237
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 3 Lecture Hours: 3
If more than one lab type needed, use both lab sections
Type of Lab: Choose an item. Lab Hours: Choose an item.
Type of Lab: Choose an item. Lab Hours: Choose an item.
Prerequisites:​ ENG124 College Composition
Co-requisites:​ NA
This course is approved for transfer based on the following category:
 TAG: ​☒ OTM​: ☒ CTAG: ​☐ MTAG: ​☐
For more information, please visit the ​Ohio Department of Higher Education​ website
(https://www.ohiohighered.org/transfer).

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course surveys American Literature from the mid- to late-nineteenth century to the present. Students will read,
discuss, analyze, and write about works by American authors in their historical and cultural contexts. Emphasis will be
placed on critical reading of the works and techniques used to analyze them. ​

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES

Stark State College has identified six general learning outcomes (GLOs) which represent the knowledge, skills, and
abilities needed by students who graduate from our institution.
The outcomes designated below are addressed in this course
 1. Effective Communication (Written/Oral /Reading/Listening) ☒
2. Quantitative Literacy (Includes Computational Skills) ☐
3. Information Literacy ☒
4. Critical Thinking ☒
5. Global and Diversity Awareness ☒
6. Civic, Professional, and Ethical Responsibility ☒

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COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical and cultural context which produces American Literature.
(GLO 1, 3, 4, 5)
2. Employ techniques used to analyze a text. (GLO 1,3, 4)
3. Demonstrate accurate critical reading, writing, and discussion of American authors and movements. (GLO 1,
3, 4, 5, 6)
4. Analyze a substantial portion of the later period of American Literature from the mid- to late-nineteenth
century to the present. (GLO 1, 3, 4, 5)

STARK STATE COLLEGE POLICIES

Please refer to the Policies and Procedures manual on ​my​starkstate for more information on all college policies and
procedures:
● Honesty in Learning
● Withdrawal
● Attendance
● Student Complaint
● Incomplete
● Grade Appeal
● Standards of Academic Progress
● Anti-Harassment/Title IX
● Sexual Assault
● Student Code of Conduct

DISABILITY SERVICES
The Disability Support Services (DSS) office offers a variety of services and accommodations to students with disabilities
based on appropriate documentation, nature of the disability, and academic need. In order to initiate services, students
should meet with DSS early in the semester to discuss their needs. The DSS staff will determine specific
accommodations and services. If a student with a disability does not request accommodations through the DSS office,
the instructor is under no obligation to provide accommodations. Students may contact the DSS office at 330-494-6170,
ext. 4935, or schedule an appointment in B104.

COMPUTER USAGE
Students are expected to observe the Student Computer Usage Guidelines concerning the appropriate use of computers
at the College. The guidelines are posted in all areas where computers are located, and on the SSC website.
Help Desk Services provides support for the following computer issues:
● questions regarding access to student accounts (login issues)
● connecting to a College resource
● connectivity issues with Blackboard (LMS - learning management system)
● using ​my​stark​state tools
● software questions
● campus laptop checkout
● reporting issues with computing or technical resources
Help Desk Services is located in B219 on the Main campus. Contact them at 800-797-8275 (800-79-STARK), ext. 4357
(HELP). See the Help Desk website: http://www.starkstate.edu/helpdesk for hours and contact information.
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 STARK STATE COLLEGE
CLASS SYLLABUS

Division Name: Arts and Sciences

Department Name: English and Modern Languages
Term:

COURSE INFORMATION
Course Name: American Literature: 1865 to Present
Course Number: ENG237
CRN: Click here to enter text.
  Course Modality: ☒ Classroom/Lab ☐ Web 2 ☐Web 3 ☐Web 4
Class Days/Times: Click here to enter text.
Campus Location: Choose an item.
Room Number: Click here to enter text.

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor(s) Name: Cassandra Stanford
Office Hours: Before or after school by appointment
Office Location: A108
SSC Phone/Extension: 330.484.8000 ext 3108
SSC Email Address: cassandra.stanford@cantonlocal.org

REQUIRED MATERIALS
Textbook(s):​ ​The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vols. C, D, E
Additional Materials: ​ alt Whitman
Leaves of Grass, W

METHODS OF ASSESSMENT/METHODS OF EVALUATION

*Critical Analysis Essays (2): 30% (15% each) (GLO 1, 3, 4, 5, 6)
* Research Essay: 20% (GLO 1, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Tests and Quizzes: 40% (GLO 1, 4)
Homework, Discussions, Activities: 10% (GLO 1, 4, 5, 6)

*You must meet all the requirements as set by your instructor in the assignment sheets.

GRADING SCALE
A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = 59% and below

CLASS POLICIES
Students are expected to read the material assigned, to attend class, to turn in assignments on time, and to contribute
to class discussions. Failure to do so will negatively affect the student’s grade and could result in failure of the course.
In addition, students are expected to conduct themselves in a civil manner towards the instructor and fellow students.

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A NOTE ON COURSE MATERIALS
Some of the materials and experiences in this course may present you with ideas that oppose your beliefs and values,
and you may find some of the material offensive. Bear in mind that we are not advocating nor asking you to approve of,
adopt, believe, or embrace any of the points of view found in the material we will study in this class. Understand that
one of the reasons you are in college is to expand your knowledge; it is important that each of us recognize our own
personal biases and be open to hearing alternative viewpoints. By remaining in this class, you consent to being exposed
to the assigned materials. Alternative assignments will ​not​ be offered.

LATE WORK, ATTENDANCE, AND PARTICIPATION

Late Work
Late Work
Not all assignments are eligible for late submission, as determined by your instructor. For eligible assignments, with a
valid reason, late work will be accepted up to one week after the due date for partial credit. Students who submit late
work will adhere to the “grade a day” policy. Each day late the maximum grade that can be earned will drop by half a
letter grade:
On time = A
1 day late = A-
2 days late = B
3 days late = B-
4 days late = C
5 days late = C-
6 days late = D
7 days late = D-

Students who miss class will likely miss in class assignments. These are unable to be made up. Specifically, in this course,
all assignments are accepted late only at the instructor’s discretion. After one week, late work will not be accepted,
although extenuating circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis at the instructor’s discretion.
In this course, these assignments and activities are not eligible for late submission:​ ​Required essays, final research paper,
and the final portfolio.

Attendance and Participation

You are expected to attend class regularly and punctually and to be prepared. Poor attendance or participation will
prevent you from meeting the objectives of the course. However, if you must miss class for any reason, be prepared for
the next class by checking your syllabus and calendar since you are responsible for being aware of the assignments and
activities that you missed. It is best to contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss the work that you have
missed. If you know about an absence ahead of time, please make arrangements.

Students who are absent​ ​more than the equivalent of two weeks of a full-semester course will incur a penalty of 1/2 of a
letter grade for each additional missed class (or each additional ½ week missed) from the final course grade. For this
course that meets 5 days per week for 45 minutes, penalties begin after 5 days per marking period. Any combination of
3 late arrivals/early walkouts from a face-to-face class will be assessed as one class absence. Extenuating circumstances
concerning days of absence and late arrivals/early walkouts may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/REQUIREMENTS
As high school students enrolled in college courses, you are the primary contact for
information, questions and concerns. Please, communicate with your instructor with any
and all information regarding your classes.
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List of acceptable novels for American Literature II
● Leslie Marmon Silko, ​Ceremony
● Kate Chopin, ​The Awakening
● Shirley Jackson, ​The Haunting of Hill House
● Stephen Crane, ​Maggie, A Girl of the Streets
● John Steinbeck, ​Tortilla Flat
● James Baldwin, ​Giovanni’s Room, Go Tell it on the Mountain
● Ernest Hemingway, ​A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls
● F. Scott Fitzgerald, ​This Side of Paradise, The Last Tycoon
● William Faulkner, ​As I Lay Dying
● Eudora Welty, ​The Optimist’s Daughter
● Flannery O’Connor, ​Wise Blood
● Alan Brennert, ​Moloka’i
● Sherwood Anderson, ​Winesburg, Ohio
● Margaret Mitchell, ​Gone With the Wind
● Richard Wright, ​Black Boy, Native Son
● Ralph Ellison, ​Invisible Man
● Sue Monk Kidd, ​The Secret Life of Bees
● Ken Kesey, ​One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
● Harper Lee, ​To Kill a Mockingbird
● Toni Morrison, ​The Bluest Eye, A Mercy
● Sylvia Plath, ​The Bell Jar
● Pearl Cleage, ​What Looks like Crazy on an Ordinary Day
● Dee Brown, ​Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

WITHDRAWAL DATES
POLICY:
A student may drop a course or all courses from the College during the first 8 calendar days (excluding holidays) of any
academic period without academic penalty. Any changes made during this period will not become a part of the student’s
academic record. Students should refer to the posted refund schedule available at
www.starkstate.edu/<semester>-refund-schedule.

After the first 8 calendar days, the College gives students an opportunity to withdraw from a course or all courses. It is
the student’s responsibility to withdraw by the published withdrawal date and to satisfy any financial obligations to the
College. A student is officially withdrawn from a course once a signed “Schedule Change” form has been submitted to
the Gateway Student Services Center. A grade of “W” will appear on the student’s academic record.

Beyond the published withdrawal date through the end of the last instructional day, a student with an emergency or
extenuating circumstance may receive a grade of “W” only upon consultation with the instructor and approval from the
department chair. Sufficient supporting documentation shall be provided by the student when making such a request.

If a student is a financial aid recipient, it is strongly recommended the student consult with a financial aid
representative to discuss ramifications of withdrawing.
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PROCEDURE:
1. After the first 8 calendar days (excluding holidays), the College requires students to obtain the instructor’s,
advisor’s, or department chair’s signature, and to submit the form to the Gateway Student Service Center to
process the withdrawal. The person signing the Schedule Change form should discuss the reason for the
withdrawal with students to ensure they are aware of all their options. Web 3 and Web 4 students can submit an
electronic request for withdrawal, including discussion of all options, via the instructor, advisor, or department
chair to the Gateway Student Service Center. The Schedule Change form is available via the mystarkstate portal.

2. A student is officially withdrawn from a course once a signed “Schedule Change” form has been submitted to the
Gateway Student Services Center. A grade of “W” will appear on the student’s academic record after the first 8
calendar days (excluding holidays) of any academic period, as long as the student withdraws before the published
withdrawal date.

3. Failure to follow the procedures may result in the student remaining registered for the class and accepting the
grade outcome on the academic record at the end of the semester.

Deadline to Process Withdrawal Form for This Class: ​ November 19, 2018

COURSE OUTLINE/CALENDAR
In case of events beyond the control of faculty that interfere with class times and teaching, adjustments may be made to
date of coverage, order of coverage, and date of exams and assignments to ensure full coverage of course content.

Date/Week Intended Course of Study

Creating Literary Context – Literary time periods and movements project: Enlightenment, Transcendental
Aug 27-30 movement, Realism & Naturalism, Existentialism, the Beat Generation, Modernism, Post Modernism

Looking @ Critical Literary Theory – Frameworks for reading literature: Moral Criticism, Psychoanalytic
Criticism, Marxist Criticism, Structuralism, New Histrocism, Post-Structuralism, Post-Colonial Criticism,
Feminist Criticism, Gender Criticism, Race Criticism

Sept 3-7 Realism & Naturalism – Focus on Walt Whitman, intro to Whitman, Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, Out of the
Cradle, Song of Myself and other selected works.

Sept 10-14 Realism & Naturalism – Emily Dickinson, Intro to Mark Twain, Selection of Twain’s short stories, excerpts of
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Sept 17-21 Realism & Naturalism – Focus on Native American Literature, selections from Black Elk, Simon Ortiz, Leslie
Marmon Silko.

Sept 24-28 Realism & Naturalism – Female Authors – Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Edith Wharton, Kate Chopin. Male
Authors – Jack London, Theodore Dreiser, Stephen Crane.

Oct 1-5 Realism – Amy Lowell – selected poetry, Gertrude Stein ​The Making of Americans

Oct 8-12 Realism – Robert Frost, selected poetry, Sherwood Anderson – ​Winesburg, Ohio, Hands, Mother,
​ arl Sandburg selected poetry, Wallace Stevens selected poetry.
Adventure, C

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Oct 15-19 Realism – William Carlos Williams & Ezra Pound – selected works

Oct 22-26 Realism – Hilda Doolittle, selected works, T.S. Eliot, selected works, F.Scott Fitzgerald, selected works.
End of MP
Midterm Assessment – Critical Analysis Essay #1 Due

Oct 29 - Nov 2 African American Literature – Harlem Renaissance: Selections from Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Zora
Neale Hurston, Richard Wright. Follow up with excerpts from Ralph Ellison’s ​Invisible Man.

Nov 5 - 9 Finishing Realism – Selections from William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck.

Nov 12 - 16 Modernism & Post Modernism – The Beat Generation – Selections from Jack Kerouac, Kurt Vonnegut, Allen
Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs.
Post-modern manifestos – Hunter S. Thompson: From ​Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Begin reading ​The Secret Life of Bees

Nov 19-21 Modernism & Post Modernism – The other & alienation: Women: selections from Anne Sexton, Toni
Morrison, Sylvia Plath, Louise Gluck, Alice Walker, Rita Dove, Leslie Marmon Silko.
Continue Reading: ​The Secret Life of Bees

Nov 27 - 30 Modernism & Post Modernism – The other & alienation: selections from N. Scott Momaday, Sherman
Alexie, Rudolfo Anaya, Simon Ortiz.
Continue Reading: ​The Secret Life of Bees

Dec 3 - 6 ​ ommence in depth novel conversations to finalize our look at

Finish reading ​The Secret Life of Bees – C
Modernism & Post Modernism.
Critical Analysis Essay #2 Due

Dec 10 - 13 Post Modernism – literature and short stories from the 21​st​ century
Final Assessment

Dec 17-21 Independent Novel Project Work – Assistance and workshopping during class meeting times
Jan 3 & 4 Independent Novel Project/Literary Analysis Due

Jan 7-11 Independent Novel Project Presentations

Jan12-17 Update Student Portfolios

End of HS Semester

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 Critical Analysis of Literature - Essays 
American Literature 1865-Present - ENG 237 
British Literature 1785 - Present - ENG 234 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
During this semester, you will submit 2 critical analysis essays, ​4 pages minimum​ in length, 
that fulfill 30% of your grade for the course.  
 
CA Essay #1 is due 10/26/18 
CA Essay #2 is due 12/6/18 
 
Follow the guidelines below for both essays: 
● The purpose of a critical analysis essay is to carefully examine and sometimes evaluate 
a work of literature or an aspect of a work of literature. 
○ This process should help you better appreciate and understand the piece of 
literature as a whole. It is an ARGUMENT - one that you must develop and 
defend.  
● It is not a research essay (that comes later). It is also not a plot summary.  
● It is your job to establish a definitive thesis and then defend it. Your analysis must 
include specific references to text, including details that help you defend your position.  
○ You must quote/paraphrase at least four specific parts of text(s) you are 
analyzing in your essay.  
○ Use MLA guidelines for your references to the literature. 
○ For these essays you will only use the PRIMARY SOURCE(S), no outside sources are 
permitted. 
■ JUST YOU AND THE LITERATURE 
■ I will be reading closely to ensure that your analysis is entirely yours - not a 
combination of you and another literary critic.  
 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 
For each essay you will select the piece or pieces you are going to analyze. You will need to 
discuss your topic with me before you begin the writing process. During the first few weeks of 
the course we will work through various pieces of literature that will model for you the 
approaches you could potentially take for these projects. Here are some other possible 
approaches you could consider: 
● Discuss the effectiveness of a poet’s use of imagery to develop a theme. 
● Compare/contrast a writer’s presentation of a common theme in two separate works. 
● Discuss how a writer uses setting to emphasize a time period or theme. 
● Analyze a character flaw and how it impacts the overall work. 
● Consider what you know of a specific literary time period and explain how a particular 
work reveals/illustrates the values, morals, or issues of that time period. 
 
If you opt to use poetry, you may select up to 3 pieces by the same author, or 2 pieces by 2 
different authors.  
 
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The possibilities for these essays are endless, and as we move through discussions in class, 
you will understand more completely the directions you can take.  
 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
CA #1 - Due on 10/26​ - includes literature from week 1 - week 8. You may select any piece(s) from 
this period of study - but if you opt to work with a piece we have used in class, then you must 
select an additional piece (by the same author or different), to work with as well. 
 
CA #2 - Due on 12/6​ - includes literature from week 9 - week 16. You may select any piece(s) 
from this period of study - but if you opt to work with a piece we have used in class, then you 
must select an additional piece (by the same author or different), to work with as well. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Contexts: Literary Research Essay/Independent Novel Project 
Please adhere to deadlines provided; no extensions will be granted. 
In accordance with class policy, late work is not accepted for credit. 
 
PROMPT​:   
Select a work from the approved novels list and develop a research question that will help you go in search of 
answers about the historical and cultural influence of the era on the author’s work, and/or a framework in 
which you can apply to interpret the deeper meaning of the novel overall. For example: 
 
● Did the period of industrialization that followed the Civil War and preceded WWI adversely affect 
society’s acceptance of traditional literature?  
● Were writers pushed to develop innovative techniques in writing to sustain a readership that 
acknowledged and embraced the changing cultural climate, or as a result of society’s jaded view 
following the great atrocities of war?  
● Could traditional literature, with its prescribed conventions, survive in the 20​th​ century? 
● Is the work of Mark Twain better read from a Marxist literary perspective?  
 
These types of questions, while broad, give the writer a direction in which to move to gather information. ​As 
you read your selected work and research the time period in which it was written, develop a thesis/claim you 
want to focus on and write about in your essay, which you will support with your research. 
As you consider your independent reading novel, ask yourself the following questions:  When, where and for 
whom was the work (or works) written?  Do the works in question have an o ​ verall message​ (or purpose), and if 
so, what is it? What point is the author (or scribe) trying to make?  Is the author or scribe trying to advance a 
particular agenda?  How does the aspect of the work you are writing about fit into the ​work's overall message 
​ uthor's overall agenda or intent​? WHY might the author have chosen to treat the topic you are writing 
or the a
on in this way?  These questions will help you develop an i​ nterpretive framework​ ​for your readings; they will 
remind you that you should consider not only the WHAT (content) but the HOW and the WHY? 
 
Make sure that your topic is appropriate to an academic setting and provides evidence of understanding the 
time period and its effect(s) on the author of your selection. Keep in mind the length of the paper so that your 
topic is narrowed appropriately.  

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REMINDER: Beyond classroom instruction and use of library and online research tools, additional instruction is 
available through the Kent Stark-Stark State branch library (the Learning Resource Center), ​Stark State’s 
digital library,​ and the Writing Center. The ​Writer’s FAQs​ provides formatting information and the Stark State 
writing center staff has created PowerPoints available through your M drive (at my​stark​state) for individual 
viewing or classroom projection. Since you are expected to incorporate academic sources, take advantage of 
all of these opportunities to become more proficient with the research process. 
 
REQUIREMENTS​:   
- typed: 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced on clean, white paper 
- MLA formatting: running head comprised of last name and page number; interior heading - your name,  
instructor’s name, course title, due date; 1” margins 
- page length: 6 pages minimum 
 
- sources: minimum of 8 sources; integrate and properly cite sources; use MLA 
- 6 must be SCHOLARLY, 2 must be RELIABLE 
- Provide an effective intro. - set up tone/purpose of essay and include clear, concise thesis statement. 
- Utilize appropriate organizational structure, include appropriate transitions for clarity and coherence. 
- Provide a conclusion that reiterates the main points and solidifies the thesis presented in your paper. 
 
CONCEPTS TO BE DEMONSTRATED​: 
- Inquiry (questions to help you discover a focus and point of view) 
- Critical Thinking (demonstrate understanding of the complexity of the task; do not merely provide an 
encyclopedic book report on an era) 
- Academic Research and Documentation that supports your topic (primary and/or secondary sources in print 
and online formats; establishes your credibility through appropriate selection and use) 
- ​THIS IS NOT A RESEARCH REPORT! You will not gather information about your topic and just restate it. 
You will support an idea you have generated with the research you gather – the research is intended to 
support your thinking, not replace it. The nature of the work itself is mildly argumentative.  
 
Preliminary Research and Topic 
Your instructor must approve all topics. If you change your topic without permission, your paper may not be 
accepted. Your paper will be based on the literary work you have opted to read for this class. Submit your 
proposed topic in writing, explaining briefly how it ties into the work you have been studying this semester. 
 
 
 
 
There are several types of papers possible. For instance: 
 
● Pick a controversial point in the work you’ve studied, discover how several scholars interpret the point, 
and argue in favor of the interpretation you think is most likely to be correct. (Examples: who/what is 
the Old Man in ​Doctor Faustus​; what happened to the Fool in K ​ ing Lear​?) 
 
● Analyze a particular aspect of a work (Example: blindness and vision in K ​ ing Lear​) 
 
● Use a critical literary theory to reinterpret your work from a new perspective, and argue for the use of 
that interpretation of the piece.   
 
Before you ask for approval to do a topic, do some preliminary research to make sure you can find 
information on it. ​Your material must come from academic (college or university) databases or an academic 

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library.​ The best sources for a literary paper are the MLA International Bibliography, Stark State Digital Library 
and Google Scholar. For a cultural/historical paper, you will need to use other databases. 
 
You will probably not find many sources that have the exact combination of topics you’re trying to find. 
Rather, you will have to search for the parts and link them yourself. For example, let’s say someone’s thesis 
(this is a general example, not literary, obviously) is “Although many people think otherwise, in actuality, 
democracy has been declining in Lithuania since World War II.”  The student might not find much by 
searching for democracy AND Lithuania, but there is a lot of information available on democracy, and there is 
a lot available concerning Lithuania.  The student will research both issues and make the connections, making 
the case to prove his or her thesis using analysis. 
 
If you have trouble finding material, go to an expert: a reference librarian in an ​academic library​.  You can go 
to the SSC Digital Library in the Atrium, or to the Kent-Stark Learning Resource Center, a five-minute walk 
from the Information Desk at the SSC main entrance.  You can also go to the University of Akron, Mount 
Union, Kent State main campus, etc. 
 
Finding an acceptable topic by doing preliminary research is not easy.  In order to do it well, you need to 
spend a number of hours working on it, looking at articles, and seeing whether you can use them.  The more 
effort you spend up-front, and the better the information you find, the easier it will be to write a convincing 
paper. 
 
Annotated Bibliography 
You can’t have a good research paper without good research. In order to make sure you have enough good 
material for your paper, you will prepare a working bibliography consisting of a ​minimum of six scholarly 
(peer-reviewed) sources of at least five pages​. For literary research, the best databases to use are the MLA 
International Bibliography and Google Scholar. To use the MLA site, use the handout “Finding Scholarly 
Sources through the MLA International Bibliography.” ​You may not use the book reviews or abstracts (you 
must use the book or article itself).​ If your source is five pages or less, there is a good chance is it one of 
these, and is therefore unacceptable as a source. You can also use the KSU catalogue or another 
college/university catalog to find scholarly books. Public libraries have very few scholarly literary 
sources—which are written for a college or university audience. 
 
● Find articles/books that seem to be relevant to your topic. 
 
● Save or print the citation or bibliography page for each one, using MLA style, or the description from 
the online catalog. 
 
● Prepare your working bibliography 
 
o Use the same format as for the analysis papers, but omit the Essay Option number, and add 
“Annotated Bibliography” (without the quotation marks) as the title. This is NOT works cited, 
since you have no paper containing citations. Remember to double-space throughout (no 
extra space between entries) and to use hanging indents for each entry. 
 
o Alphabetize your entries. You ​must​ have 6 scholarly sources of at least 5 pages; in addition, 
you ​may​ have others, or non-scholarly works, web pages, etc.—but no dictionaries, 
encyclopedias, review web sites (like SparkNotes) or other general reference works). 
 
o Do not simply copy the citation you printed because these are often wrong. It is your 
responsibility to check the citations and to change what is incorrect. (Capitalization of article, 
journal, and book titles is by far the most common problem. Databases are not usually in MLA 

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 style, and even when they are, the computer often makes mistakes.) You can of course go to 
the Writing Center for help with MLA style. 
 
o Submit the annotated bibliography, paperclipping it to your approved topic page. 
 
● Your annotated bibliography is due ______________________________________ 
 
 
Writing the Paper 
You ​must​ use at least four scholarly sources in your paper, but you are encouraged to use more. In addition, 
you ​may​ use other reputable sources. Remember, however, that scholarly works carry far more weight than 
non-scholarly sources. Read your sources, taking notes, and think about what this information means in 
relation to your primary source. Make connections between and among thoughts, ideas, and the primary and 
secondary sources. Print out or photocopy the first page of each article, book, etc. that you use in your 
paper. 
 
Use the SSC Writing Center’s page on integrating sources to help you use your sources effectively and 
without plagiarizing. Go to ​www.starkstate.edu​. Under “Current Students,” go to “Writing Center Online.” 
Under that, go to “Critical Analysis.” Finally, on the left, click on “Resource: The Nuts and Bolts of Integrating 
Sources.” 
 
Write the paper using appropriate literary terminology. Refer to the handouts and to the web sites (such as 
the Purdue OWL) for additional tips. Most of the writing will be your own, using the primary and secondary 
sources to help support the points you make. In most cases, your secondary material will be paraphrased and 
cited, rather than quoted and cited. Lengthy quotations are unacceptable. 
 
Your paper must be in MLA style, like your analytical essays, and like them, you must have a works cited page 
and parenthetical citations.   
 
In general, four or more consecutive words from a source should be quoted and cited. 
 
Be particularly careful not to plagiarize. If you do not use quotation marks to indicate the words of one of 
your sources, for instance, it is plagiarism, whether you did it intentionally or through carelessness. 
 
 
 
 

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