Humanities Homework Help

Students in HIS 1401E will write two discussion papers which consider how fiction can be a mirror into the past. Each paper will deal with a novel a] from the period prior to 1850 and b] from 1850 until the Second World War. The first paper will be from the earlier period, and the second paper from the later period.

In these short papers [1000-1250 words] you will begin by reviewing briefly the plot of the novel, giving two or three brief quotations which exemplify the writing style and intentions of the author, and will continue by discussing the context in which the author wrote, noting his/her intentions if these are known. The most important part of the paper will be an assessment of what the author can directly or indirectly tell the reader about the history of the period. How does the book illustrate the social norms, gender relations, family connections, religious beliefs, possibilities for employment, economic challenges, legal dangers and political ideas of the period? Obviously, not every book will deal with all these issues. Each student will determine which are the most important themes in the novel being studied.

Resources for writing this paper need not be numerous. The novel itself, the text books for the course, and a few easily found background details which may well come from such sources as The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, which can be accessed on -line through the Weldon library catalogue, or from encyclopedias/dictionaries of authors found on the reference shelves.

These are not research papers. Rather they demand that students read thoughtfully and consider the underlying information which can be gained from a work of fiction considered as a primary source.

It is probably easiest to use English novels, and I suggest some below, but you may also choose translations of novels from French or other European languages. If you choose another novel from the period, please contact me and get my approval before you start.

Possible List of English Novels from which to Choose

Discussion Paper #1 1700-1850
[Due 12 November 2012]
Jane Austen, Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion
Aphra Behn, Oronooko
Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders, Robinson

Crusoe
Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews, Tom Jones
James Hogg, Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner Charlotte Lennox, Female Quixote Henry Mackenzie, Man of Feeling Samuel Richardson, Pamela, Clarissa Lawrence Sterne, Tristram Shandy Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels

When I mark your paper, it will be on a chart such as the one below. In the centre portion of the chart I will review how well you fulfilled the requirements which I have written in the chart. Please consult this as you write, since the relative importance of the various parts of the paper should be obvious from the marks assigned to each.

Marking Chart: HIS 1401E Discussion Papers

Student Name: Text:

Review of plot [10%]	Approx. 2 paragraphs introducing the protagonists and explaining the plot. A good explanation will mention all the important characters, the plot twists and the final resolution. This should lead easily into the historical significance	10
Illustrative quotations [5%]	Two or three quotations will show how the author makes a point and illustrate his/her literary style	5
Historical context & intentions of author [15%]	This section will place the life of the author into the British historical context. Here the author’s gender, class and education may all be of importance. What is happening in Britain at the time of writing? How does the author respond to contemporary events? Is the author overtly commenting on the society of his time, or is the criticism more subtle? Do we have any information about his/her intentions in writing this book?	15
Historical significance of text [50%]	A good answer will discuss just how the text is significant from a historical perspective. Does it give the reader insight into the 18th century world of the rural gentry or into the dirt of the Victorian city? Does it consider issues of class, of employment, of law and punishment? How are men and women depicted in their relationships with each other, and with authority in general? Is the picture of marriage or of childhood at odds with today’s norms? How do the protagonists react to the political and religious demands of their day? What do these reactions tell us about the period?	50
Style and accuracy [20%]	A good history paper is written in grammatical prose which has been carefully proof-read to eliminate errors in syntax as well as typos. It is properly footnoted using the style contained in Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History [i.e., the style outlined in the Chicago Manual of Style]	20
		100