othello (Research Paper Sample)

1. You need to write about at least TWO works of literature (short stories and/or poems). The exception is if you want to write about Othello: since that is a long play you can write about it alone. This means your choices for what you will write about are: • Two short stories • Two poems • One short story and one poem • Othello (and no other work of literature) • Look at our Blackboard website to see what we read this semester. YOUR FINAL ESSAY HAS TO BE ABOUT THE READINGS, NOT A FILM VERSION OF THE READINGS. (THIS INCLUDES OTHELLO!) You may refer to the films to help support your thesis, but the majority of your discussion needs to be on the READINGS. 2. At least ONE of the texts you write about has to be something from our class readings or from our website, but you can compare it to something we have not read. If you want to write about two works we have not discussed at all, ask me first. 3. I suggest you choose your two texts the following way: • Pick two works that relate to each other. For example, both the story “Why, You Reckon?” by Langston Hughes and the story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald discuss privilege associated with socioeconomic class differences. You could discuss both of them from the viewpoint of socioeconomic critique (what they say about social class and class struggle). • Pick two works by the same author. For example, you might choose to write about “Harlem” by Langston Hughes as well as “Theme for English B” (we did not discuss this in class but it is in our poetry packet). You could discuss these two poems from the viewpoint of biographical critique by relating them to Hughes’ own life. 4. You need to discuss your texts from a particular critical viewpoint. For example, choose ONE of the following critical methods: • Racial/Cultural Critique: what do the readings you chose say about race, racism, and culture? o Sample Topic: Both “Why, You Reckon?” and “Harlem” by Langston Hughes discuss racism and injustice against Black people. • Psychoanalytic Critique: what do the readings you chose say about human nature? o Sample Topic: Both “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas” demonstrate to what lengths people are willing to go in order to preserve their own safety and comfort. • Queer Critique: what do the readings you chose say about Queer characters and Queerness? o Sample Topic: “Café: 3 AM” by Langston Hughes leads to a Queer reading of “Harlem,” in which the “dream” in “Harlem” could also be understood as the dream of not only equal rights for Black people, but also for Queer people. • Feminist/Gender Critique: what do the readings you chose say about female characters and gender roles? o Sample Topic: “The Lady of Shalott” and “The Lottery” both present women who disobey arbitrary rules and are punished for doing so. • Sociological Critique: what do the readings you chose say about society? o Sample Topic: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas” are both stories about dystopian societies that initially masquerade as utopias. • Historicist Critique: how do the readings you chose you chose relate to actual historical event(s)? o Sample Topic: The major themes of both “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Why, You Reckon?” by Langston Hughes are rooted in the time period in which they are set – the 1920s and the Great Depression, respectively. • Socioeconomic Critique: what do the readings you chose say about social class and class struggle? o Sample Topic: Both the story “Why, You Reckon?” by Langston Hughes and the story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald discuss privilege associated with socioeconomic class differences. • Biographical Critique: how does the readings you chose relate to the author’s own life? o Sample Topic: In “Daddy” and “Lady Lazarus,” Sylvia Plath metaphorically depicts the depression and trauma she suffered during her life. • Please note that not every one of these critical viewpoints may apply for each reading. 5. More examples of essay topics: • Both “The Lottery” and “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas” demonstrate the basic selfishness of people living in a seemingly prosperous and peaceful society. (sociological critique) • “Why, You Reckon?” and “Harlem” both discuss the desperation created by the disenfranchisement of Black people. (race/cultural critique and socio-economic critique) • “Sonnet 130” and “She Walks in Beauty” are both love poems but present very different conceptions of love and beauty standards. (feminist/gender critique) • Both “No-Face” and “Give Me Your Black Wings Oh Sister” engage with the authors’ cultural background. (biographical/cultural critique) • Both “No-Face” and “Give Me Your Black Wings Oh Sister” engage with superhero tropes. In the first story, No-Face wears the “mask” of a superhero; in the second, the main character is a reluctant supervillain. (archetypal/pop culture critique) • In Othello, Iago is Shakespeare’s conception of ultimate evil. (psychoanalytic critique) • In Othello, the bond between Iago and Othello is even deeper than the bond between Othello and Desdemona, but far more destructive. (psychoanalytic and potentially Queer critique) • Othello re-tells the story of Genesis and the fall of humanity, with Othello standing in for Adam, Desdemona for Eve, and Iago for the serpent/tempter. (archetypal critique) • You can also pick your own topic! This makes me happy. source..