Ann Rice novels or Stephen King Gothic tales

This assignment is a traditional literary research project. However, you are free to write on anything that is related to Gothicism in some way. So, you can analyze other stories or novels not on the reading list (like Ann Rice novels or Stephen King Gothic tales), or you can analyze Gothic elements in Science Fiction films or T.V. series (like the Borg in Star Trek, or Gothic elements in Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Charmed). Or, you can analyze Gothic art and architecture. And, of course, you can write on a novel or film assigned on the reading list.

The paper you write, regardless of the topic, still needs to be a literary research paper. That is, you must identify some central interpretive issue that you will discuss and analyze in 4-6 double-spaced pages (1800-3000 words).

I want you to pick some key Gothic issue or theme and analyze it in your primary text (film, book, T.V. show, story, or what have you). You must incorporate at least 4 secondary sources (outside library and/or Web research dealing with such things as literary criticism, author biography, history, and politics), construct an argument and then prove that argument in your analysis paper. You must use the MLA format for source documentation, and your paper must have in-text citation as well as a Works Cited.

Please note that this is NOT a simple report in which you repeat what others have said, and this is NOT a biographical report on authors. Rather, this is a sophisticated literary analysis in which you examine and explore the details of some narrowly focused topic, using evidence from the primary texts and information from secondary sources (like other critics’ views) to support your analysis.

The paper should have the following:

An introduction that sets up the basic intellectual context of the issue. It describes your topic and your focus, and it establishes what position you are taking on the issue. That is, you must provide a specific interpretive thesis. You can also briefly outline the key issues that you will be covering.

The main body of the paper is where you discuss your analysis and prove your argument or support your position on the issue. Here is where you discuss specific evidence from the primary texts and analyze information from secondary sources. (Be sure to use MLA in-text citation format.) This section should have a clear, logical organization that takes your readers step by step through your argument. You can also refute or argue with critics with whom you disagree or who have interesting ideas but that, in your opinion, miss the point.

The analysis paper should conclude with your final thoughts on the issue and a discussion of the overall importance of your views. You can briefly summarize your main points, but then explain why your position is important to our understanding of the issue.