ENL 3251:

Victorian Literature

Final Project

Assignment Information

Other Information

Exam Essay Questions

Exam Study Questions

Syllabus

The final project consists of two parts, the fictional narrative and the interpretative analysis. The fictional narrative is 10% of your grade, and the interpretative analysis is 30% of your grade. Thus the project as a whole is 40% of your total grade for this course. Both parts of the project are to be done in the group to which you have been assigned.

Keep in mind that you fellow group members will be reviewing your contribution to the group in an anonymous review of the group at the end of the semester -- so, I will know if someone has not be doing her or his share of the work, and your grade will suffer accordingly.

 


Fictional Narrative

Due Dates: Prospectus due Tuesday, October 17th; Draft due Thursday, November 2nd; Final Version due Friday, December 8th (i.e. with interpretative analysis)
Length: 4-5 pages/ 1,500 words (total amount of text)

The fictional narrative should include at least three characters from Victorian literature, and must include at least three images. The format of your narrative is entirely up to you and group. Some possible formats: Victorian periodical, comic book, travel book, children's book etc.

Your characters must come from Victorian literature. That means they must be pulled from a prose or poetic text that was written between 1800-1901 (i.e. the long nineteenth century) by an author who was under the rule of the British Crown (remember that this includes England's colonies and protectorates).

Useful links for graphics:

*I also recommend Google searching various Victorian periodicals that often feature illustrations (ex. Punch, The Girls Own Paper). See the periodical project I did last year with this course for an extensive list of periodicals.

 


Interpretative Analysis

Due Date: Due Friday, December 8th (Group Reviews are due Tuesday, December 5th)
Length: 8-10 pages (6-8 pages for two person groups) in MLA format

After writing your narrative, your group will then write an interpretation and discussion of the Victorian characters, styles, and discourses that you have utilized in your narrative. The idea here is to bring in the different critical approaches that we have used throughout the term in order to analyze your narrative in much the same way as we did with Moore's LOEG at the beginning of the term. Consequently, what I will be looking for in your group's analysis is your ability to use your characters as a starting point for looking at the Victorian period and its central cultural issues.

The analysis should be divided up into subheadings, with each group member writing one section (please put your name next to your section). The sections do not have to be the exact same length, but they should be roughly the same length. Like any other essay, the analysis should have an introduction and conclusion, which can either be written by the group as a whole or by individuals. If you are having problems with dividing your analysis into sections, please feel free to set up a time to meet with me.

For this paper, you will be required to use three outside secondary sources (we discuss how to find them later in the term).

 


Presentations

Due Dates: Nov. 28, 30, and Dec. 5
Presentation Schedule

During the last two weeks of class, each group will give a 10-15 minute presentation and distribute a one page handout. The presentation will count for two ten-point quiz/response grades, with the talk and handout each being worth a quiz grade.

The Talk

  • General plot of your fictional narrative, including the characters you used
  • Walk us through your argument about your narrative (i.e. what your analysis is going to be about)
  • Discuss how your argument relates to existing scholarship and why what you're arguing is important (i.e. what contribution does it make to the conversation)

The Handout:

  • Basic information about the narrative (i.e. characters, plot, locations, etc.)
  • The argument you made about your topic
  • Any other interesting tidbits or facts

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