Research Paper
1500-2500 words 12-point Times New Roman font (Works Cited does not count)
Final Draft due by 11:59 pm on Friday, June 10
Their Eyes Were Watching God fell into literary obscurity for decades after its original publication. Fortunately, the last 40 years have seen it brought back into prominence and relevance, which means that readers, critics, and scholars have had the opportunity to discuss and analyze it from many different perspectives. It is a complex novel, rich with topics worth studying in depth and so that is your assignment!
For this Research Paper, you will pick part of the novel to focus on. It could be:
a single character (Ex. Janie, Tea Cake, Joe)
a relationship between characters (Ex. Janie and Joe, Janie and Nanny)
a plot point (Ex. Nannys insistence that Janie marry Logan, Tea Cake spending Janies money)
an issue (Ex. The role of women in the novel, the depiction of black people)
a theme (Ex. Society is hypocritical, Happiness can only be found in being true to yourself)
Its important that you become very familiar with your subject matter by reading the portions of the novel that are relevant to it and being comfortable with the language used and the ideas expressed. You should be able to perform a detailed close reading of the text.
The research part of the assignment comes next. You will read multiple scholarly approaches to Their Eyes Were Watching God and think carefully about their interpretations of the novel as a whole and, in particular, the part youve chosen to focus on. Having deepened your understanding of the text, you will perform an in-depth analysis that incorporates your own close reading and the interpretations of your scholarly sources. You must have an opinionated thesis that you support with your personal analysis and the analyses of other scholars. If you like, you can choose to incorporate opposing interpretations as a means of enhancing your own.
Sample thesis: Janies three marriages, all of which end unhappily, reflect author Zora Neale Hurstons personal dissatisfaction with the instituti
on of marriage. (This essay would require the author to look at biographies of Hurston and make connections between the real life and fictional depictions of marriage.)
Sample thesis: Zora Neale Hurstons depictions of black men as self-important misogynists is the reason why many readers have criticized it for undermining the black community. (This essay would need to look at scholarship and reviews that are critical of the novel while also performing a close reading on the text.)
Please note that you are not expected to address the entire novel as your subject matter. Only discuss the parts that are relevant to your thesis.
This essay must incorporate a minimum of 4 secondary sources (the novel is your primary source). These need to be analytical writings about the novel by modern scholars (published in a book or a peer-reviewed journal). Of these 4, at least 2 must have been published after 1990. No study guides may be cited this means SparkNotes, Cliff Notes, Shmoop, or any similar guide that tells you how to read the book. You are sophisticated thinkers who should read more advanced interpretations.
What is most important about this assignment is that you take everything youve learned about analytical thinking and apply it to the novel. You want to show that you can understand scholarly approaches to literature and integrate them into your own analysis.
As always, your essay must include In-Text citations for all referenced material and an MLA format Works Cited.
EXTRA NOTES:
Here is my thesis, and this is what I want the essay to focus on/argue about:
Janie had to endure pain in each of her relationships with her husbands in order to develop into the resilient and independent woman she is by the end of the story.
Sources must be scholarly articles, and I already have one source which is called Necessary Chaos, I will attach it below.
I would like the essay a little before the actual due date so we could make changes if needed, so please try to finish ASAP.
Rubric is also attached below.
If you have any questions please let me know, thank you!