Sociology 329
Literature and Society
Summer 2 2003
Dr. Scott SchafferThird Paper Assignment – Literature vs. Sociology
Due Date and Time: This paper is due Mon Aug 11/2003 at the start of class. No late papers will be accepted, save in the event of a dire emergency about which I am informed in advance of the due date and time.
Rules of the Game: This paper is to be a minimum of four (4) full and complete pages in length; there is no maximum length for the paper, so you should write until your paper is fully developed. Papers that are shorter than four pages will lose one-third letter grade per page it is short. Your paper must be typewritten, double-spaced, in 10- or 12-point font, with 1.25in left and right margins and 1in top and bottom margins, on 8 1/2” by 11” paper. Your paper must have a cover page, on which a creative title (“Third Paper Assignment” is simply not creative enough), your name, and any other pertinent information should appear; your name should not appear anywhere else in the paper. Your paper must be spell- and grammar-checked; papers that have copious errors will automatically lose two full letter grades.
You should follow all guidelines in the “How to Write a Schaffer Paper” handout. Finally, no direct quotations are permitted in this paper; any materials you use to support your argument must be paraphrased and cited following the guidelines in the paper-writing handout. Anything that has the appearance of plagiarism will be regarded as plagiarism and dealt with according to the policy laid out in the syllabus.
In writing your response to the topic below, you must use at least three sources in this paper, though more are certainly recommended: at least one of the theorists from last week, at least one of the sociological articles read for this week, and either A Bend in the River or Fury. Additional internet sources may be necessary and used to fill in historical and/or sociological gaps in your knowledge of the topic matter; be sure to cite these as well, providing the full URL of the web site(s) used. Failure to use the minimum number of sources will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for each theorist the paper is short.
The Topic: You should write a well-argued and well-evinced paper that responds directly to the following question:
In what ways would the sociological mode of presentation have to change in order to have the same impact on readers that literary modes of presentation can have?
In order to fully answer this question, you need to do all of the following:
Outline the theoretical framework of one of the theorists of literature;
Use that theoretical framework to highlight particular issues regarding the relationship between authors and readers, as discussed in the sociology of literature readings;
Show the particular features of the author/reader relationship as they are manifested in both the sociological articles and the novel you choose, making sure to discuss the potential kinds of impact each form of presentation can have on the reader and why you believe those impacts are beneficial;
Use these discussions to develop a well-argued response to the big question, making sure to show how it is that you see the materials you’ve written fitting together to provide that response.
Happy writing…