RELI 104 – ETHICS IN BIBLICAL STORIES. Ruth in the Book of Ruth

RELI 104 – ETHICS IN BIBLICAL STORIES 
Second Paper Assignment: Characters in the Book of Ruth 
** MAKE SURE YOU READ THROUGH ALL OF THIS. SINCE WE’RE NOT FACE-TO-FACE, THIS IS THE MAIN MODE FOR EXPLAINING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS PAPER ASSIGNMENT. BUT, OF COURSE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL OR CALL ME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING! 
Characters stand at the very heart of any story. Without a character or characters, there can be no plot. And without plot and character(s), all the other elements of narrative (e.g., setting, beginnings and endings, point of view, theme, literary stylistics) have no basis.
With that in mind, choose ONE of the main characters in the book of Ruth – Naomi, Ruth, or Boaz – and write about their depiction. Because information about biblical characters is notably sparse and terse, you will need to make choices about how you see your chosen character, especially in terms of what motivates them in what they say and do. Any choice is valid as long as it has a basis in the biblical text, honors what we know about the society, customs, and values of the biblical world, and is supported well by the arguments you make.    
Specific Requirements of the Paper:
1) As in the first paper, you are making an argument, not just reviewing or summarizing biblical information. I want to know what you THINK!  And, in this paper, I want to know what YOU think about a specific character in the book of Ruth. You thus need to state, as the last sentence or two of your paper’s first paragraph, a thesis statement, which states in summary form how you see your character… and why.  
2) Make sure you discuss most, and preferably all, the main events or turning-points for your character throughout the book of Ruth (inclusive of chapters 1 through 4).  
3) Feel free to create a “back story” for your character (e.g., Ruth’s birth-family and early life).  Just make sure it doesn’t overwhelm or take over from your analysis of what’s actually in the biblical text. Also makes sure this back story is justified both by whatever tidbits of information the text relates about the character AND what we know about the social and cultural world of the Bible.  
4) As part of your analysis, please identify the virtue(s) (e.g., compassion, patience, courage, wisdom, etc., etc.) you see exemplified by your character. (This is a connection back to the quiz we took – and discussion we had – on virtue ethics.) Note that although it doesn’t have to, something about what you see as your character’s virtue(s) could serve as a basis for your paper’s thesis statement.  
** I’d recommend googling “list of virtues” (or something similar) to make sure what you have identified as a virtue actually IS a virtue (and not a personality-trait, such as “hard-working,” or something else).  
5) Although this is not a research paper per se, you do need to make use of, and cite, course readings – BOTH the Bible AND the textbook(s). The latter includes both the chapter on Virtue Ethics (from the book by Steve Wilkens, Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics) and the book by Yairah Amit, Reading Biblical Narratives.  Since you likely do not have the Amit book at home with you, I have posted to Blackboard two chapters from it (one on “Plots, Structures, and Their Functions” and the other on “Creating Characters with Minimal Means”).  Make sure your paper includes quite a few quotes and/or citations from the biblical text and AT LEAST two references to Amit.  
A Few Other Formal Matters about the Paper: 
 It should have an introduction, body, and conclusion.  Include a title that distinguishes your paper from others!
 Remember to cite bible verses like this: (Ruth 2:7, which indicates verse 7 of chapter 2; or Ruth 1:1-5, which indicates everything within verses one through five of chapter one). Use in- text/parenthetical citation when referencing or quoting textbook/Blackboard readings. 
 Paper must be typed using “normal” font sizes (11-12 characters per inch).  Also, work with the default margins – don’t expand or contract them to get more or less on a page.
 Double space everything.
 Put page numbers on your pages.