A Literary Essay On Queen Sugar By Natalie Baszile

Fall 2018 Final Research Paper
A literary essay on Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile
Goal: Careful examination of one main scene and its/their crucial role in plot development, resolution of conflict, and exposition of the theme.
Novel: Queen Sugar
Be aware that you will be writing about a novel, which is an extended fictional narrative usually in prose, in which the representation of character is often the focus. Most authors use the elements of fiction, such as plot, theme, setting etc. with a focused goal. One of the key analyses in literary examination is to uncover what the author's purpose is with each of his/her choices. Avoid the problem that many students have, which is to assume that simply retelling the story is enough because it is NOT. Plot summary is needed to help arrange an argument or to analyze events, but that is not what the intent is for the literary essay. 
Criteria:
You must write at a college level as well as meet these other goals:
 Include an introduction with a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
•       Use at least three quotes from the book.
•       When citing your sources, use MLA style for literary essays. It is helpful to keep your handbook open to the MLA tab as you write.
•       Minimum 750 words (more complex topics might require more)
•       Language: Remember, you are writing for a composition class, so your writing and grammar are important.
•       Use specific supporting details from the book and at least two from outside sources.Go to the Miami Dade Databases (not Google) for your sources.
The following are not acceptable sources:
•       
o       Class Lecture Notes
o       Textbooks
o       Study Guides (SparkNotes, Cliff Notes, BookRags etc.)
o       Wikipedia/ Encyclopedias
o       Dictionaries
o       Popular Magazines (People, Glamour etc.)
o       Popular information websites such as about.com or Ask.com
o       Personal Blogs
o       Why not? Because for one, they are not original sources. Encyclopedias and textbooks are useful to provide an overview or introduction to a topic for complete beginners. These are meant to get you started on a subject. They are not research documents. Wikipedia:  Many professors forbid reference to Wikipedia. Some professors do allow its use, and the use of encyclopedias in general, but do not do it. It is only reliable for checking routine facts, but Wikipedia and all encyclopedias are not primary sources. They get the information from somewhere else. Wikipedia also has a problem with correcting errors and it still has weak quality control. It can be susceptible to deliberate sabotage, vandalism, and censorship.  So do not use it if you are not familiar enough with the subject matter to find biases or errors, and do not cite it in any academic paper. 
Required Procedures:
•       Read Queen Sugar in its entirety before beginning your paper. Take notes as you read. Mark some interesting passages and save necessary source information (such as page numbers) for your in-text documentation and your Works Cited list.
•       Think a topic and approach. Do not simply repeat or summarize the story.
o       Write your well-constructed thesis, topic sentences, supporting details roughly before beginning.
•       Do some research. It is important to know a bit about racism in the South and in the United States, and maybe specifically in Louisiana, an about challenges with sexism, before you begin the paper. Take notes and save necessary source information for your Works Cited list.
o       Use at least two outside sources from scholarly sites or journals.
o       Look at a sample papers to refresh your memory concerning the format. 
o       Write a minimum 750-word (or more if necessary) for a good literary essay.
o       Use formal language and the third person, avoiding personal anecdotes and eliminating all references to yourself at all, (I believe, in my opinion, etc).
•       Revise, edit, and proofread, proofread, proofread. It is easy to make mistakes. Correct them before you submit your paper. You may also use any of the writing labs and centers in any MDC campus, where a tutor might help you. There are some sites that help you catch grammar errors, such as GrammarRater, but remember they are not human and do not read for content, so they miss things (often).
Remember: While you assemble your sources, keep your handbook open (or your online source handy). There are too many details to remember everything.
Formatting and Typing Guidelines for Literary Essay in MLA
•       Convert your papers to Microsoft Word before submitting.
•       Spacing your paragraphs: In Microsoft Word, make sure you look under the Paragraph section. On the bottom of the left-hand side, there is a box which reads "Do not add extra spaces to like paragraphs." Check that box!  In academic papers, there are no extra spaces between the paragraphs, nor between Works Cited entries. The paper must be typed, double-spaced. Click on Double space (avoid the Multiple designations) in the same box.
•       Indent your paragraphs. You may use the Tab key in Microsoft Word.
•       Your heading is on the upper left-hand corner of the first page.
•       The title is centered, using the same font and font size as the rest of the paper.
•       Do not underline or italicize your own title. Do italicize other people's titles within the text. Underlining is no longer used.
•       Use either Times New Roman (preferred), or other readable types, 12 pt. font. Do not use fancy, unusual fonts.
•       Beyond the first page, your last name and page number should be inserted on the upper right-hand corner, using the Insert > Page Number on the menu bar of Microsoft Word. The Works Cited page is the last page of the paper and is also numbered.
•       Use one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides of each page. 
•       Long quotes: Quotations of four or more lines in the typescript should be set apart (ten spaces or two strokes of the TAB key) followed by the page number. Short quotes: Passages of fewer than four lines are integrated into the text of the paper with quotation marks 
Work cited
Dear students, As explained in class today, you will work independently on your online Criterion Assignment on Wednesday as well as on your Works Cited page and your thesis statement. I will collect the Works Cited page and thesis statement in class on Monday, and I will also correct the Criterion Assignment, due before class on Monday. 
1.      Write a working thesis statement for the topic and approach you chose for your Queen Sugar Literary Essay.
2.      Create in correct Works Cited format, using Microsoft Word, the three entries that you will use for your analysis on  Queen Sugar.  One will be Queen Sugar and the other two entries will be two outside sources that you find in the MDC databases.  Do not Google your research, go to the Miami-Dade databases, and find two scholarly sources. 
Sample Topics:
Racism
Sexism
Family Struggle
Loss
Addiction
Poverty
I would suggest that you select a broad theme using a scene from the novel and build on that one theme throughout your paper. Make sure that your thesis statement expresses the theme that you are presenting and that your paper clearly sets out to prove the thesis statement.Dear students, As explained in class today, you will work independently on your online Criterion Assignment on Wednesday as well as on your Works Cited page and your thesis statement. I will collect the Works Cited page and thesis statement in class on Monday, and I will also correct the Criterion Assignment, due before class on Monday. 
1.      Write a working thesis statement for the topic and approach you chose for your Queen Sugar Literary Essay.
2.      Create in correct Works Cited format, using Microsoft Word, the three entries that you will use for your analysis on  Queen Sugar.  One will be Queen Sugar and the other two entries will be two outside sources that you find in the MDC databases.  Do not Google your research, go to the Miami-Dade databases, and find two scholarly sources. 
Sample Topics:
Racism
Sexism
Family Struggle
Loss
Addiction
Poverty
I would suggest that you select a broad theme using a scene from the novel and build on that one theme throughout your paper. Make sure that your thesis statement expresses the theme that you are presenting and that your paper clearly sets out to prove the thesis statement.