The final paper should take the form of a five to seven (5-7) page paper on one of the topics below. This should be an argumentative paper that defends a particular thesis with respect to the topic. The paper should contain at least two scholarly sources. All citations should be in MLA format, and the paper must be in Times New Roman font. For other guidelines on paper format, consult the syllabus. Papers not meeting these requirements may have to be re-submitted and/or incur a point penalty. Papers will be graded on the depth and thoughtfulness of their consideration of the topic, among other factors.
1. As discussed in class, celebrity has been a factor in British literary history since the emergence of a mass reading audience. In a five to seven page paper that uses examples both from class readings and contemporary society, argue for or against the value of celebrity in the cultural life of the nation. Your paper should strike a relatively equal balance between contemporary and literary examples: in other words, while you are welcome to use examples from contemporary American life, your paper should maintain an equal focus on authors or works from the LCS 364 syllabus.
2. With the average user spending just under two hours a day on it, social media is often considered to be having a negative impact on public life. Using one or more works from the class, consider what British literary texts might have to say about this alleged social media ‘crisis.' What would Jane Austen (or Elizabeth Bennet), think about today's social media landscape? Does she seem to respect, for example, the tendency to seek public approval for one's life choices? Through a consideration of works read for the class, take a position with respect to the dangers and benefits of social media.
3. A topic of your own choosing. If you have an idea for a paper unrelated to the above topics, come talk to me about it. Students choosing their own topic MUST get approval from me by December 1st.