Critical Paper #2/Paper Abstract
An Abstract is a short
paper (1-2 pages) that briefly outlines an approach to a given paper or topic.
It should give a theoretical framework for discussing a writer or theme, and
should briefly explain what works you intend to discuss. It doesn’t have to
have an ironclad thesis, but should clearly state your intention, interest, and
assumptions. It’s okay to say “I hope to find X in the works of Y,” or “I want
to explore the connection between X and Y,” but avoid phrases like “I want to
use Culler’s theories to find different ideas between several of the authors in
class.” For example, the abstract below is for an article I published earlier
this year in Oklahoma Humanities:
I would like to propose an article on
the "It's a Mystery" theme for the Winter/January 2016 edition of
Oklahoma Humanities. The article would be entitled (tentatively)
“M.R. James’ Warning to the Curious.” James is a largely-forgotten
(but still widely admired) early 20th century writer of ghost
stories who envisioned the terrors of the hidden world where we least expected
to find them—in the raw material of daily existence. In a short essay written
toward the end of his life entitled "The Malice of Inanimate
Objects," he writes,
“there [are] days, dreadful days, on which we have had to
acknowledge with gloomy resignation that our world has turned against
us. I do not mean the human world of our relations and friends…[but]
the wrong of things that do not speak or work or hold congresses and
conferences. It includes such beings as the collar stud, the
inkstand, the fire, the razor, and…the extra step on the staircase which leads
you either to expect or to not expect it.”
For James, true horror resided in modern life itself, which we
assume is well-ordered, reasoned, and devoid of messy
superstition. Yet we are constantly stepping over cracks and
avoiding ladders, since the old world manifests itself through the most mundane
means to remind us that magic still exists; that is, the power of the human
imagination to populate our world with angels and demons. In James’
stories, he creates terrors where we least expect to find them, and reminds us
that human nature is never conquered. To quote Goya, “the sleep of
reason produces monsters,” and the 20th century produced some
spectacular ghouls—all while reason dozed in a dream of
progress.
On the last week of class,
bring a 1-2 page abstract to read to the class (you don’t need to bring copies
for everyone). I want everyone to hear your theoretical approach to the texts
and what you hope to explore. This way, we can give you feedback and you might
even inspire your fellow classmates. Please feel free to e-mail me a draft of
your abstract early if you want feedback or if you feel like you’ve hit a dead
end. NOTE: I will not let you turn in the final paper until you present an
abstract in class. This is to help you and make sure you’re on the right track
(it’s not punishment). So please let me—and the class—help. Don’t skip class
and just turn in a paper on the due date.
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