ENG 201 America's Uniqueness Research Assignment

Getting Started

First Things First - Assignment Requirements

Before you begin work on any research project, examine the assignment closely for any requirements. 

Q. How long is the paper? 

This paper should be at least 5 pages of text and also include a Works Cited page at the end.

Q. How many sources?

The final paper should include a minimum of 4-5 secondary sources. 

Q. What kind of sources?

Your sources should be written by literary critics or historical experts. Use the SCC library databases, books, and ebooks to find good, authoritative sources. Check with an SCC librarian if you need help with your research.

Q. How do you cite sources?

Use MLA format for your citations and in-text citations, and make sure that you include an MLA Works Cited page at the end of your paper.

Q. When is it due?

How long do you have to work on this project? Is there one due date for everything or are there multiple due dates for different parts of the assignment?  Plan out your time, so you don't get stuck doing all the work at the last minute. Plan extra time in case you have problems or get stuck.

Selecting a Topic

The first thing you need to do before you begin a research project is to select a topic that you're going to write about. For this assignment, you should write about some aspect of America's uniqueness as expressed in the literature you have read. Some characteristics of America that you could think about include individualistic, materialistic, prosperous, religious, diverse, visionary, innovative, violent, and idealistic. 

Pick an idea that interests you in one work or a selection of works, conduct research, and write about it in detail.

Here are some suggested topics:

1) Connect Walt Whitman’s then-controversial attitude toward the human body with the freedom and vigorousness of a new nation.
2) Explore the theme of American individualism in three works by different authors.
3) Referencing our readings, compare America’s violent history with America’s high ideals.
4) Explore a recurrent theme in several of Emily Dickinson’s poems (for example, death, faith, or nature).
5) Investigate darker themes in American literature: superstition, violence, and fear. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” might pair well with Cotton Mather’s account of the Salem witch trials for this topic.
6) Compare different American writers’ attitudes towards nature and the human spirit. Draw conclusions. [Thoreau, Emerson, and William Cullen Bryant are vastly different than, say, Hawthorne, Edwards, and the Puritan writers.] This one’s wide open for you to find a thesis.

Consider the following:

Q. Do you have an interest?

If you have a choice on what topic you can choose, consider which one you find the most interesting.  Which topic do you think would be the easiest to research? Which topic would you have the most to say about?

Q. Are there sources?

Before you totally commit to a topic, you'll want to make sure that there are enough outside sources on the topic for your assignment. Not every topic is going to have information written about it. Newer topics or topics that aren't as well known may be harder to find sources for.  Do some searching in the library's databases to make sure there are sources, and Ask-A-Librarian to double-check if you're not sure there are enough sources for a topic you're really interested in.