We will all use the same topic, a simple one that is focused on explaining Magical Realism, what it is, where it came from, and some of its practitioners. I suggest that you start with simple research about what Magical Realism is, how it came about, the great authors of Magical Realism, and finally how it manifests itself today, that is to say, in what genres.

As you prepare this essay please beware that you must include and quote three to five outside sources, use the MLA format, and in the process of the paper explain what magical realism is, how it developed, some of the great authors and works, and its international scope today. If you have any questions, please email me immediately.

I made the topic very simple, so if you have never written a documented essay, you will still have no trouble. You can use as few as three sources, as I say above, and we have been working the whole term on the format, except we now will deploy several quotations and certainly a works cited page.

Why don’t you start with the article “What Is Magical Realism, Really,” a very good place to start, and you can certainly use the article as one of your three–or five sources if you use that many.

I will give you an alternative topic, directly related to the paper we did for characterization, but this one requiring the three to five sources and works cited. Please read about that option below if you are interested. I will warn you in advance that the paper will be somewhat more challenging in that your research will be a great deal more focused. You make your own choice.

This one should be multiple paragraphs, perhaps some 1,000 words or at least close to that number. You must have three to five sources, all of which are quoted in the body of the paper at least once consistent with the MLA style. The paper uses parenthetical references and must have a Works Cited, which, unlike the annotated bibliography, contains the reference but not the annotations. The Documented essay first draft may be posted this week in Module 7, particularly if you want plenty of time to revise the essay for that second grade. Should you submit the essay this week, you will receive preferential treatment, have your final draft graded early, and could be free the final week of any writing. However, most students will submit this first draft in the week of Module 8. There will still be time to get that second draft turned in, but do your best to submit your draft as early as possible in order to be certain you have plenty of time. If you have any questions, please email your instructor.

The writing assignment is the Documented essay, on Magical Realism or, if you like another topic, see the one on The Characterization of the Misfit in Flannery O’Connor . . . Both topics are listed with all requirements in great detail starting. HOWEVER
3) this is a short paper, likely 4 to 5 papers even including the works cited page
4) you can use more than 3 sources, and you can make the paper longer if you wish–but you do not have to.
5) this assignment simply asks you to use and quote some outside academic sources and do so with the correct MLA format (if you use APA I am ok with that, but do not mix the two) with direct quotations and proper grammar and punctuation . . .not a difficult paper but a bit more challenging that the others, but for different reasons.

Other than possibly a few who might have submitted a first draft of the documented essay last week, most students will be submitting the first draft for a preliminary grade at some point in Module 8. Please understand that those who are able to submit first will receive their corrections and comments first and, therefore, be able to submit their final draft in Module 9 and perhaps receive their grade for the course early. Regardless, try to submit this first draft no later than Sunday since the time for grading might mean you would not get those corrections until some time early in Module 9, depending on the number of papers arriving at the last possible moment.

Before submitting you might use this checklist:

MLA format top to bottom:

Double space only

12 TNR Font only

paragraphs indented

every page numbered

one inch margins all the way around, or on all four sides

an attached Works Cited page

minimum three sources, but more acceptable

every source listed on the works cited (minimum 3) are quoted a minimum of one time each in the paper

use of parenthetical references with the period outside the reference only like this ( ).

content of the parenthetical references and the reference page consistent with MLA format

works cited in alphabetical order, double space, with the first line of every reference ON the left margin but other lines indented once

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