Option 1:

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.

Option 2:

Second Possible Topic for the Documented Research Essay

If you do not like the first topic, you can do this one:

(this is the title you must use and support):

The Characterization of the Misfit in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”

In this essay, do what you did with the Dee essay: tell how, in this case the Misfit, is characterized by WHAT HE SAYS (and you must include an analysis of a variety of the very revealing things he says, to include his apology for not having on a shirt, his apology for what Bailey says to his mother, his response to the grandmother’s question–“You wouldn’t shoot a lady would you?” and more. Another critical and revealing statement is “Jesus threw everything off balance,” and perhaps the final one you must address: “She would of been a good woman . . .”

WHAT HE DOES, and of course there is less here–killing his father is NOT one since he did not kill his after–but he certainly does some terrible things during the course of the story.

and what others say about him–be careful; you can include what his dad said and what the prison psychiatrist said but you have to figure out what both really said because the Misfit does not get it right.

Now you do this very carefully and thoroughly but you MUST ADD a minimum of three OUTSIDE SOURCES that you quote at least once each in your essay. These would be articles on the Misfit, the story, or something to do with what you are doing in the essay. Quote each one a minimum one time each and include a Works Cited page with the sources you use, in alphabetical order and MLA format.

The most important part of the paper will be the Conclusion–where you give a summary of what the different aspects of his characterization show the reader and then how we should finally take the Misfit based on O’Connor’s careful and subtle characterization.

Additional Instructions:

The Documented Essay is the last Essay assignment and of course the largest. 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