comparing and/or contrasting authors’ representations of historical events, themes, cultures, or ethnicities; –focusing specifically on one author’s literary interpretation of a historical moment and the significance of that interpretation; –discussing literary influences on a particular work or author; –analyzing the continuing significance of an author or a work in the twenty-first century. Requirements: –must be 6-8 pages in length –must include at least one author/work we have discussed in class –should include an original (something other than a topic we have discussed at length in class) and focused thesis pertaining to the literary work(s) or authors discussed –should demonstrate an ability to analyze and interpret American literature in context –should incorporate direct evidence from the text(s) to prove the thesis –should include proper and complete MLA citation for all source material (in-text and Works Cited) –should be an example of college-level writing: well-written, well-developed, clean, and clear –should follow format guidelines posted on Moodle You can either write about • The Norton Anthology American Literature Ninth Edition Beginning to 1820 & The Norton Anthology American Literature Ninth Edition 1820-1865 or Moby-Dick Second Norton Critical Edition (need ms textual evidence too)