When developing your final paper topics, please refer to the short-essay topics for ideas. Below you will find a couple more suggestions. You can analyze a particular aspect (e.g. socio-cultural, socio-political aspects) of a given author’s oeuvre, his/her character/s, one of his/her themes. You can undertake a close reading of a poem, short story, song, film etc. by a particular author. You can analyze a particular theme as endorsed by several different authors. Yet limit yourself: remember that depending on your thesis, the attempt to bring all the authors in might lead to superficiality or incoherence.

 

If/when you choose your own topic, you are required to discuss that topic with me first.

 

Choose your topic before April 14. Your final paper will be due in class on Wednesday, April 28. You can also e-mail it to me. If you want my feedback before you take your final exam, though, be sure to hand it in sooner. Don’t forget to send me a rough draft, email me with questions, or come to see me (by appointment or during my office hours) if you would like help. Your final paper should be about 8-10 pages long. Make a cover sheet with your name on it. Do not forget to number your pages.

 

See the list of recommended readings (site menu).

 

It is recommended that your paper topic and presentation would be on the same author.

Your presentations will enable us to review all the covered authors/materials.Therefore, multiple presentations /papers on the same subject and/or author will not be possible. Choose your topic/author early to make sure that it is not taken by someone else!

 

 

· Russia and its Others. E.g. Russian national identity, interethnic strife. (Makanin, Konchalovskii, Balabanov)

· Women writers. Post-Soviet Russia through the  eyes of women-writers

· Bron’ka—Cinderella in Post-Soviet literature

· New aspects in Post-Soviet literature.

· Russian Postmodernism.

· Russian Immigration.

· Russia as a Nuthouse.

· Russian Poetry of the Post-Soviet period.

· Russian rock.

 

 

(reflect my expectations and evaluation criteria)

 

Your essay should be focused on the text(s) you select. The following will apply both to comparative and non-comparative papers. A strong essay will display:

 

 

strong (comparative) thesis statement about the chosen reading(s) [the main point of the essay should be clear to the reader from the introductory paragraph]

development of the thesis statement with several supporting points

close reading of the chosen text(s) to develop your (comparative) points

strong supporting evidence of each point from your reading of the text(s)

care with the logic of transitions

recognition and if possible explanation of any potential contradictions or exceptions to the point you are making which can be found in the text

conclusion which summarizes your thesis and evaluates the strength of the case made by (each) author for that perspective

good organization, clarity, originality

care with technical aspects of writing such as sentence fragments, paragraphing, word choice, punctuation, spelling, etc.

Also: if you quote or paraphrase ideas from the texts, be sure to cite the source and page numbers.

 

 

 

your final draft isdue onWednesday, April 28

Please make a title page for your essay, with you name, title, and class. Don’t forget to number your pages!

You can submit your final draft in class, or put it in my mailbox at the Department of German and Russian 318 O`Shaughnessy Hall (it closes at 5).

Good luck!