English 285 Southern Literature
McManus
Final Paper
Topics
For your final paper, I expect you to demonstrate your ability to critically analyze one or more of the
readings assigned so far this semester. In addition, this paper will require outside sources. I will not
restrict the number of secondary sources; however, I do expect there to be at least one outside source.
These sources could be about the text, the writer, and/or the theme(s) in the work(s) you are writing
about.
Please note that a variety of sources are already at your disposal as indicated by the syllabus. It is
my hope that you demonstrate the pertinence of the work in understanding Southern identity. Your
topic for this paper is below.
Guidelines
In order to receive proper credit, your paper should be:
• Double-spaced using 12pt font and one inch margins
• Total paper length should be around 3 pages
• Free of grammatical and spelling errors
• Saved in the proper format (Word DOC. or DOCX. and the file name must contain the name of
the assignment followed your last name for example: “final mcmanus.”)
Your paper must demonstrate a college-level proficiency in grammar and style and follow MLA citation
format properly.
Rubric
You will be graded on the following criteria:
• Organization of literary argument(s)
• Formulation of a central interpretative idea about a literary text
• Interpretative assertions to develop a central interpretative idea about a literary text
• Use of supporting textual details when constructing and composing a paper about a literary work
• Documentation of source materials accurately in citations and on a reference page