ENGL 209: Introduction to Literary Analysis
Research Paper Topic for In the Lake of the Woods
Professor E. Derek Taylor
Due Friday, 12-2-16
How to Tell a True War Story
In a 1999 lecture at Brown University, author Tim O’Brien recounted a particularly haunting story contained in his novel The Things They Carried (1990): the narrator’s account of his decision not to dodge the draft in 1968 by fleeing to Canada. O’Brien then explained that essentially every detail of this quite believable story is, in fact, pure invention. “That’s what fiction is for,” he concluded. “It's for getting at the truth when the truth isn't sufficient for the truth.”
Hypothesis
Follow the lead of the fictional first-person “I” whose efforts comprise what readers encounter in In the Lake of the Woods (1994): devise and develop (1800-2000 words, MLA format) your own “hypothesis” about what "truth" O’Brien is trying to communicate through his novel. In other words, what does he wish us to see, to know, that (before reading) we likely don't? As in the “Hypothesis” sections of the novel, the primary goal of your essay is to elaborate your idea in such a way that it becomes both plausible and compelling for the reader (me, in this case). The truth you choose to argue for could relate to any topic touched upon in the course of the narrative—the puzzle of human love, the mystery of evil, the nature of war, the weight of history, the effects of psychological trauma, the intricacies of political contests, the limitations of story telling (etc., etc.) However you proceed, you’ll want to be sure to remember that other recurring section of the novel; namely,
Evidence
Your main source of evidence is the novel itself—and you should indeed take into account the unique formal strategies O’Brien uses in developing this narrative (and thus in revealing the sorts of “truths” with which your essay should be engaged). But this is a research essay, so you’ll also need to be particular and deliberate in choosing appropriate outside evidence to support your hypothesis. All essays must include citations from at least two scholarly essays or books—but beyond that, who knows? Primary source accounts of the War in Vietnam? Personal interviews with your grandfather? Or with your Psychology professor? Further reading in the development of the novel as a genre? The possibilities are legion, if not infinite.
Research Paper Topic for In the Lake of the Woods
Professor E. Derek Taylor
Due Friday, 12-2-16
How to Tell a True War Story
In a 1999 lecture at Brown University, author Tim O’Brien recounted a particularly haunting story contained in his novel The Things They Carried (1990): the narrator’s account of his decision not to dodge the draft in 1968 by fleeing to Canada. O’Brien then explained that essentially every detail of this quite believable story is, in fact, pure invention. “That’s what fiction is for,” he concluded. “It's for getting at the truth when the truth isn't sufficient for the truth.”
Hypothesis
Follow the lead of the fictional first-person “I” whose efforts comprise what readers encounter in In the Lake of the Woods (1994): devise and develop (1800-2000 words, MLA format) your own “hypothesis” about what "truth" O’Brien is trying to communicate through his novel. In other words, what does he wish us to see, to know, that (before reading) we likely don't? As in the “Hypothesis” sections of the novel, the primary goal of your essay is to elaborate your idea in such a way that it becomes both plausible and compelling for the reader (me, in this case). The truth you choose to argue for could relate to any topic touched upon in the course of the narrative—the puzzle of human love, the mystery of evil, the nature of war, the weight of history, the effects of psychological trauma, the intricacies of political contests, the limitations of story telling (etc., etc.) However you proceed, you’ll want to be sure to remember that other recurring section of the novel; namely,
Evidence
Your main source of evidence is the novel itself—and you should indeed take into account the unique formal strategies O’Brien uses in developing this narrative (and thus in revealing the sorts of “truths” with which your essay should be engaged). But this is a research essay, so you’ll also need to be particular and deliberate in choosing appropriate outside evidence to support your hypothesis. All essays must include citations from at least two scholarly essays or books—but beyond that, who knows? Primary source accounts of the War in Vietnam? Personal interviews with your grandfather? Or with your Psychology professor? Further reading in the development of the novel as a genre? The possibilities are legion, if not infinite.