Due by email on 2/26 by 5 p.m

This is your chance to discover whether your topic is a viable research topic for the length and time frame of this paper, rather than finding out there is no published evidence supporting your argument the night before. Likewise this is my chance to help you focus your argument to a small and specific enough topic that you can develop it in appropriate depth. Submit the proposal by email;  I will be able to respond with a faster turnaround time.

The proposal should be a fairly informal piece of writing, about one page long, that describes your topic as specifically as possible and answers some of the following questions: What are your primary texts? What do you want to argue about the topic? What do you think you will find (or have found) in your research? How are you limiting your topic to fit the scope of a 7-8 page paper? What theoretical concepts look promising as a way of explaining the significance of your topic? What problems can you anticipate in your research and writing of this topic, or, what problems have you already encountered?

Producing a proposal at this stage in your writing process will help you to figure out your argument.  Remember that your proposal, while graded, is a planning document; it is not the final version.  The Proposal Police will not track you down if further research convinces you to make substantial changes to improve you topic.  (Remember, however, that you may not write your final paper on a topic not approved by me!  If you find yourself inclined to make substantial changes to the arguments outlined in the prospectus, come talk to me.) In order to receive credit, you need to invest some thought and effort into the assignment, not simply dash off a proposal in 10 minutes.

You must turn in a proposal and an annotated bibliography; they will each count as 5% of your research paper grade.