The Senior Synthesis Research Essay 2014 Name: Date: Assignment: For the Research paper graduation requirement, you will be writing a Synthesis Research essay. For this essay, you will connect two works that we have read this year based on your own insights and conclusions as well as integrate research into your analysis. 1.Topics: Here are some possible topics for you to explore for your synthesis essay: 1.) How experiences shape perception: The Mind s Eye: What the Blind See - Oliver Sacks (NF) Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Nicholas Carr (NF) An Elephant Crackup? Charles Siebert (NF) Oliver Sacks research and work Google s business of creating the perfect search engine Genocide and Civil War in Uganda Political corruption and Child soldiers in Africa The Poaching of Elephants in Africa 2.) Existentialist/Nihilist elements: the concept of defining oneself/or the refusal to define oneself: The Stranger- Albert Camus The Metamorphosis- Franz Kafka Anthem- Ayn Rand The Philosophies of Existentialism, Nihilism Objectivism, and Collectivism 3.) Carl Jung s Psychology and his theories of Dreams and Archetypes: Demian- Hermann Hesse The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini Carl Jung s Analytical Psychology 4.) Autobiographical Elements in the novel: Demian- Hermann Hesse The Metamorphosis- Franz Kafka The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini Anthem-Ayn Rand Biographies of Hermann Hesse, Franz Kafka, Khaled Hosseini and Ayn Rand 5.) Trends, Fads, Movements the influences on human behavior: Strange Creatures - Susan Blackmore Why The Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted - Malcolm Gladwell (NF) The Power of Context: Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York City Crime -
Malcolm Gladwell (NF) Memes and Internet Trends The Civil Rights Movement Malcolm Gladwell s work 6.) Father and Son relationships: The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini The Metamorphosis- Franz Kafka The Psychology of the father and son relationship-freud, etc. 7.) Keys to Success- The characteristics that constitute Success Don t! The Secrets of Self-Control Jonah Lehrer (NF) What if The Key to Success is Failure? - Paul Tough (NF) There s one key difference between kids who excel at math and those who don t - -Miles Kimball and Noah Smith (NF) The Marshmallow Experiment Paul Tough s work Miles Kimball and Noah Smith s work 8.) Individual vs. society/the community- an exploration of the historical context of the novel: The Stranger- Albert Camus The Metamorphosis- Franz Kafka The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini 2. Due Dates: Existentialism Nihilism World War II The Industrial Revolution The political and social situation in Afghanistan The Russian Revolution 1. Typed 1 st Rough Draft Due: Monday 3/24 2. 1st Peer Review Sheet Date: Thursday 3/27 3. Typed Outline Due: Thursday 4/3 4. Typed 2 nd Revised Rough Draft w/works Cited Page Due: Thursday 4/10 (Highlight changes from the 1st rough draft)* 5. 2nd Peer Review Sheet Date: Tuesday 4/22 6. Typed Final Copy/Works Cited Page/2 drafts Due:Thursday 5/14 or Friday 5/15** *There must be changes from the 1st to the 2nd drafts, or the 2nd draft will result in a zero. **Any late papers will be marked 10% off for each day late
3. Plagiarism as defined by The Council of Writing Program Administrators is- When a writer deliberately uses someone else s language, ideas, or other original material (not common knowledge) without acknowledging its source. The following examples constitute plagiarism: 1. Copying, quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing from any source (no matter if a lot is copied or a little) without proper documentation. 2. Purchasing a pre-written paper (either by mail or electronically) 3. Having someone else write the paper for you 4. Submitting someone else s unpublished work as your own* *ANY OF THESE INSTANCES WILL RESULT IN A ZERO AND NO CREDIT FOR THE ESSAY AND ALL OF ITS PARTS 4. Citing Sources: DO NOT indent the first line, but indent by (5 spaces or one tab) each subsequent line. Below are some examples of how you would cite a source on the Works Cited page. All entries should be in alphabetical order based on the letter at the beginning of the first line. 1. Books Book with One Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book (italicized). Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication, pages used. Example: Palmer, Donald. Sartre for Beginners. New York: Writer s and Reader s Publishing, Inc., 1995, p. 2-3. Alphabetize the above entry by P. Book with Two or Three Authors First author s name is written as last name, first name and subsequent authors names are written as first name then last name. The rest is the same as for one author. Example: Bailey, Garrick and James Peoples. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 1999, p.11-14. Books with More than Three Authors If there are more than three authors, you may list only the first author followed by the phrase et al. (the abbreviation for the Latin phrase and others. (There is no period after et ) Et al is used in place of the other authors names. Example:
Gilman, Sandra, et al Hysteria Beyond Freud. Berkeley: U of California Press, 1993, p. 123-125. Two or More Books with the Same Author After the first listing of the author s name, use three hyphens and a period instead of writing the author s name again for subsequent listings. In this case, list books alphabetically by title. Example: Hesse, Hermann. Demian. New York: Harper & Row, 1965, p. 35-40. ---. Siddhartha. New York: Bantam Classics, 1981, p. 81-84. 2. Websites Use any of the information that you have from the website in order to cite it. You might not have all of the parts below. Just record what you do have in the following format and order, omitting information that you cannot obtain. Title of the Site. Name of the editor of the site (if given). Electronic publication information including version number (if relevant and not part of the title). Date of electronic publication or of the latest update. Name of any sponsoring institution or organization. Date you accessed the site and the URL. For Example: Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Ed. Steven van Leeuwen. 2008. 5 May 2008 <http://www.bartelby.com/>. 24 February 2014. CNN.com. 2002. Cable News Network. 15 May 2008 <http://www.cnn.com/>. 11 February 2014. History Channel.com. 2008. History Channel. 14 May 2008 <http://historychannel.com/>. 10 February 2014. Romantic Chronology. Ed. Laura Mandell and Alan Liu. 1999. U. of California, Santa Barbara. 22 June 2008 <http://www.english.ucsb.edu:591/rchrono/>. 3 February 2014. MLA Style: Paper and Online. 2008. Kingswood College Library. 8 February 2008 <http://www. Kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/>. 9 March 2014.* *NOTE-THE SECOND LINE AND ALL SUBSEQUENT LINES OF THE SOURCE IS INDENTED JUST LIKE A BOOK SOURCE (the opposite of a paragraph). Also note, the dates are in the format of date month and year. Lastly, sources should be in alphabetical order by the first letter of the entry. I.e. B for Bartleby, M for MLA etc. Please let me know if you have any questions. Internal/Parenthetical Citations When you use a quote within your paper it is called an internal or parenthetical citation. The author s name and page number or page numbers in parenthesis should follow the quote WITHOUT ANY COMMAS within the citation! Also, you can quote by stating the author s name first, i.e. Gladwell posits and then you do not need to add an internal citation. When paraphrasing, it is best to lean on the side of caution and add an internal citation after the paraphrased text. This will give the reader the author and page number/s where the original quote can be found. THE
5. Thesis Statement 6. Outline PUNCTUATION GOES AFTER THE INTERNAL CITATION- periods, exclamation marks, and question marks as well.* You should LEAD into your quote, and also LEAD out of your quote, explaining why you chose that particular quote, and how it enhances your point. If a citation is 3 lines long or less it should be within the rest of the paragraph with an internal citation after it. If it is more than 3 lines long, then it needs to be separated from the rest of the paragraph and indented 10 spaces. With a longer quotation you do not need quotation marks.* *This is just for your information because in a 3-4 page essay, you should not need to use a longer quotation. In a quote of such short length, a longer quote appears as mainly space filler. Use them very little, or not at all. They are really meant for longer essays, 10 or more pages in length. While you are gathering your research, you will need to write a thesis statement. A good thesis statement should: 1. make an arguable, create and interesting assertion about the topic 2. state the final assertion that you have reached about your topic 3. create direction for your paper 4. focus on what needs to be proven in your paper 5. appear in the introduction at the end of the first paragraph Summary of a thesis: It should be a sentence condensation of your argument. Often the thesis statement arises at the end of the initial rough draft. Try to allow yourself the space to brainstorm to naturally arrive at your thesis. You will be required to write an academic outline. This outline should: 1. Have a title that is centered, and NOT UNDERLINED OR BOLDED 2. Include an introduction 3. Organize your points by ideas presented in each paragraph 4. Include a conclusion Kafka and Camus: Two Men Cut from the Same Cloth Alienation and absurdity emerge as prominent themes in the works of Franz Kafka and Albert Camus. Within the pages of their signature works The Metamorphosis and The Stranger respectively, the authors not only share these similarities in theme, but in their protagonists as well. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor is transformed in his bed into a vermin: no explanation of this event is provided. Awkward interactions ensue with his manager, sister, mother, abusive father, the roomers who share in the rent, and finally the cleaning woman as well. These interactions only serve to further establish Gregor s alienation. In Camus novel The Stranger the central character Meursault also engages in a series of awkward encounters with the caretaker and the director at his mother s funeral, his friend Raymond, his girlfriend and eventually the Arab man which he shoots for no clear reason. Both characters endure alienation and absurdity in their lives. But what do these stories reveal about the authors behind them. When the lives of both authors are analyzed in greater detail, one can draw several parallels, not just between the styles and themes both writers employed, but between the writers themselves. Therefore, both Kafka and Camus shared similarities in their writing by detailing descriptions grounded in absurd realities, feeling alienated or cast out
themselves based on their family backgrounds or political leanings, and shared political views which forced them to rebel against the historical and political events of the times in which they lived. I. Introduction 1. Brief explanation of the connections between Kafka s The Metamorphosis and Albert Camus The Stranger (Paragraph 1) and the authors themselves 2. State Thesis- Arguable assertion at the end. 3. Therefore, both Kafka and Camus shared similarities in their writing by detailing descriptions grounded in absurd realities, feeling alienated or cast out themselves based on their family backgrounds or political leanings, and shared political views which forced them to rebel against the historical and political events of the times in which they lived. A. Specific connection between Kafka s and Camus writing styles. 1. Kafka s characteristic style a. Quote relating to this point b. Analyze the quote in 2-3 sentences 2. Camus characteristic style (Paragraph 2) a. Quote relating to this point b. Analysis of the quote in 2-3 sentences B. Connections between backgrounds 1. Kafka was a German speaking Jew living in Austro-Hungarian Prague Jew among Gentiles a. Quote supporting this point b. Analysis 2. Camus lived in Algeria (Africa) as a Frenchman (Paragraph 3) a. Was torn between France and Algeria b. Was eventually exiled from Algeria for being considered a threat to national security c. Quote/Analysis 3. Family relations a. Kafka s father was a tyrant b. Camus father died and he was raised by his mother c. Quotes/Analysis 4. Both authors were rebellious/anti-establishment (#4-6 Extra Points) 5. Both linked to Existentialism/Nihilism 6. Both had tuberculosis C. Political Leanings 1. Both deemed anarchists 2. Connected to socialism (Paragraph 4) 3. Protested against war 4. Quotes/Analysis II. Conclusion Kafka and Camus both wrote in a style which was relevant to the times in which they were writing: in the midst of the World Wars I and II; however, their lives and works could also be considered very relevant today: reflecting the alienation and absurdities which result in living in our highly self-centered modern, technological age. Moreover, a look into the lives of the authors who wrote these esteemed and relevant works makes the works even more compelling and interesting. Since both were living lives as foreigners in their
7. Format countries, had atypical upbringings, and had strong ideologies and political views, it is no wonder that their works have become so enduring: their works reflected the times, universal and timeless concerns, and the men themselves. IN THE ABOVE OUTLINE NOTICE THAT THE I IS ALIGNED WITH THE II, THE A IS ALIGNED WITH THE B ETC. ALSO FOR EVERY I THERE HAS TO BE II, FOR EVERY 1 THERE MUST BE A 2. THE LOGIC FOR THIS IS THAT YOU CANNOT SEPARATE A TOPIC INTO ONE. THERE MUST BE TWO OR MORE, I.E. 1,2,3 OR A,B,C NOT JUST 1 OR A. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. Typing and Paper: Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard white 8.5 X 11 inch paper Font: Margins and Page Numbers: Double-space your heading and essay, as well as your work cited page. Your outline can be single-spaced as shown above. Font should be Times New Roman in BLACK. DO NOT use font larger or smaller than 12- point font. In MLA all margins are 1 inch on all sides. Indent the first line of each paragraph five spaces (or press tab once) from the left margin. Indent longer citations 10 spaces or two tabs. The last name and page number should also be on the right of each page, ½ inch or.5 inches from the top. MLA Heading: Left Justified: Your First and Last Name (A Reminder!) Ms. Sato Synthesis Research Essay and Period Date in this order- Day Month Year (no commas in between) Length: Thesis Statement: Internal Citations: Works Cited Page: Your paper should be 3-4 pages of quality not quantity. It should be underlined or highlighted at the end of the first paragraph. Quotes 3 lines or less, put quotation marks around them. Then write the (author and page number/s) in parenthesis after the quote and THEN put in the punctuation. Remember: Quotes 4 lines or longer are offset 10 spaces and DO NOT require quotation marks. Center the words Works Cited at the top of the page. You do not need to underline these words or put quotation marks around them. Begin the first line of each entry on the margin, and indent all other lines of the same entry 5 spaces. Double space within and between each entry. Insert your last name and page number (MLA format) on the top right-hand corner of the Works Cited page as you did for all other pages. Works should be in alphabetical order based on the author, or if none, by the title, etc. Alphabetize entries based on available information. I already mentioned this before, so this should be a reminder!
Title: ALL ESSAYS SHOULD HAVE A TITLE, CENTERED AND NOT UNDERLINED OR WITH QUOTATION MARKS AROUND IT., 8. Extras- Last but Important! No late work will be accepted unless under dire emergency circumstances. No work will be accepted in my mailbox or e-mailed. Being on time is your responsibility. Communicate with me as much as possible if you need help or have any questions. Ultimately though, it is your responsibility. You may contact me at: at the school e-mail: paulette.sato@edison.k12.nj.us, but I am not responsible for your work. Do not e-mail me any portion of the research paper. Papers that are e-mailed to me or left in my mailbox will receive NO credit. Also if you e-mail me something last-minute, don t expect me to get it. Tell me ahead of time if you are going to send me something, and send it at a reasonable time if you expect me to look at it. Most importantly, keep me up to date on your progress. Notes: