American Literature & Composition Research Paper
Essential Question: How does the American literature canon create an ongoing dialogue about the
American experience/identity that is reflected in the hero, journey, and dream?
Background: During second semester, you will read an American novel independently to prepare for
writing a research paper. In class, we will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Your
research paper will compare the American experience reflected in your independent novel to that in Huck
Finn. Through this assignment you will: explore the purpose and value of reading literature from the
American canon (as well as the validity of the idea of a canon); research and synthesize critical ideas from
secondary sources; and create an extended written response to the essential question that uses MLA
format, in-text citations, and a Works Cited page appropriately.
Task
Choose a novel from the list to read independently.
Turnitin Discussion Post 1 (original and response)
Turnitin Discussion Post 2 (original and response)
Turnitin Discussion Post 3 (original and response)
Read and discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Complete research tasks in class.
Submit final research paper independently.
Approximate Deadlines
January 10, 2014
January 19, 2014
January 26, 2014
February 2, 2014
February 28, 2014
March 14, 2014
March 21, 2014
INDEPENDENT READING
Independent Reading Choices: Your independent reading will be assigned at the beginning of second
semester on January 8, 2014, and you need to have your novel and corresponding assignments completed
by January 31, 2014. You may choose a book from the list below. An asterisk (*) indicates a nonfiction title.


Realism
o Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
o The Awakening by Kate Chopin
o The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen
Crane
o Call of the Wild by Jack London
o *Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Douglass by Frederick Douglass
Modernism
o The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
o The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
o My Antonia by Willa Cather
o O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
o The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest
Hemingway
o The Sun Also Rises by Ernest
Hemingway
o The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
o *Travels with Charlie by John Steinbeck
Dusto 2013 -2014


Contemporary (to 1960)
o Gone with the Wind by Margaret
Mitchell
o The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
o A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
o A Separate Peace by John Knowles
o Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Contemporary (post 1960)
o To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
o One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken
Kesey
o Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
o March by Geraldine Brooks
o The Road by Cormac MacCarthy
o Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
o The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
o The Help by Kathryn Stockett
o Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
o *Into the Wild by John Krakauer
Page 1
American Literature & Composition Research Paper
Turnitin Discussion Posts: As you read your independent novel, you are responsible for contributing to an
online discussion through Turnitin. The purpose of the online discussion is to help you focus on themes
about the American experience and to pull out relevant quotes and evidence you can use in your research
paper. Writing your research paper later will be easier if you put in more work now.
Each post has two parts: You will submit an original response to a question, and then you will submit a
response to a classmate’s original post.
To access the discussion board, log in to Turnitin. The default screen takes you to the “Class Homepage,”
where you can view all of your submitted assignments. From here, click the “Discussion” tab at the top of
the page. Click on each “Topic Title” to read the description of each post. To submit an original post, click
“Reply to this topic.” To submit a response to a classmate, click “Reply” under that classmate’s particular
post. Although both your original post and your response post are due by the deadlines, it will be easier on
your (and your classmates) if you submit your original post a few days before the deadline. That way,
students will have plenty of time to review others’ posts before responding. See Turnitin for more detailed
questions.
Post &
Topic & Question
Response
1
Obstacles on the American Journey: Who is the protagonist of
your novel? What challenges does he/she face? How do you
think he/she will deal with them? What sort of American
Journey is this? Support with textual evidence.
2
Success of the American Dream: How does the protagonist of
your novel define success? Do other characters agree with
him/her? How will he/she achieve it—and what will change
when that happens? Support with textual evidence.
3
Reflection of the American Experience: In what year and literary
period was your novel published? How does it reflect
characteristics of the period? How do the characters within it
define the American experience? Support with textual evidence.
Due Date
January 19, 2014
January 26, 2014
February 2, 2014
THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
Turnitin Discussion Posts: As we read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in class, you will be responsible
for contributing to an online discussion through Turnitin. This is very similar to the discussion for your
independent reading and is intended to help you comprehend the novel and prepare for the research
paper. For each post, you can choose one of three questions to answer in an original post. Then, you will
respond to a classmate’s post. You do not have to respond to the same question that you answered
originally. You can also expect reading quizzes and in-class activities and writing related to the book. See
Turnitin for more detailed questions.
Dusto 2013 -2014
Page 2
American Literature & Composition Research Paper
Post &
Topic & Question
Response
4
Relationships in Huck Finn ch. 1-15: Choose one of the following
questions to answer. (1) Write a brief analysis of Huck and Jim’s
relationship. Support your opinions with quotations and other
evidence from the novel. (2) Huck takes to the river to find
freedom and escape from people and situations that restrict his
liberty. Has Huck found the freedom he desired? Explain your
answer using quotations and evidence from the novel. (3)
Nature plays an important part in Huck’s life. Analyze what
meanings these elements seem to have for Huck. Explain your
answer using quotations and evidence from the novel.
5
Expectations in Huck Finn ch. 16-31: Choose one of the following
questions to answer. (1) Throughout the novel, Huck is taught
that “sivilized society” is right and he is wrong. As a result, he
believes he will “go to hell” for rescuing Jim. Write a brief
analysis of the irony in Huck’s situation using textual evidence.
(2) Analyze the differences between what the raft represents to
Huck and what life on shore is like. Cite lines from the text that
describe raft life and shore life to support your argument. (3)
How does Huck go about making important decisions? Does he
tend to follow his heart or his head? What are the consequences?
Support your answer with textual evidence.
6
Journeys in Huck Finn ch. 32-43: Choose one of the following
questions to respond to answer. (1) Your curious friend sends
you an E-mail that says, “All I know is that that book is about a
journey down the Mississippi River—what does this journey
mean?” Write a short E-mail response to your friend, explaining
the meaning of the journey and using textual evidence. (2) Mark
Twain called Huckleberry Finn “a book of mine where a sound
heart and a deformed conscience come into collision and
conscience suffers defeat.” What influences have “deformed”
Huck’s conscience? Are such influences still at work in the world
today? What forces are available to try to change “deformed
consciences”? Support your answer with textual evidence. (3)
Though some critics feel that the conclusion of Huckleberry Finn
is logical and effective, other critics have severely criticized it. As
you read the last chapters of Huckleberry Finn, think about the
events that came before and the way that the characters in the
novel usually behave. Then judge the conclusion for yourself. Is
it consistent with the characters we have come to know? Does it
resolve the major conflicts in the novel in a satisfactory way?
Support your answer with textual evidence.
Dusto 2013 -2014
Due Date
February 16, 2014
February 23, 2014
March 2, 2014
Page 3
American Literature & Composition Research Paper
RESEARCH PAPER
The summative assessment for the third quarter is a research paper that answers the essential question by
exploring your independent reading book as well as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
The Fine Print: Your research paper must







be in proper MLA format (with in-text citations and a correct Works Cited page)
be submitted to Turnitin by March 16, 2014
cite two primary sources (independent book and Huck Finn)
cite two secondary sources (critical reviews of independent book and Huck Finn)
answer the essential question with a relevant, specific, and arguable thesis
support thesis with an effectively organized paper and synthesized ideas from primary and
secondary sources
address all of the elements listed in the outline below
1) Paragraph 1: Introduce the idea of the American canon and the purpose/value in reading it.
2) Paragraphs 2-3: Analyze the journey/dream/hero of independent book – Primary Source #1 is
independent book and Secondary Source #1 is a critical review of independent book.
a. What obstacles were overcome by characters?
b. How did characters define success?
c. What is the significance of this journey/dream/hero to defining the American experience?
d. How does this novel reflect the values of its time/literary period?
3) Paragraphs 4-5: Analyze the journey/dream/hero of Huck Finn – Primary Source #2 is Huck Finn
and Secondary Source #2 is a critical review of Huck Finn.
a. What obstacles were overcome by characters?
b. How did characters define success?
c. What is the significance of this journey/dream/hero to defining the American experience?
d. How does this novel reflect the values of its time/literary period?
4) Paragraph 6: Evaluate the connection between independent book and Huck Finn.
a. Identify chronology of the novels. Which was written first?
b. Compare/contrast the American experience as defined in each novel.
c. Analyze the evolution of the American experience between the two novels. How did one
influence the other, directly or indirectly?
5) Paragraph 7: Support a conclusion about the purpose/value in studying the dialogue of the
American experience within literature of the canon.
We will have some class time in the LMC, but you should plan on working on this assignment outside of
class as well. It is a significant grade for this semester.
Dusto 2013 -2014
Page 4