DRACULA
Literature and Composition
OBJECTIVES
The Research Paper Process
Review of SOAPSTone
Review of Academic Vocabulary
FRANKENSTEIN
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
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Selection of your topic
•
Selection of resources
THE THESIS STATEMENT
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What is a "thesis statement"?
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A thesis statement is the single most important
sentence in your paper
•
A thesis statement tells your audience what the
paper will be about
•
A thesis statement provides a forecast for the entire
paper
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
An analytical thesis statement will usually
answer the questions "HOW" and "WHY"
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
The "HOW" questiosn refers to how the author
(speaker) of a text goes about presenting
information or stylistic choices to their readers
•
When you analyze a text, the author will write
about one aspect or element of the text
•
The reader asks themselves, "How does this
author fulfill his purpose in this text?"
THE THESIS STATEMENT
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The author might fulfill the purpose by:
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Using a specific tone or style
•
Using specific vocabulary choices
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Organizing or structuring the text in a certain way
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Orchestrating a connection between the beginning and ending
•
Using figurative language
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Using specific symbolism
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
"In DRACULA, Bram Stoker uses the two
Lucys' as twin symbols..."
•
Dracula himself symbolizes the mysterious
Other."
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
Each of the prior examples is an acceptable
beginning of a working thesis because each
names the character and symbolic
representation the paper will discuss.
•
The readers are told which character is under
discussion and what they symbolize.
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
However, the paper needs to tell the reader
the "WHY"
•
Why, according to the author's interpretation,
does Stoker use this symbolism?
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
"In DRACULA, Bram Stoker uses the "two
Lucys' as twin symbols of perfection and
repulsion to warn women in Victorian
England of the disastrous outcome of
becoming a New Woman."
•
As an expression of Victorian Era England's
fear of invasion, Dracula himself symbolizes
the mysterious Other."
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
A two-sentence thesis:
•
"Stoker uses the Crew of Light to symbolize
the ideal man of the age. This symbolism
allows readers to understand the values of
the late-Victorian era."
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
A two-clause thesis:
•
"Harker represents the masculine struggle for
identity in the Victorian Era; through his
actions and reactions, Stoker demonstrates
the confusion about gender that was
surfacing near the end of the nineteenth
century."
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
The thesis statement should meet the
following requirements:
•
1. It should be interesting to the reader. The
writer's brain works differently than the
reader. Show a point of view or perspective
that the reader might not have considered
before.
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
2. It should have precise and specific
wording. Avoid such words as: good, well,
bad, etc. When the author is first composing,
they should place vague words in
parentheses or highlight them. Once the idea
is settled, the author can back and refine the
wording.
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
3. It should be manageable. The author
should not try to cover every bit in the paper strive for simplicity and consistency.
•
Technical note: If the author's full name is
used in the introduction, the last name may
be used in the thesis statement.
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
It is possible that the thesis statement might
(and probably will) change as the paper is
being drafted and revised. During the writing
process, ideas become clearer or sometimes
even shift to a slightly different interpretation.
•
THIS IS OKAY!!!!
THE THESIS STATEMENT
•
Sometimes writers wait until they have
drafted an entire paper before truly shaping
their thesis statement.
•
They will begin with a rough statement,
almost a "sketch", of what they want their
thesis to be, then they write the essay, then
they go back and refine the thesis.
•
THE
THESIS
STATEMENT
When the author (you) think about your thesis,
in the beginning, go for the two-sentence
approach.
•
Let the first sentence answer the "how"
question.
•
Let your second sentence answer the "why"
question.
•
During revisions, you will find it easier to
TOPICS TO THINK ABOUT
•
Describe Van Helsing's role as Dracula's
antagonist. Why is he the most threatening
adversary to the Count?
•
Contrast the roles of Mina and Lucy. How are the
women similar/different? Why is Lucy the first to fall
under Dracula's spell?
•
Describe the use of imagery and how it adds to
both the atmosphere of the novel and character
development.
TOPICS TO THINK ABOUT
•
In what way is the novel a recounting of a "holy
war" of good versus evil? Which characters or
ideas does Stoker depict as "good" and "evil"?
How do these characters and ideas conflict with
the story?
•
Describe the appearances Dracula makes
throughout the novel. What does Stoker
achieve by keeping his title character in the
shadows for much of the novel?
TOPICS TO THINK ABOUT
•
How does Count Dracula pervert elements of
Christian tradition? What is the significance
of this perversion?