Scholarly Analysis Paper
Scholarly Analysis: A scholarly analysis paper takes the sustained reading of a close reading paper and
opens your singular reading of that text up to a larger dialogue with another scholar. In this paper your
thesis while it may originate more from your reading of the text will in some way engage what another
scholar has said about this text. Indeed your thesis may originate as a response to what a scholar has
said about the text, in which case you may use a close based reading of the text to respond to the
scholar’s argument.
Overview & Objectives: One of the writing goals for the course is for students to “engage secondary
sources with [their] own logically sound and precise response to some substantial claim in the secondary
text.” This paper is an opportunity for students to practice engaging scholarship and putting their own
ideas about a text (cultural, political, or otherwise) in conversation with other scholars.
I am particularly interested in your ability to join a scholarly conversation in written form. Joining a
scholarly conversation means that you
1) you acknowledge another scholar’s argument and how they make it
2) you share (by reading and studying or at the very least familiarizing yourself with) one of the
primary literary text’s the scholar was focusing on.
3) you engage the scholar’s original argument. It is in many ways just like having a dialogue in
person except that because you are engaging someone’s written text the claims made are more
complex or more thoroughly supported than sometimes we are able to do in a quicker, real-time
conversation. You should make your own response thoughtful and thorough as well.
Building on past assignments: Like your last paper, this paper is still, at heart, a close reading based
paper. The difference is that you are reading an argument, which means you are reading someone who
is already reading something. You then must engage both the thing the scholar is reading and the way
they read that text.
What you need before you write:
1. Two “peer reviewed” scholarly articles addressing that literary text
2. A clear sense of specific topic and text(s) the article you decide to engage is focusing on.
3. Some familiarity with that topic or text(s).
What your paper should include:
1. A clear and cogent thesis (argument) that stems from a close-reading based engagement with
the text and a critical but respectful engagement of at least one of the scholarly text you read.
2. A clear summary of the article(s) you are using. Your summary should let me know the author’s
central topic, main thesis (argument), and the major way they support that argument
3. You should clearly identify the specific aspect of the scholarly argument that your thesis and
paper are engaging.
4. Accurate and clean citations for the scholarly article you use.
5. Your bibliography should include both of the scholarly texts you read, even if your paper only
really engages the arguments of one text.
Engaging Scholarship
1. There are many ways to engage a scholarly argument.
2. You may confirm all or some part of the argument by offering another point that
strengthens or adds depth to the argument.
3. You may highlight a small hole (or maybe even a major fissure) in the argument. (If you
identify a problem, you must spell out the implications of such a problem).
4. You may point out how one part of their argument actually connects to another part of their
argument if they consider aspect Z in the story.
5. Even when you want to challenge a part of the argument or add to it, you should be
respectful of what the scholar is doing and acknowledge the validity of the points.
6. Even when you want to confirm and agree with where the scholar is going, you should
acknowledge the argument’s scope and the limitations of its and your potential claims.
Engaging Scholarship Don’ts
7.
Don’t simply quote a fact that the scholar uses. For instance in the Sanjay Sircar argument
it would not be enough to use the essay to cite the fact that Bannerman was Scottish or that
the story had many different reprints. You need to make sure you are engaging the scholar
on the idea (not just the material) they are presenting.
8. Don’t try to say the whole essay is wrong, evil, sexist, racist, or stupid. Even if you think so.
Even if you’re right. You need to be more specific. You simply do not have time/space to
demolish a whole article (itself easily 15-35 pages). Neither do you have time to take on the
whole literary text. Your argument then needs to be about a specific part of the literary text
and about a specific part of the scholarly text. Even if you believe you argument extends to
other or all of the texts, your paper for this assignment needs to focus in on a specific
aspect. You might develop the argument more in your Choose-A-Book project if you wish.
Paper Format
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
4 pages
double spaced
12 point size
Times New Roman font
1-inch margins
page numbers
MLA inline citation and work cited page