AMERICAN LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION
MS. HANNAS
O’CONNOR/1950s RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS
For this assignment please select one of the topics below to research cultural
aspects of the 1950s. Also, discuss how accurately Flannery O’Connor’s short stories
(“A Good Man is Hard to Find”, “Everything That Rises Must Converge”, or “The Life
You Save May Be Your Own”) reflect what you find in your research on that topic.
PAPER REQUIREMENTS
 Must use MLA internal documentation format
 Must have at least 5 sources, including one Flannery O’Connor short story we
read in class
 Must have a Works Cited page
 Must cover the 1950s or early 1960s time period
 Must discuss the differences between then and today
 Must have an Outline
 Must write a first draft, have peer conference, and write a final draft
 Must turn in all notes
TOPICS
1.
How accurately do O’ Connor’s stories reflect the clothing of that time?
2.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect entertainment of that time?
Pick one of the following as a topic.
Television ____
Music_____
Comic Books_____
3.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect racial issues of that time?
4.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect science/technology of that
time?
5.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect religious attitudes/issues of
that time?
6.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect political attitudes/issues of that
time?
7.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect family life at that time?
8.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect the work
world/business/careers at that time?
9.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect education during that time?
10.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect urban/suburban development
at that time?
11.
How accurately do O’Connor’s stories reflect women’s roles in society?
DEADLINES: TO BE ANNOUNCED.
POINTS:
RESOURCE NOTES—25 POINTS
OUTLINE—25 POINTS
FIRST DRAFT—25 POINTS
WORKS CITED PAGE---25 POINTS
PEER CONFERENCE—25 POINTS
2nd Draft—25 points
Teacher Conference
FINAL DRAFT—100 POINTS
AMERICAN LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION
MS. HANNAS
O’CONNOR/1950s RESEARCH PAPER—PEER CONFERENCE
Name of Writer:___________________________________
Name of Reader:___________________________________
Please answer the following questions about the paper you have read.
1.
How does the introduction introduce the research topic?
2.
How does the thesis statement reflect the findings of the research on the topic?
3.
Does the paper follow the outline? ______ yes ________ no
If “no”, what needs to be corrected?
4.
Does the paper use information taken in the notes? _______yes ________no
If “no”, what needs to be corrected?
5.
How does the paper compare the topic to the present time period?
6.
How does the writer use the sources to introduce quotes or paraphrases from the
research?
7.
How does the paper document the information? Must have at least 5 citations—
one for each source.
_________
8.
_________
__________
_________
Does the Works Cited page correctly list the sources?
___________
9.
How does the paper refer to the O’Connor story’s use of the cultural aspect of the
1950s on which this research was based?
10.
Circle any grammar, spelling, and/or mechanical errors.
11.
What do you like most about the paper you have read?
AMERICAN LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION
MS. HANNAS
O’CONNOR/1950s RESEARCH PAPER—EVALUATION
Name:____________
POSSIBLE
POINTS
YOUR
POINTS
Introduction introduces research topic
5
_______
Thesis statement reflects
research findings
5
_______
Paper follows outline
10
_______
Paper reflects notes
10
_______
Paper covers 1950s and present time periods
10
_______
Paper refers to O’Connor story
5
_______
Information is correctly documented
10
_______
Paper uses sources to introduce quotes/paraphrases
5
_______
Paper has 5 sources
10
_______
Paper has correctly listed Works Cited page
20
_______
10
_______
100
_______
CONTENT:
DOCUMENTATION
GRAMMAR
Grammar/ spelling
Total
Comments:
AMERICAN LITERATURE & COMPOSITION
MS. HANNAS
O’CONNOR STORIES—COMPARISONS CHART
Fill in the following chart for each of the Flannery O’Connor short stories we have read
in class—“A Good Man is Hard to Find”, “Everything That Rises Must Converge”, and
“The Life You Save May Be Your Own.”
CULTURAL ASPECT
“GOOD MAN”
“EVERYTHING”
“LIFE YOU SAVE”
“ THE CROP”
Clothing
Men
Women
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Family Relationships
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Entertainment
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Science/Technology
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Religious Attitudes
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Political Attitudes
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Business/Careers
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Education
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Urban/Suburban changes
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Racial Attitudes
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Women’s roles
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Works Cited
O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” Norton Anthology
of Short Stories. New York: W.W. Norton, 1989. 1122-1136.
O’Connor, Flannery. “Everything That Rises Must Converge.” Norton
Anthology of Short Stories. New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
1136-1148.
O’Connor, Flannery. “The Crop.” Flannery O’Connor: Collected
Works. New York: The Library of America, 1988. 732-740.