Develop a provisional thesis and general argumentative direction. Mention at least five direct quotations from your chosen text– that you will be incorporating into your argument, and include potential topics for each body paragraph. I’ll return your topic proposal to you electronically within 48 hours and make many substantial comments and suggestions. At this point, you are merely providing your own argumentative direction, so don’t consult outside sources—only the text.
Example:
Examine symbols in “Everyday Use” (the front yard, the quilts, the three generations of women, the names, etc.). How are these symbols used to examine family structures, traditions, the shifting politics of the time, etc.
Examine issues of race, class, and gender in any of these aforementioned texts, as you see fit.