Literary Analysis Paper

In our course focused on climate change and refugees, choose one of these four areas for your paper on The Grapes of Wrath:

1. Climate impacts

2. Experiences of migration

3. Borders, police, military, government

4. Challenges in the new land

As you think about the novel, you will see that in any one of these areas there are many fascinating subtopics that you could focus on.  Make lists of ideas, then focus on something specific that interests you.

A traditional literary analysis papers typically has a thesis statement, a carefully developed sequence of arguments to prove that statement.

For this paper, I would like you to carefully inquire into the novel to learn things that may have broader relevance to our examination of climate change and refugees.

Rather than making an argument, I would like your paper to take me with you on an intellectual journey of investigation and understanding. In this sense, rather than a "thesis statement," I would like to see your paper focus on a sincere question about the issue you are interested in.

Drawing on specific passages from the novel, show me how your understanding of the question is growing and developing.

Where does your journey into the experience of climate refugees take you? How does Grapes of Wrath help us think about climate refugees? What have you learned? What is the broader and contemporary significance of your study of the novel? How is your question more complex than you thought? Why do you think so? What do you still need to better understand?

The Grapes of Wrath is a large novel, with much you can find to consider. If your exploration calls you to look into historical, contextual, contemporary or other information, in addition to the novel, that is encouraged - take me on that journey and include all other texts in a bibliography.

Since there are so many editions of the book, when you use quotations from the book in your paper, just put the chapter that the quote comes from in parenthesis after the quotation.  For example "Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there.  Wherever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. (28) [This quote comes from Chapter 28.]  You do not need to include The Grapes of Wrath in your bibliography; that is already assumed. Specifics for punctuating quotations from Purdue OWL.

You can write this paper in the first person ("I") -- and it should be based in your careful study and observation. If you draw on secondary sources about the novel, be sure to indicate and include in the bibliography.

This is not a "first draft-best draft" paper. You will want to revise and rewrite so that the intellectual journey you take me on makes sense, is interesting, and develops in a meaningful way.

Your paper should show careful writing, revision, and editing, and be at least 5 pages long.