Historical Fiction World Civilization Since 1815 Paper 2: Historical Fiction and Scholarly Texts on Empire
Over the course of the semester, we have considered how a diverse array of empires has constructed political, social, and cultural systems to govern diverse populations and large spaces.
We have also examined how individuals and groups – from slaves, to cotton producers in India, to African politicians – have sought to navigate through and at times challenge these structures.
Historical Fiction World Civilization Since 1815 Paper Writing Guidelines
This paper asks you to choose a novel from the list below (or propose one of your own choosing) and uses at least one scholarly text on an associated topic in order to analyze how individuals and communities have navigated (post)imperial structures or global migration at one point and place during the last three centuries.
How did the fictional characters encounter imperial structures, cross-regional migration, or global trade? What larger insights about empire and the experience of individuals within empires can you gain from the novel? How do these fictional accounts relate to actual historical empires?
A successful paper will:
– Present a clear and specific thesis
– Support that thesis using both specific examples from the novel and at least one scholarly source. Using summaries or “spark notes” as a substitute for actually reading the novel will virtually ensure that your paper will not be specific enough to receive a satisfactory grade. You must incorporate specific quotations into your paper.
– Present well-edited, grammatically correct prose and a structure that logically supports the central thesis.
Historical Fiction World Civilization Since 1815 Paper Format
Format, Citations, and Guidance
The paper should be around 6 pages in length, double-spaced with 1-inch margins, written in times New Roman 12-point font, clearly written, and include a title and footnotes. Footnotes should follow Chicago Style. A bibliography is not necessary.
You must also cite both ideas and direct quotations taken from texts, including if you just paraphrase. Instances of plagiarism – including taking ideas and arguments from all online reading guides without attribution – will be dealt with following the University’s policy regarding academic integrity:
http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/judicialaffairs/new.html
If in doubt, it is always advisable to cite. If you have any questions about proper citation or possible plagiarism, please let me know.
I also encourage you to seek help – within the guidelines of academic integrity, of course – while conceptualizing or writing your paper. I am available to discuss your topic during office hours or by appointment, and will offer general comments (but not proofreading) to drafts if they are submitted to me at least 1 week before the deadline. I also encourage you to use the resources available to you at the writing center, located in Library West 202.
Historical Fiction World Civilization Since 1815 and the List of the Historical Novels
LIST OF HISTORICAL NOVELS:
Chinua Achebe, Arrow of God
Isabel Allende, The House of Spirits
Teitei Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions
Tan Twan Eng, The Garden of Evening Mists
Trevor Getz, Abina and the Important Men
Amitar Ghosh, Sea of Poppies
Jhumpa Lahiri, The Lowland
Laila Lalami, The Moor’s Account
Andrea Levy, The Long Song
David Mitchell, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red
Salman Rushdie, Midnight’s Children
Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis
Gail Tsukiyama, Women of the Silk
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
