The research paper for Spanish Literature in Translation (SPAN 213) is designed to give you an opportunity to practice and develop the analytical skills from class to a greater degree. It also allows you to focus on a topic of your own interest within the context of Spanish literature. Specifically, it will deal
with the use of rhetorical devices in Don Quijote.
There are several reasons why I have chosen rhetorical devices as the focus of this paper. First, rhetorical devices are important tools that empower
writers, speakers, and their discourse beyond the literal meaning of the words that are used. This principle is particularly important when authors wish to express ideas of a controversial nature and, therefore, must rely on implicit or hidden meanings to safely communicate with readers. In a similar vein,
rhetorical devices allow authors to embed words, phrases, and texts with multiple meanings. The meanings implied by a single word may refer to different contexts (food, clothing, literature, religion, politics), different levels of particularity or generality (a person, a family, a region, an ethnic group, a country, followers of a religion, speakers of a language), and/or different levels of abstraction (a work of literature; the author; the process of
composition, revision, or interpretation; the act of literary criticism; the dialogue between the author and readers).
Moreover, rhetorical devices are a
fundamental element of all literature, so much so that without a basic ability to identify and interpret them, it is virtually impossible to understand and
appreciate written language beyond its literal meaning. Rhetorical devices are not limited to literature. They may be seen in both formal and colloquial speech, and are key elements in humor. In many ways, they influence the development of language. Some scholars consider them fundamental to the communicative function of language at its most basic level.
In order to successfully complete the research paper, it is necessary for each student to analyze different examples of rhetorical devices and explain how
they relate to one or both of the two main themes of the book: appearance vs. reality, and illusion vs. reality. This must include a definition of each
rhetorical device, an explanation of the context in which you have found it in the book, and an explanation of its meaning in this context and in the broader historical context. You must also explain how the use of each rhetorical device relates to the Christian faith (in exemplifying, promoting or obeying the teachings of the faith, or in denying, evading, or disobeying its teachings) in the context of novel.
Your analysis may be based partly on information from class, and partly on your own ideas, but you must also consult and cite two (2) secondary sources.
These sources may be scholarly books, or articles from scholarly journals. They may not be encyclopedias, dictionaries, or websites. Online databases for journals such as JSTOR and MLA are available on the website of the CSU Library. When expressing your own ideas, it is not sufficient just to state them.
You must explain them in a logical manner that corresponds with the secondary sources that you have read on your own, ideas that I have discussed in class, and common sense. Your ability to express yourself logically and coherently is an important criterion for determining your grade.
The essay must be from five to seven (5-7) pages in length, not including a title page or the bibliography. In fact, there should not be any title page. The
essay must follow the MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. It must include a bibliography, but since the essay must be at least 5 pages, the bibliography must be placed on a page numbered 6 or higher. You do not need to use direct quotations from the secondary sources, but you do need to include ideas from them. Wherever you borrow ideas, even if you are paraphrasing, you still must provide a citation in the essay. To not do this is to commit plagiarism. Furthermore, if you do not use ideas from a secondary source in the essay and cite the source accordingly, then I have no reason to believe that you have read it. To list sources in a bibliography when you did not read them may not constitute plagiarism, but it is still dishonest.
We can write this or a similar paper for you! Simply fill the order form!
