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CHN 306
History of Chinese Literature
Paper 2 Instructions
Write a paper on one of the topics given below. Your paper should be 4-6 pages in length, typed, with double spacing and one-inch margins on all sides. Please note that this second paper assignment is one-page longer than the first one; it also counts more toward your final grade (20 points vs. 15 for the first one). Your paper is due:
5:00 pm, Friday, March 14, 2014
Your paper must be electronically uploaded to Blackboard through the SafeAssignment course tool in the Control Panel. Hard copies or email attachments will not be accepted. There are no exceptions. Here is the path:
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Control Panelïƒ Course Toolsïƒ SafeAssignïƒ DirectSubmit
Late papers will lose half a point for each day it is late. Papers more than three days late (that is, after 5:00 pm, Monday, March 17, 2014) will not be accepted unless for documented personal or family emergency reasonsplease plan accordingly.
Please keep in mind the following guidelines in choosing your topic and writing your paper:
(1) You may not choose a topic that is not listed below.
(2) No outside reading or research is required for this assignment. It is expected that you will use only the readings and materials for this course to write the paper.
(3) Your paper should have a title and a clearly articulated thesis for which you provide evidence drawn from the text or texts you are analyzing. Be careful to avoid simply summarizing what is in the text or what has been stated in class. For what is and how to formulate an effective thesis, see the document on Blackboard by that title. You can also find a document on the criteria of grading there.
(4) A truly excellent paper must be original and interesting, but it must also be well-written and well-organized so that its argument is easy to follow. Please be attentive to your grammar and syntax: although what we are interested in is your ideas, your grammar and syntax will also be an important part of your grade, because they are the important tools of conveying your ideas. This applies to both native and non-native English speakers.
(5) Please be aware of the University of Oregon’s strict policies on plagiarism. Do not quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas without giving them credit. When
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quoting or referencing a source, even from the texts you are analyzing or a point brought up in class, you need to use proper citation. Please rememer that if it is easy for you to grab something from the web, it is also easy for the SafeAssign service to find that out. Please don’t take that risk.
(6) You are welcome to bring whatever questions you have to us. While we will not read full drafts, we are happy to talk with you about your ideas. It is important to note, however, that our comments and opinions about your ideas for your paper do not necessarily mean our approval of them. You are solely responsible for the final product you turn in for the assignment.
Topic Options:
1. In the readings for the second half of the course, we have encountered a few truly remarkable female characters, among them Du Li-niang, Du Tenth, and Miao-gu. Write a paper analyzing one of these characters. Your analysis should be focused on their personalities and based solely on the text under consideration rather than on anecdotal evidence or personal experience.
2. Following closely along with the storyline of the Mu-lien text, please describe how the rescue of one’s mother from a Buddhist hell is indicative of the broader Chinese concept of filial piety. Please note that what we ask here is not your understanding of filial piety per se, but how the story illustrates the notion.
3. Describe a hypothetical debate between Ying-ying and Du Li-niang about love. Illustrate where and how they might, or might not agree with each other. Support your argument with evidence drawn from both texts.
4. Ne-zha’s story is told from an omnipresent, third-person perspective by a narrator who seems to know everything. Rewrite the story from Ne-zha’s own, restricted, first-person perspective. Focus on what is really relevant and important and write in a fashion that is both succinct and to the point. Since this is a long story, you should aim to follow the main line of the plot rather than strive for coverage.
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