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The Shipping News Essays and Research Papers

Instructions for The Shipping News College Essay Examples

Title: literature

Total Pages: 6 Words: 2201 References: 0 Citation Style: APA Document Type: Essay

Essay Instructions: Use the pattern of the Campbellian hero as described by Joseph Campbell, to trace the journey of Quoyle from the novel "The Shipping News" by Annie Proulx; from innocence and childishness to knowledge and responsibility. What does he need to learn, how does he learn it, and how do you connect to it-what are the most important things you learned from the novel?
1). You must cite lines from the book with correct page numbers included, these quotes must come from the entire book not just the beginning, or the middle, or the end. Use a variety to make your points. Use a minimum of 8 quotes.
2). Introduce the novel in a brief summary in the introduction of your paper with a short history of Joseph Campbell''s Cambellian hero theory.
3). Finish the paper with your personal experiences, and what you learned from the novel.

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Title: The shipping news

Total Pages: 4 Words: 1256 Works Cited: 0 Citation Style: MLA Document Type: Research Paper

Essay Instructions: I am to write a research paper on the topic, "The shipping news" by E. Annie Proulx (Charles Scribner''s Sons) The text we use for this course is The Bedford Intorduction To Literature sixth Edition by Micheal Meyer. And in this book we''re told to read about the research paper, before writing on page 2165-2184.. Also We''re to first turn in the workng thesis for the research paper. So if u couls i would like to have the thesis statment frist to turnit in before the research paper. Next this the general instructions the professor wants us to do...

General instructions: the research paper is to be typed, double spaced throughout, printed with a good ribbon, and is to be a literary analysis, not a synopsis, of your RP Topic discussing one of the elements of fiction: setting (as it relates to theme, or character, or symbolism), character analysis, symbolism, or theme. All of your work should point toward a better understanding of the novel itself (NO biographies, please!), and you must have a clearly identifiable thesis statement that encompasses your viewpoint and area of discussion. In other words, you will decide on an aspect of the novel that you would like to explore in depth, and then you will gather research on that particular idea and write your paper incorporating yours and your critic''s ideas about what the novel shows or means.

Your paper must include at least two outside sources (no more than 4) which are critical analyses of the work, not biographical information or book reviews, and all direct quotations and/or paraphrases must be completely documented, and Photocopies (or attachments) of all material that is quoted or paraphrased from both primary and secondary sources must be handed in with the paper. You must highlight all areas from which you quote or paraphrase, on both the electonic copies as well as any hard copies you might be handing in. If you are turning in hard copy of your paper, multiple pages should be stapled together in ascending numerical order. For poetry, copies of the complete poems must be included as well.

Your paper must also include the appropriate use of quotations from your primary sources as needed to illustrate your point. Do not quote unless you have a reason for doing so! Quotations are used when you are borrowing someone else''s theory or belief, or you are showing what specific area of the text caused you yourself to have a particular theory or belief. Never quote a secondary source quoting your primary source. This has no purpose. Instead, refer to your primary source itself, quote it if necessary, and then quote what your secondary source (critical reviewer) has to say ABOUT the passage. See link below


Your paper should include (in the following order):
1. a cover sheet

2. An outline
3. the actual paper, with an introduction, a clear thesis, organized discussion, and a conclusion
4. a works cited page
5. appropriate photocopies (either handed in to me or attached with the paper and emailed)
6. a ?reaction page? which answers the questions: now that you?re done, what would you have done differently, and what did you learn in the process of this paper?


Also u could cheack out the Brief overview of MLA format and Important Pages in Writing Research Papers, (James Lester, 10th ed.)


Sample research paper..


Thesis statement:

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende is an example of a novel that depicts a great variety of women characters that come together in their struggle to survive in a politically torn and male-dominated country.



Eva Luna was my introduction into the world of Isabel Allende?s novels and I have to admit that in the beginning I had to struggle with the stereotype of ?romantic pulp novels? to get myself through the first twenty-five ? thirty pages (Wilson). I think that a reader, in this case me, starts to appreciate a novel as soon as he or she finds something in this work that speaks only to her. For me, such a segment of the novel was the variety of characters of women depicted by Allende throughout the story. The personal and social struggle of these women was of a great interest to me particularly because of a time frame in which the story took place - the first half of the twentieth century. It was not only a period of active introduction of such political ideas as world social revolution and communism in Russia, and Nazism in Germany, it was also a stage when even in the western world women did not enjoy complete freedom.

The figures that seem the most interesting to me were La Senora, Mimi, and, of course, Eva Luna (I hope I was allowed to include Mimi in this list). I think that in the lives if these three women the struggle for personal and social success and fulfillment took especially dramatic character on the background of political chaos, financial hardships, and society controlled by men.

La Senora?s character fascinates me with its strength of survival instincts, eternal youth, creativity, and restlessness. She is a kind of a woman that will adapt to any situation to make the best if it and still will not lose her feminine charm. She is more of a survivor than many men.

The first introduction to La Senora and her life style is possible due to Huberto Naranjo who brings Eva into her apartment in order to save Eva from the hardships of living in the street. In the first scene of La Senora?s appearance we see her ??stirring the air with the flutter of her nylon negligee and the scent of overpowering perfume? (Allende 117). I as a reader know that Huberto does care about Eva and he obviously trusts La Senora, but why does he consider La Senora?s place the safest harbor for Eva considering the nature of La Senora?s business? I think that the answer is in La Senora?s personality that has not suffered from the needs of her establishment and life style. Allende mentions that regardless of La Senora?s somewhat ridiculous attire and make-up, ??the charm of her smile? was not spoilt (117).

La Senora is a woman in her late thirties, but the principles that hold her life together are a little na?ve and not far stretching: ??no one is born pretty?? and she continues ??if you are pretty, all your troubles are over? (118). What I like about La Senora in this particular instance is that she lives according to such principles not because of her narrow-mindedness. Many years before Eva met La Senora, the latter faced a need to analyze various possibilities to succeed in life, and she ??concluded she lacked the patience to earn a living through respectable means? (123). Here we see a person consciously volunteering to take on ?unrespectable? means of making a living, but still trying to remain a respectable person.

La Senora?s occupations swing from massage therapist to attempt of mass production of ?bizarre devices? like ?never- fail breast with candy nipple? and the like (123-124). But as Alledne wittily remarks ??she was ahead of her time? (124). Her commercial attempts were stamped as untraditional, and La Senora turned to the industry with traditions going back to the dawn of mankind ? she started an upscale ladies escort service by catalog. Commercial magnates and the biggest political figures were on the list of her regular customers, as La Senora says with delight ??there is enough corruption for everyone?(124).

As Eva Luna noticed, the life in the house of La Senora was like ?floating on a cloud?; days and nights changed places, sweets substituted regular meals, smell of perfumes successfully covered the truth about where the money was coming from (126).

La Senora was fond of Eva, a little girl that came into her life from nowhere and fascinated her with stories. Such a sentimental tie for such a practical lady! I think that almost in every aspect of her life La Senora was a bit superficial, and even her affection for Eva reminded me of the way she treated that Spanish doll that they kept on the bed in the apartment. When the crucial letter written by Melesio led to massive arrests in Calle Repuclica and ultimately to the Revolt of Whores, La Senora running to save herself and leftovers of her possessions leaves Eva in the middle of the street fights in her fear of being accused of corrupting minors. She knew that at the times of political chaos, uncontrollable police, and lost values no one would believe that a whorehouse keeper could simply care for a teen-age girl (131).

After the Revolt nothing was the same for La Senora: she lost her ?girls,? Eva, and Melesio, who was arrested at that fateful day. But hiding away and even leaving the country with the help of her powerful friends did not take away the only stir of feelings that La Senora was to have in her life: imprisonment of Melesio did not let her sleep at night or carry on her revolutionary activity in sex-care industry during the day. She comes back to the country to save her only friend, a socially rejected homosexual.

I see La Senora?s image as a face of a degrading, autocratic, corrupted society. Wherever she settles, her business flourishes, serving for officially the best members of the society. Her image was vital for the development of the novel first to show the decayed values of the real country, and secondly to show a certain stage of Eva?s life where she learned to rely only on herself.

Mimi, originally Melesio, comes into picture almost at the same time with La Senora. To me Mimi?s image was of a great interest in terms of her inner progress on the way to being accepted as a woman. Melesio?s obsession with becoming a woman is remarkable, his discovery of a woman within himself reminds me of how powerful a woman can be if she knows how to use the gifts of her body and intelligence.

Italian by origin, Melesio was rejected by the family and was forced to leave the country in the search for more open-minded country. Latin America put him in the hands of La Senora and the latter brought him to a cabaret where a magical transformation took place: thin ascetic looking young man turned into ??a fantastic creation smothered in feathers and rhinestones? (122). The name Mimi was born in the walls of the cabaret. Melesio knew exactly what was the best for him and in him, and I do not think that many people can say that about themselves. Why should society blame a person for wanting to bring the best of him or her out?

Melesio?s devotion to the idea of looking, living, thinking as a woman is so strong that it did not die when he was fed with drugs by a psychiatrist or in the ramparts of the most frightening place in the country ? Santa Maria prison ??for prisoners without hope?? (207).

When Eva and Mimi?s lives cross for the second time, the latter is presented to the reader ??so beautiful that for a moment I thought she was a divine apparition? says Eva (206). Mimi?s magnificence is felt through the pages of the book; she lives her dream ? transformed ? accepted and admired. It is hard to admit, but the way she handles her womanhood as a highest gift is an example to me. So is her struggle and devotion. But Mimi does not stop at the sight of he own achievements. She introduces Eva to the world of good wine, classical music, art, but the highest sign of Mimi?s appreciation of Eva?s company, talent, and personality is persuading Eva to start a writing career, ??and at night, encouraged by Mimi, she writes stories in her cuaderno de cuentos* ? (Rehbein 179-90).

It seems to me that Mimi?s strong beliefs in fortune and fortune telling remind Eva of her mother?s magical powers and story telling. Mimi reads Eva?s future ??and affirms that her ?destino era contar** ?? (Rehbein). Finally, the greatest gift of Mimi to Eva that symbolized Eva?s success and fulfillment as writer is a typewriter wrapped in a flashy paper.

No matter what character I try to analyze, Eva Luna?s presence is felt in all of their lives. Above I was examining struggles of individual female characters from the novel, but in the light of Eva?s character they all become stages and steps that she has to take to go all the way from a poor ??rebellious orphan?? climbing ??the social ladder from servant to soap-opera writer with the help of her intelligence and courage? (Wilson).

Eleven chapters of Allende?s novel made a life of a woman. Actually, in the case of Eva Luna, she was the one who shaped her life just ??the same way that Eva Luna can mold ?La Materia Universal? into anything she wishes?? (Rehbein). After the death of her mother, Eva?s journey through numerous ?patronas? began. Too often life as a servant ends in a typical way as we saw in Eva?s ?madrina? or abuela?s destinies. The question what saved Eva from roughening with the harsh realities of domestic chores can be answered with her rebellious character and great world of imagery.

Without her patronas knowing this, Eva in a way exploited them: people she met

* cuaderno de cuentos ? script of stories

** destino era contar ? destiny is to write

in her life gave birth to stories that eventually became Eva?s main resource of surviving in the outside world. As a little girl, she entertained her madrina with stories in exchange for temporary care; Huberto Naranjo after being told one of Eva?s stories says: ?That?s a stupid story?But, all right, I would like to be your friend? (Allende 66). Eva created her characters and because they were the basis of her inner world, she also learned from them to be better, or sometimes worse and to say ?no? whenever something threatened her friedom; she rebelled against the patrona that did not let her look at marine painting, and she poured a bowl of his own excrements on the head of her insipid patron.

Eva is a nature of passion: love intrigues her from the moment she met a first caring decent man, Huberto. The passion she experienced witnessing the sexual scene between Kamal and Zulema rose above the pages of the book and penetrated the air around me. The bravery of the first step towards Riad Halabi was a step of passion and gratitude.

The circumstances of Eva?s life have never been easy, but she never chooses an easy way: leaving Riad was one of the hardest things she ever had to do, but why does she destroy that piece of paper given to her by teacher Inesse with the address of a safe reliable school for young ladies? I think that Eva - having enough of a basic education to realize the need of further growth and being awaken as a woman ? wanted to live, learn, and experience the world outside the walls of a school. The system of her values, her independence, and her imagination would not fit into the frame of scholar rules, she wouldn?t last a day there.

Eva lives with the need to make world better, make it resemble her stories, and this need expresses itself in abandoning a boring factory job, participating in guerilla attempt to liberate its imprisoned members, helping her sick madrina, and finally in summarizing her talent in her screen play where everyone she met and everything she experienced in her life came into place where they belong.

Isabel Allende?s mastery of story telling that we perceive through the character of Eva Luna created a literary piece that behind the superficial features of ?pulp romantic novel? has a vivid picture of great variety of characters (Wilson). Their struggle with ?the good? is not always successful and that what makes the novel real. But, contradicting myself, I truly enjoyed all the unreal, imaginative, magical parts of the novel because in Allende?s setting they seemed so real, and so possible.

Women characters do dominate the novel, and in many situations they play vital role. It is very important to understand how necessary our inner and outer freedom is for us, women, to carry on those vital roles. I derive a very inspirational message from ?Eva Luna? and believe that I can shape my life as Universal Matter.

Works cited:

Allende, Isabel. Eva Luna. New York: Bantam Books. 1987

Rehbein, Edna Aguirre. ?The Act/Art of Narrating in Eva Luna?. Critical Approaches to Isabel Allende?s Novels. Ed. Sonia Riquelme.pp.179-90,

1991.http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC?ste=118&vrsn=3&n=10&locID=lincclin_bwcc .Reprinted in World Literature Criticism Supplement, vol 1.

Wilson, Jason. ?Isabel Allende: Overview?. Contemporary World Writers. 2nd ed., ed. Tracy Chevalier. St. James Press, 1993

http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet


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