Essay 6
An independent project of your choosing. Due Friday, May 2 (draft due Monday, April 28). 3-6 pages.
What I had in mind originally for this paper was a work of synthesis, in which you would draw together information on a historical topic, question, debate, or issue and present it in clear, expository form comprehensible to a non-specialist. (It's harder than it sounds.) An encyclopedia entry or a voice-over script for a television documentary would be ideal for this sort of assignment. Of course, you may use another format if you wish, and you may also do something that's more analysis or reflection than synthesis.
You should choose any topic that has sparked your interest in the past three months -- anything you would like to explore further. Although you may do as much outside reading as you think necessary, you are not expected to examine your topic in exhaustive detail. Nor do I necessarily expect ground-breaking, ambitious work (though originality of thought is always welcome). Again, keep in mind the formats I suggested: one doesn't turn to a television documentary or an encyclopedia entry for an exhaustive, expert analysis of a topic--for that, one would read an entire article or book. Rather, one turns to these shorter pieces for an interesting angle, a clear overview, or a good introduction to a new topic.
Above all, I want you to concentrate on clear, effective presentation of your facts and ideas. It should come as no surprise, since this is the final paper in a writing course, that I'll be looking closely at your writing and the improvement you've made. If you have been afflicted with Official Style in the past, I'll be looking for clear, muscular prose. If you have had problems with inappropriate word choices, I'll expect to see more precise vocabulary. If you sometimes confuse your reader by leaping from idea to idea, I want you to work on overall organization and logical paragraph development. If I have been marking your commas all semester...well, I'm sure you get the idea. As always, you should eschew generalizations and support your statements with references to concrete evidence.
Suggestions:
- A report on the treatment of lepers in the middle ages (use Moore, and consult one or more of the books listed in his bibliography if you wish). You may want to choose an angle; for instance, comparing medieval leprosy with modern contagions such as AIDS.
- A section of an enclyclopedia entry on Pope Innocent III: his contributions to a persecuting society.
- A case study of a modern blood libel, lynching, scapegoating incident, witch-hunt, etc. (the Leo Frank Case in Atlanta at the beginning of this century; the Paradise Lost story; the Dreyfus affair in France; the McCarthy era; or even something from your personal experience).
- A study of a modern ethnic conflict (spend a few minutes in the newspaper room in the library; you'll find enough material for twenty papers, unfortunately).
- Compare and contrast two antisemitic libels from two different periods or areas. See Joshua Trachtenberg's Devil and the Jews, or see me if you want to talk about ritual murder.
- A case study of a heresy trial or a comparison of two different heresy trials. Use Moore's footnotes and/or his other books on heresy. See also Norman Cohn's books, The Pursuit of the Millennium and Europe's Inner Demons; the former is especially well written, as I recall.
- A documentary on the York massacre of 1190. See Barrie Dobson's article on the incident (you'll find a reference in the footnotes to this week's reading on "Violence and Belief").
- A section of a documentary on "Jews and Muslims: Then and Now"
- A newspaper article on Western perceptions of Islam, then and now.
- Compare and contrast the elements of medieval and modern conspiracy theories (there are plenty of militia web pages out there).
- Using Lester Little's book on religious poverty and the profit economy, write about changing attitudes and policies towards the poor in the middle ages.
- Using Jocelin of Brakelonde's Chronicle of Bury Saint Edmunds, paint a picture of one monastery's relations with its local Jews during the twelfth century. You might want to combine this study with an analysis of the Bury Saint Edmunds cross as a piece of antisemitic propaganda. I can give you a reference to a book on the cross, if you're interested. The cross, by the way, is in New York City at the Cloisters Museum.)
- A magazine has run an article by someone claiming that Christianity and homosexuality are and have always been incompatible. Write a letter to the editor correcting the author's false assumptions. Use Boswell (you might also want to consult The Good Book).
- Using Gavin Langmuir's articles on ritual cannibalism, Thomas of Monmouth, and Hugh of Lincoln, write an authoritative encyclopedia entry on "Ritual Murder Accusations in the Middle Ages." Langmuir's articles have been collected in his book Toward a Definition of Antisemitism.
Six years of graduate school are enough to crush all the creativity out of anyone; I'm sure you can come up with far more interesting topics than I can. Go for it.
Here are some of the ideas some of your peers have come up with for their papers:
- A Timeline -style documentary on the expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290.
- A case study of the Rosewood incident.
- A study of Cossacks and pogroms in Russia.
- A creative paper about a medieval libel.
- A presentation on the Holocaust.
It is very important to stay in communication with me. I won't bite your head off if you're having problems, and I can probably help you with your planning. Talking aloud is a good way to sort out your thoughts, and I'm glad to listen.
YOU SHOULD COME AND SEE ME, OR AT LEAST E-MAIL ME, IF...
...you have an idea for a paper you would like to write.
...you have run into a snag.
...you have any questions (even questions like "is this the right word?" or "have I used this semicolon correctly?"--I welcome those).
...you need an extension.
...you are completely freaking out and need to take an incomplete.
On Monday, April 28th: Please bring a draft to class. I will collect your drafts and and look them over to make sure there are no major problems. I don't mind if the draft is very rough, or if some parts of it still consist of outline, questions, and notes to yourself. The primary objective is to get you writing early so that you won't run into difficulties at the last minute.
Things to turn in along with your paper:
-Your grammar notebook.
-You do not need to turn in your rough drafts a second time, but please attach a completed checklist to the end of your papers.
-If you want your papers (and/or grammar notebooks) back with comments, please give me your campus address and let me know when you are leaving town. If you are turning in your paper late or are leaving town especially early, and if you want your final paper back, please give me a stamped self-addressed envelope so that I can mail it to you. Thank you.
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