The Hero’s Journey

Research Essay

Spring 2008

Rayburn

Your research project for this class will be a critical review of a work other than one used in class. While the most obvious choice for a work will be a book, I am open to the idea of a critical review of a film that fits the parameters of the class. In essence, then, any work, written or on film, which deals with a hero of some sort on a journey, however you might define that, will do.

Assume that your reader is educated but not necessarily familiar with your text. You will need to include, then, a brief synopsis of the work. In addition, then, you will need to offer your analysis of the work, noting important aspect of the work and how those aspects affect our understanding of the work. In short, you offer your reading of the text, supporting, always, with specific literary devices and plenty of proof from the work. Having given your views, then, you want to bring in valid academic critical thought to shed further light on the work. This criticism may adhere to your views or deviate from them or both. The essay will end with some summary evaluative statement.

MLA format is required. Use MLA in-text documentation. Your “Works Cited” page should also follow MLA formatting. We will speak to some of these issues in class, but you have other resources available to you, including the library website and the MLA Handbook (I have one if you need to consult it). While you may use some bibliographic aid such as NoodleBib, remember that you are still responsible for any errors made.

The length of the essay will depend on the work chosen. Good research would call, I think, for a minimum of five (5) academic sources to validate your views.

The due date is April 24. I will be more than happy to discuss drafts of this essay with you before April 22.

Possible Works:                                           Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight                                 Sydney,  The Fairie Queen

Melville, Moby Dick                                                     Swift, Gulliver’s Travels

Carroll, Alice in Wonderland                                        Fielding, Tom Jones

Tolkien, The Hobbit                                                    The Motorcycle Diaries

The Searchers                               Kerouac, On the Road

McCarthy, The Road                          Wolfe, Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

Krakauer, Into the Wild; Into Thin Air             Heat-Moon, Blue Highways