LITR 4231 Early American Literature 2012
Student Midterm Samples

Sample Research Proposals for
Research Posts

Veronica Ramirez

First Research Post: As stated in my Midterm Essay #3 “The Importance of Women’s Education in Early American Literature,” I was excited about Sor Juana Inez de Cruz and I would like to continue the research into Sor Juana’s works.  One of the most interesting things about her was the fact that her works, reached out beyond literature and into music. We have been looking at music during this semester and I thought this would be a natural continuation of the course.

Second Research Post: I don’t know much about fashion, current or historical, but I do believe that the culture will dictate the norm in fashion. I can see the way that the puritan way of thinking, could influence simple and modest dress. For my second research post I want to I want to explore the fashion, especially of women, as the periods move through from the Renaissance, Religious Reformation, Enlightenment and then through the Romantic era.  

Elizabeth Eagle

Jonathan Dickinson's Journal:

A Captivity Narrative from Another View

          After reading the two captivity narratives required for this course, I became intrigued as to other captivity narratives that developed around the same time as those of Mary Rowlandson and Mary Jemison. After a simple search for “captivity narrative”, one of the first to pop up was the story of Jonathan Dickinson (1663-1722), a Quaker, who along with his family and others were shipwrecked in Florida. The ship was originally intended to land in Philadelphia where those on board wanted to settle. After the shipwreck, Dickinson relates the story of their captivity by the Jaega Indians.

          What follows is the intense journey of Dickinson and his family along with the survivors of the shipwreck and their abuse by the Jaega Indians as the Jaega move them toward Saint Augustine. The survivors are eventually freed and allowed to continue their journey to Philadelphia where the Dickinson family thrives. Jonathan Dickinson goes on to become the mayor of Philadelphia twice before dying in 1722.

          Like the stories of Rowlandson and Jemison, Dickinson's story is seen as a well written and factual account of the events that took place. I am interested in reading a captivity narrative not only from the male perspective but also from the perspective of a Quaker. It will also be interesting to understand the differences, if any, in the treatment of the English at the hands of Native Americans from Florida and not the East coast. The similarities and differences among the views and attitudes of the Native American groups interest me just as much as the similarities and differences of the narratives do. I have not yet read any part of Dickinson's story but I look forward to doing so.

 Rochelle Latouche

Research Post Topic

          For my research post, I was thinking about writing about the Indians who occupied Galveston Island (Karankawas?); the ones  De Vaca mentioned in La Relacion. This may sound silly, but I did not know that Indians occupied Texas until I took this class! Now I am really interested in finding out more about them.

          I am not sure what aspect I want to cover. I may want to talk about the rise and the downfall of their tribe. I also might talk about how they reacted to the Spaniards/ Christians. It really depends on what information I can find out about them

Jillian Norris

Research Plan

For my research posts I would really like to continue learning about the Baroque and Plain Styles. I really enjoyed everything that I learned and read about in class, but I feel like there is so much more that I can learn about them. For example, I would probably pick two or three specific contributors to each style outside of the ones that we've already discussed in class(maybe one artist, on architect, and one author) and discuss how they're work fits into that style.