LITR 4232: American Renaissance

UHCL, spring 2002

Student Research Proposal

Robin Stone

Dr. White,

        For my research project I wish to do option 2--the journal. In studying for the midterm and researching for the presentation, I became interested in New Historicism, so I am thinking about a journal covering New Historicism--its origin and what it is , in relation to Renaissance literature--specifically in the readings of this class. I would like to attempt to equate each of the reading assignments from this class to all applicable elements listed in objective 3.

        Another possible topic I am interested in is the "Concord Circle" of writers who gathered around Emerson. I would cover who they were, their beliefs, their literary styles, and the effects of their writing on each other, and as a whole. This too I would do as a journal.

        When producing the journal, do you want each of the required elements to be in separate sections and in the order listed in Option 2 (journal) requirements?

        I was thinking about doing the journal in the style of a ships' log in which I would start with the first day and log the events of research with the results until the first element was completed. I would then move on to the second element until it was finished, and so forth. This may change as I get into the research, but for now, that is what I have in mind. What do you think?      

Thank you,

Robin P. Stone
LITR 4232 T/Th 10 a.m.

Dear Robin,

These are good topics, and a journal sounds like the appropriate form for investigating them. Regarding the "journal requirements," though, note that only the introduction and conclusion are absolutely required. The body of the journal may take any number of forms, so your suggestion of a ship's log is a possibility, as long as you refine the presentation of it adequately so that a reader wants to continue reading.

About the topics, the second one on "The Concord Circle" would probably be easier to focus on, simply because it's more of a historical-literary phenomenon with definite personalities, families, times, etc. But I wouldn't want to discourage you from the New Historicism topic--it all depends on how ambitious and risk-taking you feel. You might learn more from the N H topic, and the knowledge may be more useful for your other literary studies, especially if you're considering graduate study (eventually)--all because it's more theoretical and methodological, so you can relocate what you learn there to other topics, whereas the Concord Circle will pretty much stay where it is, a pretty piece of antiquarianism. If you do New Historicism, I'd recommend first going to some handbooks in the reference section on critical theory--I can't find my references to them just now, but I can walk you to them as opportunity presents. Also you might do an MLA search in the library using "N H" as a key phrase.

Ask again as helpful--

Craig White