Children Literature

EAC273: Children’s Literature
Major Paper
(Value: 25%)

General Instructions

You are to write a literary analysis of from 1500 to 2000 words on one of the topics below. Grading of the paper will be based on scope, depth, critical thinking skills, and grammatical accuracy. Your paper should be written in the 3rd person, so be sure to avoid any 1st person subjective experiences. Pay careful attention to the “Submission Requirements” posted on page two of this assignment. They are mandatory elements and you are expected to follow them!

Note: You must limit your focus to the four assigned course texts; in other words, you may not use material from outside this course.

Essay Topics

Choose one of the topics below for your paper.

1. It has been suggested that fantasy literature is inappropriate for children, as it does not prepare them for adult life in the real world. Discuss this idea, by arguing for and against the relevance and use of reality and the fantastic in Literature and how it impacts our lives and those of children, using both one of the fictional texts we have studied (either Charlotte’s Web or The Paper Bag Princess) and one of the non-fictional texts we have studies (either Hana’s Suitcase or And Tango Makes Three). Your essay should focus on the role of reality and the fantastic in relation to three of the following literary devices: character, setting, theme and tone.

2. Literature that lasts from generation to generation is termed a classic. Literature of today is termed contemporary. Choose one classic studied (either Charlotte’s Web or The Paper Bag Princess) and one contemporary (either Hana’s Suitcase or And Tango Makes Three) children’s book or story and compare the two. Consider why the work has become a classic. Are the literary elements handled differently?

3. Social issues are a part of life and our society. For example, divorce, abuse, alcoholism, racism etc. Many authors explore these issues through novels, picture books etc. Choose one fiction (either Charlotte’s Web or The Paper Bag Princess) and one non-fiction (either Hana’s Suitcase or And Tango Makes Three) book that deals with a social issue. The issues should be similar in nature or complementary. Compare and contrast how the author deals with the subject matter in each.

4. Do you think children’s books should be monitored for violent or offensive material? Discuss the issue of censorship in children’s literature. Choose one picture book (either And Tango Makes Three or The Paper Bag Princess) and one prose work (either Hana’s Suitcase or Charlotte’s Web) and compare the two. You must include at least three of the following literary devices in your discussion: character, theme, plot (including conflict), tone.

5. In multicultural literature for children issues of difference are not only limited to ethnicity, colour, and/or race, but also to religion, gender, special needs, sexuality, and ageism. This being the case, many texts can be read within a multicultural context. Choose one fiction (either Charlotte’s Web or The Paper Bag Princess) and one non-fiction (either Hana’s Suitcase or And Tango Makes Three) book and compare and contrast how issues of identity, difference, and/or power are established and resolved in relation to three of the definition’s criteria

Submission Requirements

Quotations and Sources • You must use direct primary quotes from the novels/stories to provide evidence for your paper. Essays that have no quotes from primary sources will not earn a passing grade.
• No secondary sources are to be used in the paper. You may use only the module content and the assigned course texts in your essay.
• In order to verify whether you have documented the novels/stories or module content correctly, you may submit a draft copy of your paper no later than one week prior to the due date. This will generate a matching report that will inform you if there is any content in your paper that matches material found in previously submitted papers or on-line. You can then ensure that this material is documented correctly in your final submission. The instructor will not review the draft copy of your paper, and a copy of your draft will not be permanently stored in the database.
MLA • All quoting and paraphrasing must be properly referenced using MLA in-text/parenthetical citations.
• An accompanying MLA Works Cited page referencing the novels/stories must be included.
• If you are unfamiliar with MLA style for both referencing and constructing a Works Cited page, you need to look at The MLA Handbook (available in most libraries), or consult at least one of these online resources:
Seneca Online Library http://library.senecacollege.ca/Research_Help/Citing_Sources/
mla_guide.html
Online Writing Lab, Purdue University http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/02/
• Using a style other than MLA (e.g., APA) will result in severe penalties in terms of the grading.
Format: • Word length: 1500 to 2000 words
• Word processed, double spaced, and composed in proper sentences and paragraphs.
• Align the paper at the left margin only. Do not right align or right justify (have all the words line up at the right margin). This is incorrect format. For example, notice how the words in the paragraphs above form a “ragged” edge at the right. This document is left aligned, which is the correct format.
• Margins: 1” for top, bottom, left, and right.
• Title page: must include: name of the assignment your name, student number, submission date, word count.