Flannery O’Connor

Essay 2 – Research Paper Instructions
As with all essays, include a general thesis sentence that clearly indicates the purpose of the essay. The body of the essay must

include paragraphs with topic sentences supporting the thesis. Provide details and specifics in the body paragraphs to support the

topic sentences. Remember to avoid generalities such as “thing,” “stuff,” “society,” “as a whole,” and “people.” Instead of writing

about “people as a whole in society today who do stuff and things,” talk about the characters and events in the primary work you are

asked to analyze.

This essay should be written using a third person objective point of view (she/he); no second person (you, us, our) or first person

(I, me) may be used. See the Writing about Text handout (located in Module 1) for a sample essay that you should use as a model for

this and all other essay assignments. See http://irsc.libguides.com/MLA for assistance with formatting per MLA, which is required

for this assignment.

This assignment requires one final submission of the essay with the option of sending in a draft version via a Blackboard email

attachment at least three full weekdays before the final is due. Submit the final essay through the corresponding Blackboard course

drop box/submission link. Only put final essay versions (meaning your essay is ready for grading) in the drop boxes/submission

links. (See the Schedule of Activities for due dates and drop box/submission link locations).

Since the draft version of the essay is optional, this means that it is not required; however, students are strongly encourage to

send in a draft that closely resembles the final version of their essay. For example, it should have a thesis, topic sentences, in-

text citations, and a Works Cited page, and formatted per the syllabus instructions. Send properly named draft files as Blackboard

email attachments. Unless specifically asked to do so by the instructor, students never have to correct and resubmit drafts after

they have been reviewed by the instructor. Due to the large number of essays instructors must review, there is not enough time to

repeatedly review drafts.

Overview of Assignment: Students are required to write an MLA-style research paper on assigned readings, which are considered the

primary sources for this paper. A minimum of three secondary sources (academic works written about the primary sources) in addition

to the primary source(s) are also required.

Topic: As long as pre-approved primary and secondary sources are used for this assignment (see below), students may develop their

own topic for this research writing assignment, keeping in mind that they should continue to use a formalist critical perspective as

explained in assigned readings from Module 1. At the end of these instructions, there are also pre-approved thesis sentences

students may use as well. Do not simply give your opinion or provide plot summary. Do not write a book review. Make sure you have a

clear thesis sentence and that the body of the paper has clear topic sentences which support the thesis. Underline the thesis

sentence and topic sentences before turning in your final paper for grading.Details from the sources should then support these topic

sentences. Remember you must prove your thesis using supporting evidence from the required primary and secondary sources.

Pre-Approved Primary Sources:Students must select from any of the following primary sources, either individually or combined, for

the research paper:
• Flannery O’Connor:“Good Country People” p.188; “A Good Man is Hard to Find” p.202; “Everything That Rises Must Converge” p.

237
• Alice Walker: “Everyday Use” p. 743
• Raymond Carver: “Cathedral” p. 455
The list above includes four stories assigned for class reading and one additional story by O’Connor. These are considered primary

sources, and studentsmay write about any of these stories for this assignment. Only one primary source from the list above is

required, but students may use a combination from this list. This means students may use one story, or they have the option to use

two, three, four, or even five stories as long as they are from the list above. However, by using additional primary sources, this

does not replace the requirement of using three secondary sources as described below.

Pre-Approved Secondary Sources:A minimum of threepre-approved secondary sources are required for this research paper, one of which

must be from either the JStor or Gale database.This means in addition to the primary sources (one or more of the stories from the

list above), students must also include three academic sources that discuss the primary source(s). One of the three secondary

sources must be from the JStor or Gale database, which can be accessed online through the school’s library Web site:

http://www.irsc.edu/libraries/libraries.aspxSee the list below for additionally approved secondary sources.
Note:
It is a good idea for students to review secondary sources before they decide on a specific topic so that they are sure they have

appropriate sources available to support their ideas. No matter how great your ideas may be, if you don’t have secondary sources to

support them, you cannot write a strong research paper. Strong research papers should include numerous in-text citations from the

secondary sources.
Required Secondary Database Sources: Students must selectat leastone secondary source from either the JStor or Gale databases

available through the IRSC library’s web site: http://www.irsc.edu/libraries/findarticles/findarticles.aspx. Students can find

information on how to access these databases at this URL:http://www.irsc.edu/libraries/tutorials/tutorials.aspx?id=1241
Additional assistance can be obtained from an IRSC reference librarian.
The following are additional approved secondary sources that may be used along withthe database source (see paragraph above):
• Flannery O’Connor:
o Essays from O’Connor in the Literaturetext on pages 232 – 234
o “On ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find’” by Frederick Asals in the Literature text on page 235
o “On ‘Good Country People’” by Kathleen Feeley in the Literature text on page 236
o “On ‘Everything That Rises Must Converge’” by Dorothy Tuck McFarland in the Literature text on page 237
o “Flannery O’Connor in Context” by Robert DiYanni in the Literature text on pages 184 – 187.
o The following essays and videos arelocated on the Ariel disc: “Conflict in Flannery O’Connor’s “Everything that Rises Must

Converge:”“Convergence in Flannery O’Connor’s ‘Everything That Rises Must Converge’”by Patricia Dinneen Maida;Video discussion with

Thomas M. Kitts, Robert DiYanni, and Judith Stanford. (If you do not have this disc packaged with your text, it is

No sources from the Internet will be accepted. Non-academic and Internet sources will not be accepted and students who insist on

using these sources, whether they document them or not, may not receive full credit for this assignment. Examples of unacceptable

sources include but are not limited to Cliff Notes; Wikipedia; Bookrags; Barron’s notes; any “notes” related sources; and student

papers. To be safe, stay off the Internet. Seek help from the school’s reference librarians if you need research assistance.
Final:The body of final paper (not including the Works Cited) will be 1,000 to 1,200 words in length. More is not better. A longer

paper can often lead to problems with grammar and topic development. A shorter paper, however, means that the topic has not been

appropriately covered. The paper must be formatted per MLA (see http://irsc.libguides.com/MLA), adhere to the filename formatting

per the syllabus, have in-text citations (from both the primary and secondary sources) to support your ideas, and include a complete

Works Cited page. Simply listing sources on the Works Cited page and not referencing them in the body of the paper does not fulfill

the minimum requirements of this assignment. Students who do not use the pre-approved primary and secondary sources as described in

these instructions maynot receive full credit for this assignment.

Important Note Concerning Plagiarizing:It is important for all students to have a clear understanding of the college’s policy on

plagiarizing. If you are not sure, check the college catalog. In addition, see the policy about plagiarism explained in the class

syllabus. The primary sources are provided in your textbook, and secondary sources are provided in the textbook, in IRSC databases,

and on the Arieldisc (available in the college library if not packaged with the textbook). The school reference librarians are here

to help students navigate the library’s databases as well provide MLA information, so they can be very helpful if contacted well

before the assignment is due. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason for any student to find a need to “surf the net for

inspiration” when it comes to this paper. The time would be much better spent diligently working on the paper rather than stealing

the efforts of others. If you need more information about plagiarism, see this library guide:

http://www.irsc.edu/uploadedFiles/Libraries/Tutorials/Plagiarism.pdf

Student Questions: Students who do not understand the requirements described in these instructions should contact the instructor

with specific questions before this assignment is due. Contact the instructor via Blackboard email, phone, or during face-to-face or

virtual office hours for assistance.

Tips for Starting the Research Paper:To help form a thesis, consider starting with a question (such as those provided in the

Literature text after the readings), and then answer the question in the form of a statement. See the Writing about Text handout

(located in Module 1) as well as the assigned writing videos. Here is an example:
In “Good Country People,” what does Hulga learn about herself and others through her encounter with the Bible salesman?
Thesis: In “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor, Hulga’s encounter with the Bible salesman teaches her that she is vulnerable

despite her intellect and social class.
Below are some additional thesis sentences. Feel free to use any of these thesis sentences for your paper:
Joy-Hulga from “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor and Dee-Wangero from “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker are strong

protagonists who share similar motives and characteristics.
In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” and “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor, redemption is achieved though The Misfit and Manley

Pointer, two characters who are ironically anything but “good” men.
In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, the characterization of the family affects the characterization of the

grandmother as they provide a backdrop to view her development throughout the story.

Note: Follow the general writing guidelines below as you create an essay for this assignment.

General Analysis Writing Guidelines
1. Never use the word “thing” in any form (something, nothing, anything).
2. Avoid vague references to “people.” Who are these people? Say who they actually are instead of referring to them generally.
3. Never use second person: we, our, your. You should not “talk” to the reader or refer to him or her in any way. Be careful not to

use commands as the “you” is understood.
4. Unless specifically required, never use first person (I). You are not to give your opinion. You are to state facts and back them

up with evidence from the text.
5. Unless otherwise instructed, assume that your reader has read the story, poem, or play you are discussing. Do not retell the work

because simple retelling is not analysis.
6. Do not use clichés, trite expressions, or overly used phrases. Be original. Use your own words instead.
7. Avoid unnecessary or inappropriate use of the passive voice. Make the subjects of the sentences do the action of the verbs.
8. Use appropriate diction. You are not writing a letter to a friend.
9. Generalizations need to be backed up with evidence from the text either through direct quotations, paraphrasing, or summarizing.

For example, if you write that a character was well-liked, you must then give specific details from the text that show why he was

well-liked.
10. Make sure your piece has a unique title that relates to your topic. It should be centered above the body of the paper. Do not

put essay titles in quotes or underline. Use initial capitalization.
11. Titles of short stories or essays referenced in the paper are put in quotation marks while titles of books or plays are

underlined or italicized.
12. Use present tense throughout: “Martin Luther King Jr. uses numerous references to historical American documents in his speech.”
13. Short, direct quotes should be incorporated into the text using a signal phrase. Refer to http://irsc.libguides.com/MLA for MLA

instructions.
14. Avoid giving opinions in your writing by using words and phrases such as “obviously” or “it seems” or “it’s easily understood

that.”
15. Do not refer to the reader: “The reader understands the tension building in the story.” It is impossible to know what every

reader is thinking, and guessing at what readers think is not analysis.
16. Have a strong thesis sentence. This is the focus of your paper, and the body of your paper should support this thesis. A thesis

should be a complete sentence.
17. Make sure you introduce the author and title of the work you will be writing about in the introductory paragraph.
18. Do not tell the reader what you are going to do. Instead, just do it. For example, don’t do the following: “This essay will

examine irony.” Or “In conclusion…”