1. In children's literature, food and eating are often used to present narrative values. What is at stake in, and what is the significance of, the ways two books frame food itself and/or the dynamics of its consumption? What values are communicated? You might consider such questions as, Who offers food and in what way? What kind of food is offered and/or consumed? Who eats (or doesn't) and in what way and with what effect? (USE HARRY POTTER AND ALICE IN WONDERLAND) 2.The presentation of femininity in literature frequently involves contrasting two (or sometimes more) female characters. What values come into focus through the pairing of female characters in two books (i.e., one pair from each book)? You might focus your analysis by considering a specific aspect of femininity. For example: Do the pairings reinforce or challenge domesticity? Do they produce a critique of female power? What do they suggest about the relationship between mother and child? (USE ALICE IN WORDERLAND and THE GOLDEN COMPASS) General Expectations: • The assignment involves three main tasks: o Constructing a thesis o Choosing the best material to support and elucidate the thesis, and analysing it effectively o Presenting the analyses in a well-structured and well-written manner. • The essay should be anchored by an overarching argument, set out in your introduction as a thesis statement. The body of the essay will provide a comparative analysis of the two works through the kind of close reading you did on the midterm, but you need to go further to spell out an argument about the implications and significance of the analysis. o The thesis statement must apply to both books: you are expected to go beyond simply contrasting them. o This means that there needs to be a point of commonality between the texts you choose. Good arguments often emerge from an examination of works that seem on the surface to be quite different, but that on closer inspection can be seen to address the topic in similar ways or with similar implications. o In working on the essay, start with the comparative analysis: analyse passages (as you did in the midterm test) that relate to the topic. Then, stand back from the details to draw out the larger unifying argument (i.e., what all the details add up to). o You may have a general sense of your argument when you start thinking about the topic, but be prepared to refine and complicate or even invert it as the close readings and the comparisons between the books bring certain aspects into focus. • An argument presupposes disagreement. Therefore, the thesis statement should not be selfevident or descriptive. It is a position and an interpretation, one that is arrived at through insightful close reading. It should answer the questions, "so what?" or "this matters because?" by explaining the stakes and significance of your claim in terms of the books. • You are expected to include close readings of quotations to support your argument and to lend nuance to your discussion. You must quote from the texts, and you must analyse the quotations you use; otherwise, your claims will be too vague. o As with the midterm test, remember that you are analysing the books as texts. You are not simply explaining what the books are about, but how the texts convey those meanings. o Keep your focus on the texts. Stay away from broad and vague claims about what children are/like/do/need. (By all means analyse how such states/preferences/actions/needs are constructed in the texts.) • Be vigilant that you do not lapse into summary or paraphrase. Assume your reader knows the book; you do not need to give any plot summary or to describe characters. You will lose marks for plot summary and paraphrase. • Ensure that you have explicitly worked through the implications and significance of each quotation and reference to the text. • Structure your essay effectively. The point of each paragraph should be clear. Each paragraph should follow organically from the previous one. • You are expected to write clearly, logically, grammatically—even elegantly! If you are anxious about your essay-writing skills, consider making an appointment with the Writing Centre. • You are not required to use any secondary sources; this is not a literature review. You will not gain any marks for using secondary sources. We are interested in your own analyses of the books. o If you do use secondary sources, be very careful that you cite them correctly in the place that you are borrowing from them. You must cite the source for any secondary material whether or not you quote it directly: material rewritten in your own words is still someone else's and must be acknowledged as such in the place where you use it. (See avoiding plagiarism below.)