For this short essay, consider the novel and the criticism we’re reading alongside the theory we’ve covered this semester, NO OUTSIDE RESEARCH or RESOURCES. In some cases, this will be easy, as the criticism directly invokes theoretical works or authors we’ve encountered thus far. In other cases, you may see connections to theoretical works that are not named or cited explicitly in the criticism.
Your paper should do the following:
1) Engage three separate but interrelated texts: Conrad’s novella, one or more pieces of criticism (also from the book of ‘Heart of Darkness’), and one or more relatable theoretical work from this semester (Fanon’s black skin white masks; de beauvoir’s woman as other; Said’s introduction to orientalism; Gates’ talking black- critical signs of the times).
2) Respond to the way theory is working in those three texts. In other words, you aren’t necessarily writing your own argument about Conrad’s novella (though you definitely can). Instead, you are focusing on how theory and Conrad’s novella intersect, and how that theory shows up—what that theory does or what that theory enables—in one or more readings of Heart of Darkness.
3) Demonstrate focused, specific attention to one aspect of the novella in conversation with a focused, specific aspect of theory as manifested through a specific critical essay.
4) (Following from #3) Demonstrate an understanding of theory and its relationship to literary texts, in this case Heart of Darkness
Your audience for this paper is members of our class. In that sense, you can write from the assumption that your audience has been reading discussing what you’ve been reading and discussing. You will still need to focus on #4 above, but you don’t need to introduce in the way you would for an audience outside of our class.
Business Considerations:
Your paper should be double-spaced, in MLA format (including in-text citations and a Works Cited page). Please familiarize yourself with MLA conventions through a source like the Purdue OWL website.