GUIDELINES FOR THE CRITICAL PAPER

HUMALIT A52: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

2nd Term. AY 2015-2016
DEADLINE

Critical Paper: FEB 9 (Tuesday).

Proposal: FEB 4 (Thursday). Exam: FEB 2 (Tuesday).

TASK: You are expected to produce a well-written five-page paper demonstrating your ability (a) to critically
analyze and evaluate a literary text and (b) to relate to the thematic and philosophical concerns of the novel and
obtain aesthetic pleasure from a fruitful personal interaction with the text.
Method: Nothing beats the fusion of synthesis, analysis, reflection, and creativity. Thus, you are going to approach
the novel as a potential film material. Assume that you are adapting the novel you have chosen to the big screen.
You will, then, have to do the following:
(1) Give your film a title. The title should be in Filipino or English (Filipino is preferred) and not the same as
the title of the novel. Bear in mind that your artistic choices must be justified later. You are NOT supposed to
change the novels plot or create new characters.
(2) Produce a film ad (colored or black & white, realistic with the cast and artistic credits, taglines/blurbs etc.).
The tagline/blurb containing the heart of the novel/film is a must. Remember that the key symbols and visual
elements in the poster and the casting (can be foreign or local) will have to be accounted for later.
Parts of the Paper: The paper must have the following:
Cover: This is the HONOR CODE that you will have to fill in.
Part I (Page 1): Film Ad (excellent quality). You must be the director.
Part II (Pages 2 to 3): TITLE. Justify your title and poster. Why have you chosen such a title? Why the
tagline? Your arguments must be a product of your critical reading of and reflection on the text. Relate your
answers to any of the different elements of the novelcharacters, plot, setting, point of view, and theme (whichever
may suit your paper)as well as to the style, vision and skill of the author and to the symbols and other literary
devices used in the text. Make sure that you produce a coherent, well-argued paper here.
Part III (Pages 4-5): CASTING. Analyze only two characters from the novel. Discuss skillfully and with
textual basis the nature of each character. One full page for each character. End the page with your casting
decision. Choose actors for the two characters you have chosen and briefly show how your character jibes with the
actor you have chosen. Bear in mind that the more important concern here is the fictional character, not the actor.
You will be graded based on how well you analyze the character/s.
For Parts II and III, you will have to prove your thesis and artistic choices using arguments, which are valid
and logical in that they have a textual basis and must be a product of sound judgment. You will have to cite scenes
or lines from the text (with corresponding pages, of course) to prove your point. If you are going to use the
ideas of critics or literary scholars to further prove your point, you must acknowledge your source/s. If you have
borrowed a critics words verbatim, put them in quotation marks. Remember to avoid using didactic statements and
making sweeping generalizations.
Bibliography: Cite your visual and critical sources.
Assigned Novel (This is the only choice): Arundhati Roy: The God of Small Things
Other Guidelines
Part II must be at least 2 full pages; part III, 2 full pagesor else, deductions. Use the approved font size: 12 points.
Times New Roman. Double-spaced. Use the proper margin: 1x1. No extra space between paragraphs. Submit
on or before FEB 9. Should classes be called off on FEB 9, submit the paper (as PDF) in our e-group. Late
submission merits a 0.0, and failure to submit may merit a 0.0 for the final grade. Submitting less than five pages
gets an INC (incomplete), which then translates into a 0.0. Other violations of the rules discussed in class merit
huge deductions. Plagiarism is a crime and will be meted out the necessary disciplinary action which may include a
0.0 for the course.
Important Reminders
Students may be asked for an oral defense of their work. Please note that the task at hand is not daunting. It will
require mental work from you, but you can do it. Give it a really good try. Think critically. Reflect. Create. You
are a Lasallian. GOOD LUCK!