The Dracula Discussion
Humanities
Write an interpretive essay focusing on representations of the alien in the novel Dracula. The paper must consider the novel in its historical context and apply one of the theories of monsters studied in this course to produce an interpretation, taking one of the discussion topics as a starting point. It should support that interpretation through close reading, including detailed analysis of specific scenes and incorporation of quotation.
The essay should demonstrate an ability to formulate a strong, potentially controversial argument that makes a significant, interesting claim about the assigned work and supports that claim by supplying textual evidence appropriately cited. To achieve an original argument, the paper should have a tight thematic focus, drawing attention through close reading to interesting aspects of the text. Furthermore, the essay should be well organized and edited to ensure clarity of communication and to eliminate distracting errors.
The essays should be approximately 6 pages long, double-spaced with a standard 12 point font and margin.
The essay should be submitted both here and in the TurnItIn Dropbox below as a docx or pdf attachment by midnight on the due date. Thereafter, penalties for lateness apply (see the syllabus).
Essays will be evaluated for argumentation (thesis construction, logic, persuasiveness, originality, and theoretical sophistication), support (evidence and citation), and communication (organization, clarity, style, mechanics, and grammar). See sample papers for examples of how to analyze literary works.
Students must produce individual interpretations of the texts under consideration and should not research the topic or make use of outside sources such as the internet without pre-approval from the instructor; use of words or ideas from unacknowledged sources constitutes plagiarism and will result in failure of the course. Citations should follow MLA format. See “How to Write about Literature,” “Guide to Citation,” “Guide to Quotation,” and “Guide to Paraphrase” on Blackboard for help with citation of books, electronic books, films, etc. For additional help, email me or ask a UHD librarian or a tutor at UHD’s Writing and Reading Center, or go to the website The OWL (Online Writing Lab at Purdue).
When citing course materials from Blackboard use the following model:
Lund, Giuliana. “Dracula Discussion, Topic One.” Alien Invasions in Fiction and Film. Blackboard. UHD. Aug. 2018. (Date course began and materials were uploaded).
Students wishing individual help with papers should take advantage of the professor’s office hours and online tutoring through UHD’s Writing and Reading Center. Address questions to Prof. Lund at lundg@uhd.edu or the Course Help page.
