Ideas for writing papers
Your thesis is a research topic that you choose to study English literature. Any of the topics you see on the left (gender and comparisons, political background, religion) will take you anywhere. The literature class for which you are writing will help you choose your topic. Start with gender if you’re writing for a class on gender. Then, move on to other topics such as my example about how men and women are represented.
First, know the topic of your essay. Next, find out what type or style of paper you’re writing. This will help you narrow down your topic and determine what next to do. This is not a concrete topic. Research can change and grow as your topic changes. Just choosing the topic for your literature research is the first step.
Topics to Research Essays on English Literature
English literature has many topics. You can find a topic that will work for you, or a book that you are reading. You can start by starting broad and working your way toward making your essay more specific. Here are some literature research topics to inspire you (for a longer list, please refer to the link at end of article).
1. Assigned behavior based on one’s sex
How is the story depicting the roles of men & women? Do they have a distinct difference? Are they equal in rights? Which gender expectations are they following or fighting against?
2. Comparisons between genres
What is the story of each genre? Which one is better? Which is more effective?
3. The history behind [the topic]
What is the story of the author? Did there ever seem to be controversies about their work or them? What significance did this novel have in its time? What does the novel say about society and beliefs at the time it was written?
4. The practice of governing and making decisions about public affairs.
This novel addresses what issues in politics? Discrimination? Rights? Equality?
5. Religion
What is the significance of this new religion? Is it questioning or promoting any particular beliefs?
6. Comparisons between characters
This can happen between characters in the same book or between characters from different novels. What are their similarities and differences?
7. Comparisons of two novels
It is possible to find novels that are completely different yet belong to the same genre.
8. The novel contains allusions
What are some important allusions in the novel? These can be religious allusions, or references to other authors and novels. What is the importance of these references to English literature and the novel?
9. Criticism
What are the most prominent criticisms? How does your response compare with other critics?
10. The use of symbols to represent ideas and concepts.
What are the key symbols of the novel’s plot? What are their significance?
English Literature Research Projects
These can be used to research any other type or English Literature topic.
How to find an English topic to research for any project
You’ve made it to the end of your final year at university. Now you have one more thing to do before you go: the daunting Capstone Project. Do not worry. It can be stressful and time-consuming work but it can also be fun. All you have to do is choose the right topic within English literature. A Capstone that is truly meaningful to you will make your capstone stand out.
The most important aspect of the project is choosing the right topic. It is possible to fail to meet the requirements. You might even dislike it so much that you have to change it mid-class. Teachers will let you take charge of the class and give you freedom to decide what topics you would like to write about. You will no longer be given prompts, but guidelines that will help you with your project. Also, you won’t need to spend too much time on any aspect of a novel, unless you are told to by the professor.
Do not be afraid to enjoy this part of your university experience. This is your chance to shine and show everyone how accomplished you are in English literature. You have shown that you are capable of doing it yourself and you will be awarded the degree. It’s impossible to not be worthy if your journey has led you this far.
Example of an English Literature Researched Essay
My Capstone class had the title “The Age of Novels”.
The eighteenth century was the era when the novel was first developed. We focused on how the novel evolved to what we now call a novel. We considered how writers presented their fictions, how they were executed, and who influenced them. We also explored literary techniques like psychological reality and the differences in roles between men and woman in this form.
My class was focused around topics like gender roles and psychological realism. As I read through the novel, I thought about these subjects.
How to start a paper on English literature
To illustrate how to choose an English literature topic research topic, I’m going use my Capstone Project experience.
While your Capstone project will not be on the exact same topic, it is still essential to understand the basics of the class to help you research your literature topic. See the prompts for English classes and decide what you like.
After having completed the required reading, I decided not to stick with novels of formal reality and instead explore the Gothic realm along with M.G. The Monk by Lewis was not explored in class. This was not only a wonderful way to compare Gothic literature with other books from the same period, but it also allowed me to make comparisons. I was able, to my surprise, to read a novel that was in the genre I was most interested in. While still studying the prompts of the class.
Sometimes, it’s possible to start from a completely different angle if you’re having trouble with English literature research topics. Once you have a good understanding of the class, you can easily go in another direction and return to what you were learning. This can open up new avenues of research possibilities.
How to Brainstorm Ideas For Essays
Focus on one or more of the English Literature class prompts as you read the book. I chose to concentrate on the theme of chastity in the novel, and how it portrays male and feminine chastity. This was different from the formal realism novels. It took me a lot of effort to find this English literature topic. Do not be afraid to fail or start again.
First, you should brainstorm a topic that you are interested in researching and then add any relevant information. List it, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. You can then go through the list and draw interesting conclusions from it. How are females and males depicted? What is the difference between a gothic and a formal realistic novel?
You can organize information by putting it on paper. It is easy to see everything on paper and put it together in a neat, understandable picture. It’s like trying not to do this.
Ideas for Choosing a Research Topic
If brainstorming is not for you, you can write down your questions about the novel. You might be interested in learning more about the author and how it relates to the ideas and references in the novel. You could ask yourself, “What’s gothic?” or “How was eighteenthcentury England defining chastity?” After doing this research, look back at your notes to see if there is an interesting topic that you could research further for the English literature essay.
Tips for researching topics in English Literature
It’s easy, once you look at the brainstorm you created, to see where research is needed on your novel. A paper filled with generalizations is not what anyone wants so make sure to take every topic that you don’t know how to define and get started researching it. Are you able to describe formal realism or gothic? It is worth researching. What were the expectations of this period in terms of gender? It is worth researching. Research your topic thoroughly. This is more work than reading three or four books.
Knowing more about the author is also helpful. Did they rebel? Or were they strict conservatives? This novel was popular? What was the impact on readers at that time?
Lewis, for example, was brought before the court to defend The Monk as it was deemed a negative influence on his female readers. This is not only fascinating, but it’s also relevant to my essay topic on female chastity.
This background research can help you to create a thesis and guide you in the right direction for your research. You may need to talk with your professor if you still haven’t figured out something.