Final
Project – Anglo-Saxon Literature
Due dates:
Creative Response – December 19th,
2013 at 3:00 PM
Final Draft of Essay – December 18th,
2013 at 5:00 PM
First Rough Draft or Outline of Essay
– December 10th, 2013
For your final project for
Anglo-Saxon Literature, you will complete two
assignments which exemplify your understanding of course material and concepts
while also demonstrating your ability to critically engage with material and
concepts. You will choose one assignment from each of the two categories below.
Assignment – Part One: Literary
Analysis
For this section of the
final assessment, you will compose a literary analysis essay which shows your
comprehension of our course texts and your ability to analyze those texts. You
may choose from the following five essay prompts, or create your own[1]:
· Drawing from Beowulf,
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and
other didactic texts, describe and reflect on the construction of heroic code
in Anglo-Saxon culture. What traits are essential? How do the characters of our
literature personify these traits? How does this code deviate from our modern
ideas of heroism?
· Using ideas from Beowulf and from Grendel,
reflect on the importance of oral tradition in the understanding of history.
How do practices such as Christian superimposition and heroic reinterpretation
affect our understanding of storytelling?
· The elegiac and lænum
līf traditions are central to the Beowulf
and Grendel stories, as well as
several other works we have read. How do these ideas color our reading and
worldview? How does wyrd factor into
the Anglo-Saxon understanding of the world?
· How do the three monsters of Beowulf—Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon—differ from one
another? Other than their physical characteristics, consider their motives and
interactions with humanity. Do you find one creature more abhorrent than the
others? Why?[2]
· Analyze the roles of Beowulf, Grendel, Unferth, Sir
Gawain, Hrothgar, and other characters considering the sociological theory of structural functionalism. What
responsibility does every character play in maintaining social order?
Your analysis should not be a book report: we have
all read the material, and you should assume that your audience is familiar
with your analyzed text. Rather, it should demonstrate your ability to uncover
bigger, implicit ideas within the text(s). Your task is to think critically and
challenge the reader of your essay to do the same.
There is no page maximum
or minimum; you should use as much writing as is necessary to convey your
understanding and analytical thought. If you need a number, though, shoot for three
to four pages.
Assignment – Part Two: Creative
Response
For this section of the
final project, you will produce a creative response to at least one of the
following texts: Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight, Grendel, Beowulf, “The Dream of the Rood,” “Bede’s Account of the
Conversion of King Edwin,” or “The Wanderer.” The nature of this project is
open to your interpretation, and you should choose a medium which best
demonstrates your engagement with one or more texts. Consider from the
following list of options, or create your own[3]:
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Ÿ Write a poem or series of poems
reflecting events and themes from the reading.
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Ÿ Create a comic book featuring one of
the heroes of our reading as a main character.
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Ÿ Write a short story from the
perspective of a supporting character (e.g., Wealtheow, Lady Bertilak,
Unferth, the counselman of King Edwin).
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Ÿ Create a “mini-newspaper” or
“mini-magazine” featuring articles, editorials, comics, advertisements, etc.,
pertaining to your chosen text(s).
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Ÿ Write a creative piece featuring a
prominent character (e.g., Beowulf, Grendel, Gawain) in today’s culture.
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Ÿ Paint, sculpt, or otherwise depict
the challenges faced by our readings’ primary heroes.
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Ÿ Take photographs and compile a
photo-diary tracing one or more of our texts.
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Ÿ Write and produce a short film
pertaining to one or more of our texts.
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Ÿ Create your own illustration and
description of heroic code, compared with Gawain’s pentangle.
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Ÿ Create a soundtrack to one or more
of the texts, including a 3-5 sentence explanation for each song’s
significance.
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Keep in mind, this
creative project should demonstrate as much hard work and engagement as the
essay, though it will be more artistically-geared. You should have fun with
this section, but still dedicate time and effort to it.
Tips for success on this project:
·
Start early. The more time you allow yourself, the
better your project will be. I am assigning this three weeks in advance because
you should start immediately!
·
Ask questions. I’m here to support you throughout this
project—you are absolutely welcome to ask for help, to bounce ideas off me, or
to just chat.
·
Choose topics and media that work for you; not only
will the project come more easily that way, but the product will naturally be
better. I can always tell whether or not you care.
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