In advance of each paper that you write, you will submit a paper prospectus in your classwork document. An ungraded, informal assignment, the prospectus functions as a way to structure your thinking about the paper and allow me an early chance to respond to your idea. Each prospectus should be at least 200 words long (total), and it can be longer if you want to share more of your thinking about the paper. Deadlines for the prospectuses are indicated on the syllabus. The final paper should cover material we have read after you wrote your first paper.

Each prospectus will consist of three parts:

• A pattern of textual evidence that you want to examine. This pattern should be specific and concrete: images of clocks, for instance, or rhetorical questions, or scenes where clothing gets torn. Use two or three specific examples to illustrate the pattern.
• A concept to which you want to link that pattern of evidence, such as a motif of time, a link between painting and dance, or the opposition between spoken and written words.
• A hook, or way of talking about the connection between your pattern and concept that most readers would not easily see. You can connect images of clocks to the motif of time, for example, but every reader will understand that connection instantly, so the hook should add something unexpected. On the other hand, if the pattern and concept lack an obvious connection--what do clocks have to do with dancing?--then explaining the connection itself can become your hook.