Final Project: Topic Proposal
What This Is
Time to narrow down. In the brainstorming assignment, you explored a range of directions. Now you're picking one and telling me what it is, what you'd be reading through that lens, and what you think you'll need to research to make it work.
This doesn't need to be polished — it's a plan, not a final product. I'm looking for clear thinking, not perfect writing.
What to Submit
Answer each of the following in a few sentences. You can write this as a short document, a Canvas text entry, or however is easiest — just make sure I can read it.
A Note on Frameworks
Your final project needs to be grounded in a literary theory or critical framework — not just a theme or topic. If you’re not sure which framework fits yet, that’s okay at this stage, but start thinking about it. See the Literary Theory & Frameworks page for help.
- Your topic and lens
What topic are you exploring, and what literary theory or critical framework are you using (or considering) as your lens? Be as specific as you can — “gender” is a starting point, but “applying womanism to how Black women writers use domestic spaces to resist oppression” is a project. If you’re not sure about the framework yet, tell me what you’re considering.
- Which readings you plan to use
List the specific texts from our course that you'll be working with. If you're focusing on one longer work, say which one. If you're pulling from multiple weeks, list them all.
- Why this topic
What drew you to this direction? What makes it interesting to you? This doesn't need to be deep — even "this is the reading that stuck with me most and I want to understand why" is a real answer.
- What you already know and what you'd need to learn
What do you already understand about this topic from class, your own experience, or general knowledge? And where are the gaps — what would you need to research to build the context your site needs?
After You Turn This In
Once your topic is set, you'll start gathering sources in earnest for the Research Check-in. Check out the Finding Sources guide for help with where to look, what counts as a scholarly source, and how to evaluate the non-scholarly sources (videos, websites, images) you'll want to use on your site.
If you're thinking about using a literary theory framework, see the Literary Theory & Frameworks page for course readings and external resources to help you choose and apply a lens.