Writing Assignment over Demian by Hermann Hesse essays

Writing Assignment over Demian by Hermann Hesse essays Demian, written by Hermann Hesse and first published in 1919, is, at its heart, a novel of self-discovery and self-actualization. The novel itself, an autobiographical novel that was written by Emil Sinclair, the focus of the story, is meant to show an old man, whose voyage of self-discovery is coming to a close, and his recollections of past events and their ability to shape his current world-view. Central to the novel is this relationship between the current incarnation of ones own personality and the past events which have gradually made such introspective aspects of oneself to emerge and take shape. While at many times asserting clearly and poignantly that the past is something which must be let go by an individual in order to carry on down the path that leads to ones true self, hidden within the novel is the assertion that the past forms us and shapes us and should never be let go of fully, but, instead, should always be kept as an afterimage of what once was. It is only th en that we can begin to find our own road of self-actualization. This does not seem to be done by accident, as, in other cases of other such themes in Demian, Hesse cleverly uses the duality of nature approach. He constantly sees the world as a world dynamically split into two realms, a dark, evil realm and a light, heavenly realm. Ignorance of one realm is, according to Hesse, a flaw in ones own humanity, and must be overcome in order to reach the promised nirvana of self realization. The older, somewhat wiser Sinclair often states that the past is one of the personal obstacles which must be overcome in order to find ones true self. He states that very many are caught in [an] impasse, and forever cling painfully to an irrevocable past, the dream of lost paradise, which is the worst and most ruthless of all dreams (Demian 41). To Sinclair, a dream of what...

Writing a Research Paper Using Color-Coded Index Cards

Writing a Research Paper Using Color-Coded Index Cards A research paper is primarily a discussion or argument based on a thesis, which includes evidence from several collected sources. While it may seem like a monumental project to write a research paper, it is really a straightforward process that you can follow, step by step. Before you get started, make sure you have plenty of note paper, several multi-colored highlighters, and a pack of multi-colored index cards. You should also read over the checklist for research ethics  before you begin, so you dont head down the wrong path! Organizing your Research Paper Youll use the following steps to complete your assignment. 1. Select a topic2. Find sources3. Take notes on colored index cards4. Arrange your notes by topic5. Write an outline6. Write a first draft7. Revise and re-write8. Proofread Library Research Become familiar with the services and layout of the library. There will be a card catalog and computers for database searches, but you dont need to tackle those alone. There will be library personnel on hand to show you how to use these resources. Dont be afraid to ask! Select a Research Paper Topic Once you narrow your choices to a specific subject area, find three specific questions to answer about your topic. A common mistake by students is to choose a final topic that is too general. Try to be specific: What is tornado alley? Are certain states really more likely to suffer from tornadoes? Why? One of your questions will turn into a thesis statement, after you do a little preliminary research to find theories to answer to your questions. Remember, a thesis is a statement, not a question. Find Sources Use the card catalog or computer database in the library to locate books. (See Sources to Avoid.) Find several books that seem to be relevant to your topic. There will also be a periodical guide in the library. Periodicals are publications issued on a regular basis, like magazines, journals, and newspapers. Use a search engine to find a list of articles relating to your topic. Make sure to find articles in periodicals that are located in your library. (See How to Find an Article.) Sit at your work table and scan through your sources. Some titles can be misleading, so you’ll have some sources that don’t pan out. You can do a quick read over the materials to determine which ones contain useful information. Taking Notes As you scan your sources, you will begin to zero in on a thesis. Several sub-topics will also begin to emerge. Using our tornado topic as an example, a sub-topic would be the Fujita Tornado Scale. Start taking notes from your sources, using color coding for the sub-topics. For instance, all information referring to the Fujita Scale would go on orange note cards. You may find it necessary to photocopy articles or encyclopedia entries so you can take them home. If you do this, use the highlighters to mark the useful passages in the relevant colors. Every time you take a note, be sure to write down all bibliographical information to include author, book title, article title, page numbers, volume number, publisher name and dates. Write this information on each and every index card and photocopy. This is absolutely critical! Arrange Your Notes by Topics Once you have taken color-coded notes, you will be able to sort your notes more easily. Sort the cards by colors. Then, arrange by relevance. These will become your paragraphs. You may have several paragraphs for each sub-topic. Outline Your Research Paper Write an outline, according to your sorted cards. You may find that some of the cards fit better with different â€Å"colors† or sub-topics, so simply re-arrange your cards. That’s a normal part of the process. Your paper is taking shape and becoming a logical argument or position statement. Write a First Draft Develop a strong thesis statement and introductory paragraph. Follow through with your sub-topics. You may find that you don’t have enough material, and you may need to supplement your paper with additional research. Your paper may not flow very well on the first try. (This is why we have first drafts!) Read it over and re-arrange paragraphs, add paragraphs, and omit information that doesn’t seem to belong. Keep editing and re-writing until you’re happy. Create a bibliography from your note cards. (See citation makers.) Proofread When you think you are happy with your paper, proof read! Make sure it is free of spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors. Also, check to make sure you’ve included every source in your bibliography. Finally, check the original instructions from your teacher to make sure you are following all assigned preferences, like title page directions and placement of page numbers.