EN3263: Singapore Literature in Context

Philip Holden (email: ellhpj@nus.edu.sg)
Chitra Sankaran (email: ellcs@nus.edu.sg)

[ Introduction and Description | Schedule and Readings | Assessment and Policies | Related Resources ]

Assignment 1

Suggested Length: 1,000 Words

Due Friday, Week 4 (February 2nd) at 5 p.m. We would strongly prefer you to upload a copy of your paper to your tutor's IVLE work bin. If your tutor requests it, you can also hand in a hard copy.

Imagine that you are part of the editorial board producing a (very) short anthology of Singapore Literature. Write a position paper arguing for any one of the following to be included:

A single story from The Straits Chinese Magazine that you did not read in preparation for our lecture [i.e, not "Rodney's Salvation" or "Is Revenge Sweet?"]
A single poem from Wang Gungwu's Pulse which we did not refer to in detail in the lecture [i.e. not "Moon Thoughts" or "Ahmad"].
Another short story by S. Rajaratnam other than the "The Tiger." I have uploaded two potential stories to the e-reserves on IVLE. What's quite interesting is that these stories are set in Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka)--yet I'd be very intrigued about whether, given the status of their writer, we could see them as Singapore Literature?

What Does this Assignment Teach Me?

This assignment attempts to model, on a small scale, some of the skills you will need to apply for the more important research essay (Assignment 2). You'll need to read a text independently, and analyse it. You'll find that there are few secondary sources to support your analysis, and thus you'll need to rely on your own critical judgment, just as you will for your analyses in longer. We will also stress correct presentation of the paper in marking; this is very important when you are producing research essays at this level.

Some Suggestions

One crucial element here will be your ability to devise a clear thesis, a succinct expression of an argument that the paper will make. You'll need to think about what qualities might make a work of literature worthy of inclusion. Is subject matter most important? Or the stylistic qualities of the writing? Or its expression of a distinct identity? Or the lessons that a work of literature can teach us today? Does the work need to be set in Singapore? None of these criteria is necessarily right, but it's important for you to think through for yourself what criteria you most value.

When you have your thesis, you'll need to demonstrate it through in-depth, focused analysis of the text itself.

While there is nothing to stop you searching for secondary material, this isn't a research exercise. We are more interested in your ability to engage with the text

Assessment criteria

1. Ability to apply critically ideas raised in our seminars.

2. Ability to analyse elements of the chosen text carefully and draw conclusions from them.

3. A strong thesis, and a clear argumentative structure.

4. Engagement with the issues raised by relevant secondary readings, either explicitly or implicitly.

5. Smooth and integrated use of well-chosen quotation.

6. Use of proper scholastic conventions: double spaced, title, MLA style with parenthetical citations, presence of a "Works Cited" list even if it only lists the literary work itself. For a detailed account of MLA style see:

NUS Library Website
Diana Hacker's Website. There's a very useful sample paper in Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] format here.

7. Conciseness. Marks may be deducted from essays that are seriously over-length.

Last updated: 14 October, 2007