ENGL 2250: Understanding Literature: Travel Literature Final paper
Spring 2014
We have read a lot of travel writing over the last 15 weeks, from the first one, "How to Explore Like a Real Victorian Adventurer," by Monte Reel (remember the mall?), through "Lovely Girls, Very Cheap," by Decca Aitkenhead, to the novel-length *Travels in Virtuality*, by Sue Thomas. We talked a little about how some of these stories were organized; what kinds of detail they brought in and how they used that detail; how the authors moved between reporting and story-telling; but mainly we talked about what the stories mean to us as individuals and sometimes to us a class. And you've made notes on everything we've read. You should be ready now to come to some tentative conclusions about reading travel literature. This is your opportunity to do so.
In a paper of 750 - 1000 words, single out and discuss one piece of travel writing you found the most interesting, intriguing, challenging, fascinating, worth your time, ... and explain why. Do this by mentioning other works we've read, comparing those others with the one you're singling out, quoting from the work to illustrate your ideas, drawing from our class discussions and discussions you've had with others, and drawing from your notes. No need to do any research on this, no need to argue a huge point, so much as to take the time to present your favorite and demonstrate what about it makes it your favorite. This can be semi-formal, too: No need to try to sound like an academic.
The length of 750 words or so is about the length of a good set of notes you've been writing all semester - a page and a half-single spaced. (This assignment is about half that length.) Stay interested in what you're saying: that's what's important here.
Send it as an email attachment to mmorgan@bemidjistate.edu by 6:00 pm, Thurs 1 May, 2014.
Questions to mmorgan@bemidjistate.edu.
Good luck, and happy trails.
