ENGL 1302/INT Spring 2026: Research Paper #1 (RP1)

INSTRUCTIONS

This essay is worth 100 points and counts for 30% of the overall grade in this course (see the ENGL 1302 Course Information Guide PDF/Start Here module in Blackboard).

This essay will be a 4-page paper (three pages of text; Works Cited is page four)/800-1000 max, written in the correct MLA format. The final page will be a Works Cited page listing the source material referenced in the paper. (NOTE: The Works Cited page is not a separate document; it is simply the last page of the paper.)

Research Paper #1 will be attached as a Word Document or PDF file through the assignment submission link in Blackboard. When attaching/submitting Research Paper #1, name your file FirstInitialLastName_RP1. If your name is Dean Moriarty, your file name is DMoriarty_RP1. (Remember: Filename has no bearing on final score/grade. It is only a suggestion.)

Papers submitted in any other format or manner will not receive credit. Shared files will not be scored directions are to attach, not share a file. Also, review the late work policy for major assignments. (See the ENGL 1302 Course Information Guide PDF/Start Here module).

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

The Blackboard assignment submission link will open on Thursday, 26 February 2026, at 8am CT. An announcement will be posted in Blackboard; the link will be shown in video. The assignment is due when the submission link opens.

The submission link will close on Wednesday, 04 March 2026, at 11:59pm CT. Remember: Late work is not accepted.

THE PROMPT

This essay covers both short stories Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Katherine Anne Porter’s “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” (URL links still available in the Week 3 and Week 4 modules. If necessary, review Videos #6, #7, #8, and #9 for discussion of stories and formatting concerns).

Both Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Katherine Anne Porter’s “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” explore the difficult lives women faced as the world transitioned from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century (the 1800s to the 1900s).

The question to answer: Whose death is more tragic: Louise Mallard’s, because she would never get to experience her freedom, or Granny Weatherall’s, who survived single-handedly through very difficult times?

Write an essay in which you argue your position. Provide specific examples from both stories to support your argument.

NOTE: The test for this assignment has two parts: One, take a position and provide evidence from the stories and ONLY the stories to support your thesis/claim. Two, practice correct use of source material (introducing sources, giving proper credit, using in-text citations, and the Works Cited page).

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

1. Yes, a research paper can consist of two primary sources only. There is no need for additional source material to complete the assignment.
2. Believe in your ability to complete the assignment. You have done a comparison/contrast style assignment on the ENGL 1301-level. The same principles apply here.
3. The paper will be evaluated on how well you use the sources and how well you explain your interpretation. Please do not try to sell how great the work is. Basic grammar rules still apply. Errors in sentence construction, misuse of punctuation, mechanical errors, et cetera will lower score evaluation.
4. Be specific in your use of examples from the stories. Set up quoted materials; make sure you cite material correctly to avoid plagiarism.
5. The first time an authors name is mentioned use first and last name. After that, refer to them by last name only.
6. The story titles are always in Quotation Marks, no matter where it appears.
7. The Works Cited page will have two entries listed in alphabetical order by authors last name, not by order of use in the paper. See the Supplemental Notes: RP1 Stories Comparison Chart PDF file in the Week 4 module for the sample Works Cited page.
8. NO ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE SOURCE MATERIAL REQUIRED OR NEEDED FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT. ANY STRAY OUTSIDE SOURCE WILL RESULT IN AUTOMATIC NO-CREDIT FOR THE ASSIGNMENT. YOU HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY MATERIAL NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT.
9. NOTE: The built-in plagiarism feature in Blackboard Safe Assign will check for copied language. Given the nature of the assignment, the maximum acceptable percentage is 30%. An AI/ChatGPT checker will also be used to check for copied language.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER:

This is an involved argument/comparative analysis paper (just a fancy way of saying a comparison/contrast paper). Keep the following in mind:

• The Introductory Paragraph Start with general statements about the subject matter. Then, narrow down to addressing the prompt. Introduce the authors and the stories. Summarize each story in no more than two (2) complete sentences. Since you are dealing with two stories, you may find it easier to introduce and summarize the stories in a separate paragraph. State your thesis/claim.
• The Body Paragraphs Work each story individually. Use specific examples from each story to support your thesis/claim. Make logical transitions as you move from story to story.
• The Conclusion Logically end your paper and reinforce your thesis/claim.
• The Works Cited page List all source material in alphabetical order by authors last name.