Writing Prompt

The purpose of this research paper is to gain a deeper understanding of Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. You will do this by referring to outside sources, learning to incorporate you voice/analysis with those of experts and employing MLA guidelines for citation and documentation. Keep in mind that you are writing an argumentative, not an informative, research paper. That is to say, just like your other essays, this research paper requires a thesis statement that you will be proving. As always, you should consider an overall message of the novel.

Sources
Exit West is the primary source for this essay, which means that all analysis must be connected to the story. You must use the novel in a significant way (therefore, it will be in the thesis/topic sentences).

You must also use three to four secondary sources, each coming from:

- a book, published journal, or newspaper,

- another (non-assigned) short story, novel, or poem

- an article from the Rutgers library’s database, and

- a reputable internet site

(You may double up on only one of these types of sources.)

Topics
Your first step is to decide upon a topic. Exit West is full of possible research topics. The key is to choose a topic that is relevant to the novel and that interests you. It may be a good idea to explore the paper through the lens of your own (intended) major. You can write a history paper, psychology paper, or literary paper. The purpose of your essay is to further analyze a significant theme within the novel. (Remember that a “theme” is a complete sentence/ a message of the text, not a vague single word or idea.) You should consider the ways a certain character, structure, or symbol enhances your chosen theme in order to make your paper more persuasive and original. Before picking a theme, be sure to conduct some preliminary research to make certain that there actually is information on your topic. You don’t want to get too far into your project before figuring out that you can’t find research on your topic. Additionally, you need to make sure you have something to argue about this particular theme; therefore, you don’t want to pick an overly obvious one.

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While it’s acceptable to refer to criticism on Hamid, on his writing in general, or on this specific novel, you shouldn’t limit yourself to biographical or literary criticism. You can also refer to other works that treat a similar theme but consider how this would be the most effective in your essay. Remember to maintain contact with the assignment (stay with your thesis throughout your essay); you aren’t being asked to compare two works.

The following links provide more information regarding annotated bibliographies and information regarding MLA formatting:

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/annotated_bibliographies/index.html https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_general_format.html (Links to an external site.)