These are the instructions for the paper.... 5 pages, MLA FORMAT!!!!, 6 sources for Bibliography.. The Great Gatsby and there are the specific instructions: THE BASICS: You are to write a five to seven-page paper (length does not include the required Works Cited page) on one or two of your novel’s major themes. You should do some background/preliminary research to learn something about the novel and/or the author. CONTENT: You need to read and follow the Lecture: What is and isn’t Theme, in “Course Handouts.” Doing so will greatly assist you with your thesis statement and development of your paper. Remember that theme is more complex than a word-one statement like “love”. The originality, complexity, and thoroughness of your theme will be evaluated grade-wise. . Beyond that, your focus will depend on your interests, the novel you''ve selected, and the available literary criticism. Regardless of what you choose, the paper must have a clear focus and an identifiable thesis. Use the lecture "Literary Thesis Construction" for help as well if you need it ("Course Handouts"). You will find many other lectures and handouts I''ve prepared specifically for the type of assignments we''re doing in "Course Handouts" as well. For ideas and examples of topics and general paper direction, see attachment. You might also want to read through some of the sample student papers I''ve posted ("Course Handouts"). I highly encourage you to take a look at these. They will vie you a great model SOURCES: You must use at least six (no more than eight) sources in your paper (this means you will quote from these sources directly and explain how the examples support your thesis). You may use no more than two general internet sources (.coms). The other six should be scholarly criticism (see lecture below on using CTC''s library to find scholarly literary criticism). I have developed this lectures specifically for this paper; you need to read it. You must actually cite each of your sources in the paper. Make sure you keep the majority of the quotations brief (in a paper this length, use no more than two longer, “blocked” (four typed lines or longer)quotes). No absolute rule exists for how often to quote, but a good rule of thumb might be to use at least two per page and probably no more than four -- your paper should not be quote after quote simply linked with a few words you insert -- the paper should be comprised of your ideas supported by research. Use the lecture "Quoting Effectively" (“Course Handouts”) and your text to help you cite effectively. FORMAT: The research paper will follow MLA format (as will all papers) using in-text citations outlined in the Simon and Schuster Handbook. You will also submit an annotated bibliography prior to the paper (this is graded separately); you will use this bibliography to get started with your research, begin your Works Cited, and think about content. Begin planning your literary research paper now. Do not underestimate the time you''ll need to put in for a paper like this -- remember that you have to read the novel, contribute to your journal, do the research, and write and revise the paper. This is an ongoing project that you will work on while you do other lessons in this course. Your success will absolutely depend on your beginning early and staying organized.