Repeatable
You may complete two or more projects of this type, so long as they are all submitted on different collection days..
Deadlines
Creative Interpretations may be submitted during any collection day except the last "Project Collection" day, April 26.
Assignment
Creative interpretations provide you with the opportunity to try something other than a standard paper. Though they sometimes appear “non-academic,” doing a good job on a creative interpretation will take just as much thought and effort as writing a paper.
Length
Creative interpretations vary in length, depending on the type of project. The guideline is that they should match the work that would go into writing a good paper. Please ask me for ideas about the length of the various types of creative interpretations.
Explanation
All creative interpretations consist of the actual interpretation and a written explanation. One way to look at the written explanation is that it is a short, informal paper about your paper. The explanation is your chance to think about your creative interpretation on another level, to illustrate more fully how your interpretation works as an interpretation of the literary work or works in question, and to safeguard your interpretation, in case it is not as obviously successful in communicating your intentions as you might have desired.
Written explanations must be at least two pages long, typed. Written explanations should include adequate specific references to the texts in question to support the claims your interpretation is making. Use quotes! Written explanations may be informal or formal, depending on your tastes, so long as they convey the desired information clearly and accurately.
The main goal of your written explanation is to explain the project as an interpretation of the work or works in question. A secondary goal is to discuss what you have learned by taking this particular approach to completing a paper. Written explanations account for around 25% of the final grade you will receive on a particular paper, so please take them seriously.
Come See Me!
Because creative interpretations may be new to you, I strongly encourage you to come see me about a creative interpretation before you begin work on it. I have had students complete all of the following types of creative interpretation at some point, and I know some tricks for making these projects work. I can also show you examples of many of the creative interpretations.
Ideas for Creative Interpretations
Below you will find descriptions of the types of crative interpretations I've had students complete in the past. If you get an idea from this list, great. If you have something else you'd rather do, even better. Just be sure to get my written approval for anything not on this list.
- News Story: English or Communications majors with an interest in journalism may want to rewrite a story or a poem as a news story. You need to stick to the basic “facts” of the actual work, but you should go beyond just summarizing the plot. Remember, your job is to interpret the work in question. You can interview characters, neighbors, relatives, whatever it takes to make your story work in explaining your view of the work in question.
- Psychoanalysis of a Character: Psychology majors (or just anyone with an interest in psychology) may want to psychoanalyze one of the characters in a story. Imagine that a character is “on the couch” in your office. How do you diagnose this character, based on what appears in the actual text? Remember to provide enough textual evidence to support your claims.
- Imitation: Students may write poetry or prose in the style or styles of one or more of the authors we will deal with in class. It’s usually best to stick with one author or poet, unless you have a really good reason for trying to cover more. The point of this type of interpretation is not to create a work of art; rather, the point is to prove by your version of the writer’s work that you thoroughly understand the writer’s style. The key to a good imitation is if someone can pick it up and tell who the original author is supposed to be, without being told. The exact lengths of imitations will vary, so please talk to me about this before you begin.
- Transformation: A transformation is similar to an imitation, except that in a transformation, you are “re-writing” a particular work after changing a particular element of it. For example, you might re-write a story set in a different time period or told from the point of view of a different narrator (possibly the narrator of a different story). Another type of transformation is to re-write a story or poem in the style of another author. Think o f a transformation as an experiment in literature; the fewer “variables” you introduce into your experiment, the more specific you can be about the effects of your changes. As with the imitation, the point of this type of interpretation is not to create a work of art; rather, the point is to prove by your version of the writer’s work that you original enough to understand the implications of the changes you have made to it. The exact lengths of transformations will vary, so please talk to me about this before you begin.
- Dialog: Students write a dialogue between two individuals--characters or authors--connected with the works we have read this semester. You may want to have two characters from different stories carry on a conversation, or you may want to have two authors conversing; imagine what William Faulkner and Zora Neale Hurston would have to say about their stories. It’s up to you; use your imagination. What I’ll be looking for is how well your dialogue reveals your understanding of the individual authors or characters with whom you choose to work. One word of warning: it’s easy to get bogged-down in simply having the characters “chat.” Make sure that the dialogue gets across your understanding and interpretation of the characters/works/authors in question. The exact lengths of dialogues will vary (they are generally on the longish side), so please talk to me about this before you begin.
- Expanded Poem: Students create an annotated, “expanded” version of a poem. The annotations may be linked to words, phrases, or ideas found in the poem and are presented as notes to the poem. Annotations may include factual information about the poet or about the subject of the poem, interpretive comments or observations by the student, or even illustrations.
Academic Projects (You must choose at least one project from this category.)
Academic Seminar Paper (300 points)Oral Projects (You must choose at least one project from this category.)
Standard Academic Paper (200 points)
Biographical Context Essay (100 points)
Annotated Bibliography of Scholarly Sources (100 points)
Annotated Bibliography of Web Sites (100 points)
Historical Presentation (100 points)Examinations
Dramatic Interpretation (100 points)
Class Discussion (100 points)
Midterm Examination (100 points)Interpretive Projects
Final Examination (200 points)
Reading Journal (100 points, repeatable)
Electronic Discussion (100 points, repeatable)
Paper (100 points, repeatable)
Creative Interpretation (100 points, repeatable)
Multiperspective (200 points, may count as academic)
Copyright 2001 by David Kimmel. This page was created using Netscape Composer, Microsoft Paint, and Microsoft Photo Editor. Last updated January 5, 2002.