Annt. Bib Handout

CO 122: Analytic and Persuasive Writing
Annotated Bibliography Requirement
Professor Kathleen Robinson
Spring 2008


For our readings from Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, we will complete an amended annotated bibliography in M.L.A. style. These annotations need to be brought to each class. You will need to keep each of these annotations throughout the semester. There will be two official “grading” checks of your Annotated Bibliography during the semester. (one at mid-term and the last during the final week of class). However, I may ask to look at your Bibliography at any point during the semester.

The format for the document will be as follows:

First, you will create a MLA citation record for the source. Most of this information will be contained in your course packet; however if necessary, you will need to follow standard MLA guidelines to create an acceptable citation record.

Second, you will create a short summary of the work. This section should:
1. Identify the main points of the passage. In some paragraphs, the main idea is expressed in the topic sentence, yet in others, it may not be explicitly stated at all. Additionally, a passage may contain one or more points that are vital to its meaning. These elements must be mentioned in your summary. However, you will not include all the details, as you do in a paraphrase. Instead, only choose the most important.
2. Organize and present these main points in a coherent way. Be careful not to use the author's words or to follow the sentence structure of the original passage.
3. Make sure that you are faithful to the meaning of the source and that you have accurately represented the main ideas.
4. Cite appropriately and integrate the summary into the text effectively.
The summary section should be around two standard paragraphs in length (average academic paragraph is 8-12 sentences). Please follow the standard MLA convention of using the present voice/tense in your summaries.
Third, you will create a short reaction to the work. This section should:
1. Interrogate the main points of the passage. Examine the piece with a critical eye.
2. Organize your reaction in a logical formation. This is not a rant; instead, you need to look at this section as an opportunity to present your ideas about the piece in an academic tone.
3. Cite appropriately.
The reaction section should be around one standard paragraph in length. Please follow the standard MLA convention of using the present voice/tense in your summaries.
Fourth, you will create three to four questions that the text “brought” to your attention. These questions will be used to have discussions in our inquiry sessions during class. The questions need to be informed and open in nature.
Fifth, you will need to list three words and their page numbers from the reading. You will need to provide the Oxford English Dictionary definition of the word. You will then need to create one sample sentence using the word.
Here is a sample entry.
Campbell, Joseph. “Prologue: The Monomyth.” The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Cleveland, OH: Meridian Books, 1956. 3-46.
Summary
In Campbell’s text, many ideas appear that attempt to explain the prevalence of common elements in disparate cultures. By utilizing a variety of examples, Campbell attempts to explain why the “myths of man have flourished” (3). In this section, Campbell describes the importance of dreams and symbols in regards to myth and humanity. In addition, he also introduces Jungian ideas of the archetype to explain the seemingly unexplainable appearance in disparate cultures of similar ideas and figures. Campbell then continues into an inchoate exploration of “hero,” and he introduces the notion that all individuals follow a similar path in their lives as the monomythic hero.
In the second section of the prologue, Campbell prefaces his notion of the hero’s journey. He views the journey as having three steps: separation, initiation, and return. By using examples from history, literature, and religion, Campbell attempts to establish his thesis. His text focuses on accumulating knowledge of self through the investigation of the monomythic. By using examples to explain his theories and thesis, Campbell attempts to encourage understanding of the mono-myth
Reaction
Campbell’s text is very engaging, and his use of examples to express his idea of the monomyth aids in the establishment of his principles. Overall, the myths of man flourish because of the need of humanity to have a signpost to gauge their progress. As such, Campbell’s use of Jungian ideas is apropos in that it takes the collective experience and inserts that experience into the individual psyche. In like fashion, Campbell’s notion of the “hero’s journey” is witnessed in his examples, and it can also be evidenced in modern culture.
Questions
1. Do we still need myths? Why?
2. What is a myth? Does it mean that it is just fiction or can it be true?
3. Are we all heroes? What is a hero in our culture?
Terms
Efficacy-(4)- Power or capacity to produce effects; power to effect the object intended. (Not used as an attribute of personal agents
Many people dismiss the efficacy of humor in motivating people into action.
Zenith-(12)- Highest point or state, culmination, climax, acme.
Graduating with a PhD. will be the zenith of one’s academic career.
Cosomgonic-(38)- The science which describes and maps the general features of the universe (both the heavens and the earth), without encroaching on the special provinces of astronomy or geography.
The cosomgonic study of our planet’s place in the universe has provided many rich areas for continued research.