The first meeting with the instructor.

Last Thursday, I went to see my instructor, Dr. Sharifah Zainab after class to discuss about my research paper. Before I get to see her, I have already done some outlining about my topic chosen so that she can see the progress of my work. I went there with my other friends who are in the same group with me. When I met her, she discussed about what were we supposed to do and asked us to do the first draft. As for myself, I had done something regarding my research paper to show to her. So, I just had showed her what I have done to ensure that I was on the right track. If she agreed with my topic, theme, thesis statement, and supporting details, I will just proceed with that topic. If not, at least I knew that I had to think of another topic. Fortunately, she agreed with my literary texts and the theme chosen.but, she just went through briefly with my outline and she will check the draft in the next meeting. So, what I have to do next is to show her the progress by giving her the full details of my research. This will be taken as the second draft. According to my instructor, the appropriateness of the topic will be determined through my argument and supports of my points. She asked us to divide my research paper into 3 sections. Namely, the writers’ background and how the backgrounds of the writers’ influence their works, the problems and treatment of the issue by comparing and contrasting the two plays, and lastly the implications on the education or teaching.

Supporting details…

Initially, I did not know how to deal with supporting details for my research. So I asked one of my friends on how to come out with. After discussing a little bit with her on that, I tried to come out with few supporting details. Luckily, I have done some research from internet on my topic. I at least had the rough ideas on what the plays are and the issue portrayed. Then, to ensure that I was on the right track, I surfed the internet to download the whole plays because I did not have the text books of both plays right now since I learnt the plays during last few semesters. So, I had brought back home all the books. Then, when writing down all the points, I referred back all the notes that I had done the research on recently to make sure that all the points are correct and reliable.
How does Eliza and Rita view education as the centre of human personality? Firstly, they think that through education, they can improve their social status. Secondly, education can help them to gain respect. Thirdly, education gives them a better life. Next, education can also give them a happy life by living in a new society. Apart from that, they can also gain self-acceptance through education. Through education, they think that they can be somebody. Education also helps them to truly discover themselves as well as developing well academically. Overall, they view education as the centre of human personality because education will give them satisfaction and fulfilment to their lives.

Working on the thesis statement, theme and writers’ background for research paper….

After choosing the two different literary texts, ‘Educating Rita’ by Willy Russell, and ‘Pygmalion’ by Bernard Shaw, I then started working on the thesis statement. I chose to do a research on the issue of education that has been brought up in these plays. Both Rita and Eliza in the plays view education as the centre of human personality. Education for them will change their life for the better. Therefore, I have decided to do a thesis statement, “Rita and Eliza each view the education as the centre of human personality”. For this statement, I will discuss the theme of education and their efforts that they do in order to be educated and change their life.

Apart from that, I also did some research on the writers’ background and related them to their masterpiece, as for why they wrote the plays concerning that theme. I also wanted to see whether the writers’ treatments of the theme are related to their lives. Basically, Willy Russell comes from a working class background and he once worked as a ladies' hairdresses. Meanwhile for George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion reflects Shaw's interest as an activist in the welfare of the poor. Therefore, I may conclude that, their treatment of the theme was more or less influenced by their background of lives.

Appointed supervisor for research paper…

Every student will be guided by an appointed supervisor to carry out this research paper. Students then are required to meet their supervisors to discuss their topic of research. There are 52 of us and there will be 8 lecturers that are appointed to be the supervisors for our research paper. So, there would be about 6 to 7 of us who will share the same supervisor in a group. For myself, my appointed supervisor is Dr. Sharifah Zainab bt Syed Abd. Rahman After getting to know the supervisor for my research paper, I started to do the necessary reading before get to see my supervisor, as required by our lecturer in his written assignment question. This will also give a brief preparation when I go and see my supervisor. Thus, I won’t be too blurred if she asked some questions. Since I have to work on 3000 words-paper, I have to ensure that I really choose the literary texts that I was familiar with, which also will equip me with sufficient points. So, I did some reading on a few literary texts for my preparation before meeting the supervisor. Now that I know who my supervisor is, and which literary texts will I be working on, I now will proceed with the next step which is working on the thesis statement. But, I was still wondering whether, working on the thesis statement for research paper, is it the same with working on the thesis statement in the position paper?

Research Paper

The next assignment that I have to work on is research paper. For this research paper, I was asked to choose an area that I wish to do a small piece of research. The research can be on a writer or any literary texts which share the same issue. Therefore, I need to find a focus or topic for my research paper. This is quite a challenging task for it requires me to find the different literary texts which deal with the same issue. For that, I have to have the knowledge of various literary texts so that I can compare which texts share the same issue. Therefore, I had to crack my head to choose suitable texts that fulfil the term and condition required in the assignment. After considering a few stories that I have learnt during the foundation course and previous degree years, I finally decided to choose the story of Rita in the play ‘Educating Rita’ by Willy Russell, and the story of Eliza’s life in the play ‘Pygmalion’ by Bernard Shaw. Basically, both of these plays deal with the same issue on education, which is viewed from the main characters’ perspective. I have decided to choose these two plays because the issue deal in the story has great implications for education or teaching. This will be discusses in the final section of my research paper later. However, succeed in choosing the stories did not mean that I can begin our research straight away. To proceed with the next stage, I had to ensure that the stories chosen will have a good thesis statement, and have reliable as well as sufficient details. Again, after deciding on the stories, I had to put my thinking caps on to create an excellent thesis statement.

The Fall of Icarus painting...

Where's Icarus?

In the sea, of course. He fell...but nobody notice. Well, everybody in the painting seems to be busy with their chores and ignored what had happened to Icarus.

why? because life goes on...

Nice painting, isn't it?

Quotation for supporting details.

The next stage that I have to go through for my position paper is to find the quotations for my supporting details. I think this task is a bit easier compared to previous tasks because it is all there in the text book. But the most crucial part is when to get the text book. I originally have the book but I have sent it back to my hometown. However, I put some effort to borrow the book from our junior. Unfortunately they do not have it. How come? When I was in the same semester with them, I got the book! Well, maybe they do not asked to study that play…or maybe, I was not lucky enough. =(

So, I decided to change the story from “Antigone” to “Anike”. After all, they are the same story except that the former one is Sophocles version and the latter is Wong Phui Nam’s. The gist of the story is still the same except for the characters. But, due to a few reasons, I then changed it back to “Antigone”. I managed to get the book because I asked my mother to post it me. After having the text book, I then started to identify the suitable quotations and listed them down according to the order of supporting details.

Supporting Details.

After having the acceptable thesis statement, approved by lecturer, I was asked to find 5 supporting details for my position paper. At first, I was very excited to list down all the supporting details because I thought that I know the whole story very well and I still remember all the events happened in the play. Like a streak of lightning, I finished listed down all the 5 points. Then, when I checked it back, I found out that there were some point that were more or less the same. I cracked my head to find another new point that is different but to no avail. I ran out of point! So, without any other choice, I just sticked with the remaining points and just left them to be checked by the lecturer. After that, I compared my supporting details with my other friends. Unfortunately, I found out that the way I wrote my supporting details were a little bit different with my friends. It really made me hesitated to proceed with my existing points. So, I decided to change my 5 points here and there to make it fixed with my thesis statement without much different from others. Then, when I showed my 5 supporting details to lecturer, there were only four points approved. Where can I find the other point? I have asked so many friends to help me out but most of their suggestion, again, got rejected. So that means, I still ran out of point.

Then, I decided to change my thesis statement to another story, which may give me sufficient supporting details. So I asked the lecturer. Unfortunately, my lecturer said that it was a good thesis statement and that, I can find the last supporting detail if I think carefully, which until now, I haven’t found yet. So sad… But, by hook or by crook, I would just proceed with this thesis statement and I will find out my last supporting detail for the sake of my lovely position paper! Oh God…Please Help Me!!!

Thesis Statement

Do you know how difficult it is to make a thesis statement? You probably would not know unless you have experience it yourself. Well, I have experienced it recently and I found that it was really hard. Initially, I thought that by choosing a preferable story and having what you want to discuss about the story is sufficient. But later on, as we discussed it in class with our lecturer, I learnt that it was not an easy task to attempt. Sad to say, my thesis statement got rejected for about more than five times. If I was not mistaken, my thesis statement was accepted after my sixth attempt. And truthfully, I have changed my story for more than once. And now, I am thinking of doing so again because it was so hard to find the supporting details about my thesis statement.

My first attempt of the thesis statement was on the story “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens. I wished to do the position paper on that story because I found that that story is interesting, understandable, and have good moral values. Furthermore, I have just learnt about the story last semester. So the plot, characters and everything that happened in the story were freshly lingering in my mind. However, my thesis statement on that story was rejected. I did change my thesis statement on the same story but still, it got rejected. So, I changed it to another literary text which I found interesting and leave a mark on my life, which is “Antigone” by Sophocles. My next attempt on Antigone-thesis statement also got rejected that required me to come out with the next thesis statement. Again, my attempt failed. The same thing happened until finally, I manage to get it. Thank God, my effort paid at last with the help of my lecturer as well as my friends. Thank you everybody!