Q GRADED: Complete/Incomplete. In order to receive a "complete," you need to turn in either or both the problem statement process, or the "brainstorming problem" process. Either is fine, but do work through the whole thinking process whichever one you choose! FORM: Upload as a Word doc/docx, please. Use the problem statement template Download problem statement template[also reproduced below] to generate your comparative Literary Analysis Paper Topic and problem statement. The handout provides you with two ways to work through generating problem statements. The first one is a method that works for almost any academic paper you will write. (And you will end up with a spiffy introduction!). It follows this order (which you will likely work through in an iterative process; that is, you will write some, keep going, go back, write some more, etc., until you're satisfied with your paragraph). Stable Context Describe unchanging facts about the topic/problem. For many years, people have debated about ______________________. Or: _____________________________________________________ has been controversial because _____________________________________________________________. Or: ______________________ has dominated discussions of _________________________. Status Quo State common but incorrect or incomplete assumptions. Many people think ________________________________________________________. Or: At first glance, it may seem like ______________________________________________. Destabilizing Condition Describe something that reveals the status quo assumptions to be incomplete or inaccurate. This initial perception fails to take into account __________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________. Or: This theory can't explain ___________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________. Or: People have failed to notice, however, _________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________. Cost Show readers why they should care. What bad things will happen if people continue to believe the status quo? What good things will happen once they stop believing it? If we continue to believe _______________, we'll never understand the larger question of ______________________________________________________________________. Or: Unless we change _____________________, we will continue to have trouble with ______________________________________________________________________. Or: Once we understand ___________________, we'll begin to see the answer to the problem ______________________________________________________________________. Or: By rethinking our approach to ___________________, we can fix ________________. Resolution Provide a better theory/explanation to replace the status quo. State your claim. Your resolution to the problem you've constructed is your claim or thesis statement! _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________. Brainstorming Problem Statements (Claim first) If the template isn't working for you, try starting with these questions. Take your answers to these questions and try turning those answers into a form that will match the problem statement template. You'll just be working backward. Note that, ultimately, you want to state your claim [resolution] as the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Resolution State your claim. Name something interesting that you've learned about the topic from reading/discussion/research. Consequences Why do you think the claim is interesting or important? What bigger questions has it helped you answer? What problems has it helped you to understand or solve? Destabilizing Moment What specific fact/concept/reading/etc. helped you to discover the claim? Status Quo Before you discovered the claim, what incorrect or incomplete opinion did you hold about the topic?