Your BRAIN on Transcendentalism Research Paper

Overview: You will research an author/philosopher who practices Transcendentalist beliefs. In a research essay,
you will analyze how your author/philosopher is similar to Chris McCandless in Into the Wild. Throughout the
research process, you will learn how to find accurate sources of information, synthesize facts, organize your
research, and properly cite sources.

Research Note Cards: You will track your research information on note cards. On one side of the note card,
record the topic, your quotation, and the author/title of the source. On the other side of the note card, analyze your
quotation. Explain how it connects your author with Chris McCandless, Transcendentalist philosophies, etc. On a
separate sheet of paper record the MLA style citation for your research source. Number your sources, and then
write the corresponding numbers on your note cards to show which source your quotation comes from. At the
conclusion of your research, you will turn in 21 quotations, 14 with analysis, from 7 sources. This breaks down
to 3 quotes per source and 2 analyses per source.

The Research Essay

Helpful Hints to Create Effective Paragraphs:

1. Use transitions to introduce your paragraphs
2. Each paragraph needs a topic sentence
3. Introduce your quotes – don’t just SLAP them down in the middle of a paragraph. EXP: In chapter three,
the novel describes Gatsby as, “INSERT QUOTE” (Fitzgerald 30).
4. Cite your quotes: EXP (Fitzgerald 8)
5. Compose a concluding sentence that sums up the information in the paragraph.

Part One: Introduction

Start with an attention getter (analogy, anecdote, statistic, related quote, striking fact, vivid description, NO
QUESTION). This paragraph must be at least five sentences in length, and should explain the focus of your paper
= comparing your author with Chris McCandless. You may want to reference Into the Wild and explain who Chris
McCandless is. You may want to explain how your author is connected with McCandless via Into the Wild. Finally,
you need to reference the two Transcendentalist Principles shared by McCandless and your author that you will
analyze in your paper.

Part Two: Biography

Provide a biographical overview of your author. Identify the Transcendentalist Principles (nonconformity, self-
reliance, individualism, free though, importance of connecting to nature, living deliberately, simplify life, etc.) that
your author lives by. Explain/hypothesize what events in your author’s life caused him/her to have these beliefs. In
addition, your biography should include all other key events in you author’s life, especially events that you could link
to McCandless later in your essay. In order to provide enough detail about your author, this section should be at
least ten sentences. You should incorporate at least three research quotations into the biography section of your
essay.

Part Three: Comparison of McCandless and your author

Compare your author with Chris McCandless. Similarities that could address include: childhood, family life, travel,
ambition, death, relationships with others (family, friends, lack of significant other, etc.), events in life, etc. You
should make at least three well-developed connections. You should incorporate at least three research
quotations into the comparison section of your essay.
Part Four: Philosophy #1 (Transcendentalist Principle)
Identify one Transcendentalist Principle (see list below) that your author and Chris McCandless share.
Transcendentalist Principles:
Nonconformity
Self-Reliance
Individualism
Free Thought
Importance of Connecting to Nature
Living Deliberately
Simplify Life

Provide proof via quotations from Into the Wild and your research on your author. This paragraph should contain at
least three pieces of evidence (quotations):
One quotation must be from Into the Wild about Chris McCandless.
One must be from your research about your author.
The third is your choice (either McCandless or your author).

Thoroughly analyze how your quotations prove that McCandless and your author share the same philosophical
viewpoint.

Part Five: Philosophy #2 (Transcendentalist Principle)

Identify one Transcendentalist Principle (see list below) that your author and Chris McCandless share.
Transcendentalist Principles:
Nonconformity
Self-Reliance
Individualism
Free Thought
Importance of Connecting to Nature
Living Deliberately
Simplify Life

Provide proof via quotations from Into the Wild and your research on your author. This paragraph should contain at
least three pieces of evidence (quotations):
One quotation must be from Into the Wild about Chris McCandless.
One must be from your research about your author.
The third is your choice (either McCandless or your author).

Thoroughly analyze how your quotations prove that McCandless and your author share the same philosophical
viewpoint.

Part Six: Conclusion

The conclusion should be at least 5 sentences in length, and should review the similarities between your author
and McCandless including the two philosophical viewpoints. The conclusion should also address the “so what?”
st
questions (You may use 1 person on this section): How has reading Into the Wild, researching your author, and
learning about Transcendentalism impacted your own philosophy of life? What can we learn from McCandless,
your author, and the Transcendentalists? How can we apply these lessons to our lives today? What, in your
opinion, makes a “good life”?

Part Seven: Works Cited

You should utilize at least 5 different sources in your research paper (not including Into the Wild, which makes 6
sources total). These sources should be included in your works cited and properly formatted in MLA style.
Writing Check List:
A. Include ALL ROUGH DRAFTS when turning in your final copy
B. Final copy must be typed; rough drafts can be hand written or typed
C. Create a TITLE PAGE – Title of paper, your name, Advanced Junior English, Mrs. Linnemeyer, date
D. Give the paper an original title
E. Paper must be in Times New Roman 12pt font, double-spaced, with 1” margins
F. Each paragraph must be at least five sentences – this includes introductory and conclusion paragraphs
G. NO “So” “things” “stuff”
H. NO text messaging lingo – write out all words
I. Use a formal tone
J. NO first person (I/ME/MY/MINE/MYSELFT/US/WE/OUR) – EXCEPT IN CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH
K. NO second person (YOU/YOUR/YOURSELF/ONE/ONESELF)
L. Book titles should be underlined OR italicized – not both. Poem titles should be in quotes
M. Properly cite each quote. EXP: (Orwell 60)
N. Include a WORKS CITED