Final Project Update

 So far I have yet to do much for my final project. I researched for a couple of hours for primary texts that follow the theme, of lovers ending in tragedy, as Antigone did. I mainly found middle eastern and European texts such as Pyramus and Thisbe or Tristan and Isolde for older texts. Now, I plan to look for adaptations of these stories in Asian or African contexts because I have not seen any older-age African or Asian literature that has a story about lovers ending in tragedy. Sometimes the research can be frustrating and I want to switch the topic, but then I just switch the keywords on a search and I get better results. The topic that I originally chose I have stuck for now because of the European and middle eastern texts I have seen, however, if I can not find any adaptations in other contexts, I will have to think more about potentially switching my topic to another topic. If I would have to say something is enjoyable, it would have to be succeeding in finding a source after switching a keyword. Also, another thing I like is that the UI of the library catalog is pretty easy to use. I can easily search for things with keywords and quickly find the type of search I am looking for. Being able to access different databases is extremely helpful in finding sources for my project as well. Overall, the project so far has been going pretty well and hopefully continues to be that way.

Comments

  1. Jalen PaigeNovember 13, 2022 at 7:53 PM

    Hey, Paulos! I have also done very little for my final project. I think I will use your tip about keywords in my own research process, so thank you for that! I do think that your topic could definitely work, but it may require some searching, especially for non-Western texts, but I think that is true for any topic, since we are so Western-centric in our literature right now. Keep searching!

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  2. James MaddenNovember 13, 2022 at 9:07 PM

    Hey, Paulos! Right there with you! I was struggling to choose a topic and now it's hard to find the time to actually research! I can relate to having to change a topic based on the research I find. Sometimes I can't even settle on a topic until I've done a lot of research. Good luck with your searching process for non-Western texts!

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  3. Eloise DanielloNovember 13, 2022 at 11:57 PM

    Hey Paulos! I totally agree with what you said about constantly wanting to switch topics. I keep thinking that my topic is too difficult, however, I feel as if I've chosen an easier topic and may just be searching for the wrong things.

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  4. AnonymousNovember 14, 2022 at 2:47 AM

    Hey Paulos! I have had many instances of feeling like I need to choose a different topic. What I would recommend is, rather than a full on topic change, following the natural path that your research leads you on and adjusting your hypothesis accordingly often leads me to more rewarding topics. However, sometimes I have found that doing so causes me to stray from my source material, so it is certainly a double edged sword.

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  5. Critical Thinkers and WritersNovember 15, 2022 at 9:11 AM

    I will definitely intervene to let you all know if your topic needs to be modified, but what you are experiencing is mostly the challenge of doing research and especially of finding non-Western literary texts. It's a great if sometimes frustrating learning experience and the result will be new knowledge about texts you didn't know about before, which you'll be able to share with the class and the wider public.

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