ASSIGNMENT

Submit for instructor evaluation no later than Monday, February 25, 2002 a FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY on a topic selected from the list below; the essay must meet the established criteria listed as part of the assignment without exception to be deemed acceptable by the instructor

TOPIC

THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION AND/OR PHILOSOPHY ON AN ELEMENT OF TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ART OR CULTURE AS INTRODUCED IN NELLY DELAY'S THE ART AND CULTURE OF JAPAN.

SUBMITTED ESSAYS MUST CONTAIN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS USING THE APPROPRIATE FORMAT:

• a COVERSHEET
• a minimum of FIVE PARAGRAPHS, including -
  • an INTRODUCTION incorporating a THESIS STATEMENT (use bold typeface)
  • a series of individual PARAGRAPHS constituting the BODY of the essay, each containing a TOPIC SENTENCE (underlined)
  • a CONCLUSION restating the THESIS STATEMENT and the major support for it found in the BODY of the essay
• ANNOTATION crediting the sources of the ideas and quotations included in the essay (as FOOTNOTES, ENDNOTES or IN -TEXT NOTES)
• a properly prepared BIBLIOGRAPHY of sources cited in the annotation, including at least one example each of a BOOK, an ARTICLE from a periodical or journal and an INTERNET WEB SITE; include as well a bibliographic reference to the STYLE MANUAL used to provide guidance in the ppreparation of your essay.

ESSAYS WHICH FAIL TO MEET THE ESTABLISHED CRITERIA WILL BE RETURNED FOR REVISION(S) UNTIL ALL HAVE BEEN SATISFIED.

STUDENTS MUST MEET ALL THE ESTABLISHED WRITING SKILL REQUIREMENTS TO CONTINUE IN THE COURSE; FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN STUDENT'S BEING DROPPED FROM THE COURSE AT THE INSTRUCTOR'S DISCRETION

RESOURCES

An appropriate place to begin this project is with the assigned reading itself; Nelly Delay's The Art and Culture of Japan is a colorfully illustrated, brief overview of beasic elements of traditional Japanese art and culture set within an historical context.

As you read through the book, look for topics that interest you and which you sense have been influenced in some obvious way by religion (Buddhism and/or Shinto) and/or Neo-Confucian philosophy. Consider, for example, an examination of the influence of Zen on interior architectural design, the impact of Shinto on poetic imagery, the role of Buddhist iconography in art. Seek out possible interactions between Zen and the martial arts or the principles behind flower arranging or the traditional tea ceremony; Buddhism and the traditional role of women; Neo-Confucianism and attitudes towards education.

While we will examine these three religious and philosophical influences in class, you will want to expand your knowledge on your own by looking for specific readings that will support the particular approach and subject matter you have chosen to examine in detail.

You might find supporting web resources on the web site Teaching (and Learning) about Japan, the instructor's award-winning annotated guide to Internet materials touching on Japanese culture and civilization.

Please contact the instructor at any point along the way for further suggestions and helpful hints. Be aware as well that this assignment is meant to document for the instructor your abilities to develop and support a thesis statement and to write and appropriately annotate a scholarly paper, not to demonstrate your research skills or your willingness to conduct an exhaustive investigation of your chosen subject. Find the materials you need to meet minimum source requirements, then spend time working out the effective presentation of your findings in an appropriate format.

EXAMPLE ESSAY