RSSS 315: Werewolves and Vampires: Slavic Folklore in Our Culture
Paper II Guidelines – Spring 2023
Due date: upload to D2L Dropbox no later than 11:59PM on (UPDATED!) Wednesday, February 15.
The purpose of this paper is to analyze, synthesize, and discuss the perspectives, viewpoints, and ideas discussed
during Module 3. In this way, we will engage in historical / cultural analysis, make cross-cultural comparisons
and connections, and further develop your writing skills.
Analysis Paper II: Topics (Choose ONE; be sure to identify which topic you chose in the upper left-hand
corner of your paper)
Topic 1: Using Jan Perkowski’s 10-Point Analysis, discuss the image of Dracula as presented in the Russian
text, “The Story of Dracula.” What would you argue is his social or psychological role? How and why does the
text justify Dracula’s cruelties? Be sure to use evidence from the text to support your opinion.
NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED TO INCLUDE ALL PERKOWSKI’S POINTS, JUST FOCUS ON
POINT #10 – the social or psychological role of the vampire
Topic 2: Using Jan Perkowski’s 10-Point Analysis, discuss Paul Barber’s account “Peter Plogojowitz.” What
would you argue is Plogojowitz’s social or psychological role? Be sure to use evidence from the text to support
your opinion.
NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED TO INCLUDE ALL PERKOWSKI’S POINTS, JUST FOCUS ON
POINT #10 – the social or psychological role of the vampire
Topic 3: Compare the image of vampirism in “The Lastovo Testimonies” and “Peter Plogojowitz.” In what ways
are the supposed vampires in these historical cases similar and in what ways do they differ? What argument can
you make about the social or psychological role(s) of the vampire in these two cases? Be sure to use evidence
from the text to support your opinion.
Paper Guidelines
The minimum word-count for this assignment is 300-words; the maximum word-count is 500 words.
Ideally, you will structure your paper as follows.
1. An introductory paragraph, which contains a clear thesis statement outlining your argument.
2. A body paragraph, which makes connections between the topic and the course material
3. A brief summation and a final statement that represents the key take-away / idea from your paper.
You may deviate from this structure, but the majority of the paper should draw connections between the course
materials. You do not have a lot of space, so be sure to get straight to the point and not worry about making a
lengthy introduction or conclusion.
You may ONLY use the readings from Module 3 in your essay.
You should NOT summarize the texts or worry about re-telling ideas or a plot (if discussing a narrative);
assume the reader is familiar with the texts referenced. No more than 50 words may be devoted to plot
synopsis. You need to react and respond to the materials, making connections which will lead to analysis. Any
personal opinions included in the essay should be based on thoughtful analysis of the topic and materials
themselves.
No late papers will be accepted for full credit.
Criteria for Formatting & Submission
Your analysis should:
Be typed, double-spaced, with no changes to the margins
Be in Calibri 11 or Times New Roman 12 font
Be spell- and grammar-checked
Adhere to academic register (use formal language, refrain from clichés, spell out contractions, etc.)
Include your name, but do not put your student ID number on the paper.
Include the following information in the upper-left of your paper:
Name
Date
Course
Paper Topic #
Include a title that connects in a meaningful way with your essay
Remember that titles of shorter works should be put in quotation marks (“Baba Yaga,” “Maria Morevna,”
etc.)
Be at least 300 words long. There is an automatic -25 penalty for not meeting the word count.
Include a word count at the end of the paper. There is an automatic -5 (out of 100) penalty for not
including a word count.
You do not need to include additional outside references beyond the course materials in your essay; if you
do include them, you should cite them in MLA or APA format (your choice, just be consistent) in a
bibliography, which does not count towards the word requirement.
If you quote from a text, you should include the page number (if there is one) in the reference. For
example:
In the folktale “Baba Yaga” the dogs want to eat the young girl, but she “threw them some bread and
they let her pass” (364).
Quotes should be kept to a minimum so you can focus on analyzing and connecting ideas.
You DO NOT NEED to include a Works Cited page unless you quote works from outside the course
readings.
Papers should be uploaded in .doc, .docx, or .pdf formats
Papers submitted as faulty / error files like as .odt or .pages papers will NOT be accepted for credit.
Your paper should be uploaded to the D2L dropbox “Paper II” by the due date
Grading
All papers will be reviewed using Turnitin.com (via D2L) and assessed according to the rubric below.
Violations of UA Code of Academic Conduct
All papers are checked via Turnitin.com for plagiarism. A reminder that students are expected to adhere to the
UA Code of Academic Integrity as described in the UA General Catalog.
See http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/academic-integrity/students/academic-integrity.
Submission of plagiarized work will result in an automatic zero on the assignment. If you are suspected of
plagiarism, you will be asked to meet with course instructor, per UA guidelines. Your instructor will follow
UA guidelines as outlined: https://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/student-rights-responsibilities/reporting-violation
This assignment is worth 10% of the overall course grade. Review the rubric below for things your
instructors will be looking for while grading the paper.
RSSS 315: Response Paper Rubric
Content (40 pts) Fully
10 points
Mostly
8 points
Somewhat
5 points
Not at all
0 points
Fulfills formatting & submission requirements,
including word count (automatic -5 if no wordcount
included)
The paper contains clear thesis; supports general
statements with concrete details from the text in order
to support the thesis of the paper
The paper provides sufficient evidence from the text to
support the thesis of the paper
The paper discusses main points without repetition or
plot-summary
Structure (30 pts) Fully
3 points
Mostly
2 points
Somewhat
1 point
Not at all
0 points
The introduction is present
The introduction contains a clearly stated thesis
The introduction indicates in some manner how the
paper is organized
The paper is logically organized; thought follows
naturally on thought
Each paragraph includes a topic sentence
Each paragraph develops one main idea
Each paragraph transitions well to the next paragraph
The conclusion is present
The conclusion synthesizes the thesis statement and the
essay’s main points
The conclusion presents a final take-away from the
essay of the writer’s position
Stylistics (30 pts) Fully
3 points
Mostly
2 points
Somewhat
1 point
Not at all
0 points
The paper is clear and concise and avoids using vague
pronouns or phrases like “this is…” or “it shows…”
The paper avoids excessive wordiness, run-on
sentences, and inappropriate language
The paper keeps a scholarly distance (limits usage of
“I” statements and first-person)
The paper avoids relying on passive voice (“is”, “was”,
etc.) as much as possible
The paper varies sentence structure, phrasing, and word
choice
The paper is free of spelling errors, grammatical
mistakes, and uses correct punctuation
The paper is free of incomplete sentences
The paper is free of slang, clichés, and contractions
(“don’t”, “couldn’t”, etc.)
The paper introduces any quotes from texts in a clear
manner
Proper citation of source texts (puts stories and tales in
quotation marks, films and novels in italics)
Overall Score Excellent Good Fair Poor Below 60
90-100
points
80-89
points
70-79
points
60-69
points
0-59 points
