English Literature EPQ Title

I really enjoy studying english literature so I want to do something related for my EPQ.

My initial ideas are:
- The horror genre in literature: How it as changed over time, Frankenstein, influence of folk tales/retellings, gothic literature, perception of reality
- Something to do with translated books
- Classic books
- The format of short stories and why they are effective

My first idea was going to be just an analysis of a whole book, but I don't think that would work as there's not a specific outcome I would be working towards.

Also does primary research include my own analysis of a text?

Thank you!

Reply 1

mousespine

6

Original post by 3250daisy

I really enjoy studying english literature so I want to do something related for my EPQ.

My initial ideas are:
- The horror genre in literature: How it as changed over time, Frankenstein, influence of folk tales/retellings, gothic literature, perception of reality
- Something to do with translated books
- Classic books
- The format of short stories and why they are effective

My first idea was going to be just an analysis of a whole book, but I don't think that would work as there's not a specific outcome I would be working towards.

Also does primary research include my own analysis of a text?

Thank you!

Hey! I assume that is what they mean with “primary research”—the term seems more geared towards STEM EPQs but your own analysis should serve for lit.

As far as a topic goes, most of the ones you’ve suggested here are a good bit too broad imo. 5000 words might seem like a lot but it really isn’t enough to cover, say, ALL horror literature. That could take a whole book and even then might be stretching it.

Instead, taking horror as an example (genre exploration sounds a super cool idea for an EPQ!) you could do something like the history of a specific trope in horror. Narrowing it down will allow you to explore it in much more detail. For example, the trope of the “other” as monstrous in horror lit; fear of the artificial; horror as an exploration of the “true” and obviously nasty and evil human self; the role of superstition in horror, etc etc.

If you pick a more specific point of comparison you’ll also find it offers up way more interesting discussion!

Hope this helps! :biggrin:

Reply 2

newtonnn

4

Original post by 3250daisy

I really enjoy studying english literature so I want to do something related for my EPQ.

My initial ideas are:
- The horror genre in literature: How it as changed over time, Frankenstein, influence of folk tales/retellings, gothic literature, perception of reality
- Something to do with translated books
- Classic books
- The format of short stories and why they are effective

My first idea was going to be just an analysis of a whole book, but I don't think that would work as there's not a specific outcome I would be working towards.

Also does primary research include my own analysis of a text?

Thank you!

Hey,
I agree with Mousespine on the horror genre being farrrrr too broad of a topic. I wrote mine on gender in the Iliad and a couple of classical plays and that was too broad for my 5000 words. If you were interested in doing the horror I would suggest picking a specific sub-genre and how it changed over 1 century (probably 19th or 20th) - don't get me wrong horror is super interesting and like the events that informed them could also form an interesting structure, sort of like how the superhero movie boom we saw in the mid 2000s was a response to the tragedy of 9/11. Media is always influenced by what's going on.

As far as developing a title goes its best to pose it as a question for example in these scenarios:
To what extent did the horror genre shift from (blank) to (blank) in the mid 20th century?
To what extent was the popularity of different horror genres in literature informed by the socio-political climate in the late 20th and early 21st century?

it just allows for it to be interrogated and gives your essay more of a structure because you can keep poking that question.

English Literature EPQ Title

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