INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL PAPER
Here are the parameters for the final paper: choose a novel, short story, medium-size or long poem, play, work of philosophy/religion, or another substantial piece of work that tackles the question of suffering and evil. It can come from any culture, including Jewish (so theoretically, you could pick another excerpt from the Roskies book). It can be ancient, medieval, or modern.
Explain fully how it presents its case (arguments, characters, imagery). Do you think that this is an effective approach to the problem?
Then, compare what your chosen work does with any of the Jewish approaches we have studied this semester—from the Bible, Rabbinic literature, medieval arguments, mystical systems, or modern responses to catastrophe,
Your paper should be ten pages (or more, if you like). It is due on December 14 at 5:00 P. M. That’s the day before the final exam.
Be sure not to plagiarize! If you’re quoting somebody else’s analysis, put it in quotation marks and cite the reference. If you’re not quoting directly, give the reference anyway, if it’s someone else’s idea!
I hope that you find something to sink your teeth into, and that the paper contributes, not only to your intellect, but to formulating your own views on the subject.