Paper Topics | Fall 2026 | Paper 3
Due Saturday, November 7, 2:00 p.m., to your conference leader
Suggested length: 1,500-1,600 words
Choose one of the following topics:
-
How does Sinuhe’s description of himself (including his body) inform your reading of the supposed “half-truths” he tells (B35)? Take a position, and argue for your answer by grounding it in particular words and phrases from the text.
-
Consider, by analyzing at least two examples, the role of inset stories in Herodotus’s Histories or Apuleius’s The Golden Ass. How do these inset narratives interact with the primary narrative or project of the work, whether Herodotus’s historical explanation of the causes of the Greco-Persian Wars or Lucius’s transformations, respectively?
-
In Herodotus’s Histories, we see different groups of people manipulate and change the earth and bodies of water for different ends. Choosing two examples, compare and contrast the project in terms of what is done to earth or water, the intentions, and the outcomes. In doing so, what claims can you make about Herodotus’s views on manipulating the environment?
-
In Book 2.35, Herodotus states that “the Egyptians themselves in their manners and customs (nomoi) seem to have reversed the ordinary practices of mankind,” including with respect to gender roles. To what extent are Egyptian gender norms and roles or other social practices “reversed” from the practices and customs of other cultures? Take a position, and argue for your answer by grounding it in particular words and phrases from the text.
-
Herodotus gives an account of Cambyses’ disastrous campaign against Ethiopia (3.17-3.26). How does this account provide frameworks to interpret Xerxes’ decision to invade Greece and its outcome?
-
The Golden Ass is the story of Lucius’s journey. Choose two moments when Lucius’s mobility is impeded. How can we understand the causes of the disruption to his journey and the conditions in which he resumes his journey? How does attention to different forms of mobility (e.g., spiritual, physical, social) help us read the text?
-
Analyze a spatial or geographic boundary significant in either Apuleius’s The Golden Ass or Herodotus’s Histories. Make an argument about what significance this boundary is given in the work, and how it is given that significance. How does this boundary’s significance relate to the work’s purpose, project, or concerns?
In Hum 110, you may not use generative AI tools. You may not use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or Gemini to brainstorm or generate ideas, to summarize or paraphrase the ideas of others, to compose content, or to revise or substantially correct your work. (Tools that automatically flag spelling or grammatical errors as you write are allowed, but not tools that offer suggested revisions or completions of your sentences.) Violations of this policy will be considered academic dishonesty and reported as academic dishonesty.
In addition to consulting with your conference leader, you can get help with all stages of the writing process from peer tutors at the Writing Center. You can find links to the Writing Center hours on the Drop-in Tutoring Schedule website.