Thesis Needed for Milton's Paradise Lost

Greetings,

I need to complete an 8-10 page research paper in response to John Milton's Paradise Lost. My original idea was to identify the 7 deadly sins and relate how those sins are present in today's society. I think I'm just grasping at straws trying to find the right topic, since I'm not quite sure how I would develop this topic.

My professor has given no guidance...it's pretty much all up to me.

I would appreciate your response, since I need to complete this asap.

Let me share my strategy with you!

Read articles about it, read analyses of chapters, and reread selections of the book. As you do, I hope you will be in a creative state of mind. we all have different ways of getting into a creative state of mind.

While you bask in the indulgence, the crazy pleasure that is available in literature, you will have ideas come to mind. Capture them like butterflies and smoosh them onto the computer screen.

When you get a novel idea... you know... a unique insight about Milton's meaning... type it in a rhythmic sentence -- satisfying self-expression, like I am doing right now.

Next, support your idea by citing or quoting whatever it is that you were reading when you got the idea.

After that, keep reading and write a separate paragraph for each idea. Most paragraphs should have a citation or quote.

When you have about 10 paragraphs, look them over and see if you see a pattern, a theme that is emerging.

Do not make the mistake of trying to decide the theme of your essay before you start writing. Just blab ideas, cite sources, and let the theme emerge on its own. When the essay is all finished, write the introduction paragraph! :-)

Kevin's advice is very good and I think you should follow it. A couple of things that you might want to think about as you're reading;

Who is the hero of Paradise Lost? Is there one?
How does Milton both conform to and deviate from the standards of an epic?
How does the language of specific characters comment on their individual natures? Does the style of expression change for any specific characters? What does this reflect?

Those were just a few things I found interesting when I read Paradise Lost. I hope you develop something that interests you.

Kevin,

Nice, thoughtful reply. Thank you very much.