1) The first idea, and probably the most relevant to my research is the idea of dogs and manners, that is produced in the History of Pompey the Little, as Pompey develops a sort of manner in his movement through "high society" in London. This will venture between manners and mannerisms that differ the views of dogs between the lap-dog and the working dog.
2) Another idea that may venture into my essay is the Werewolf, or the Wolfman. This is an interesting concept, as it gains its identity as an inbetween of humans and wolf. The wolf has a wild sense, but has a community/pack sense, where-as the human is meant to be civil, but is identified individually. This relation shows the fear in entrance into the wild, but a way out of an individualistic world
3) Experimentation and the Animal in The Mouse's Petition and Frankenstein.
4) Cannibalism and the fear of becoming an animal.
5) The Dog and "Loyalty." How did the dog become considered "man's best friend"?
What I need to look at is how these topics relate to each other to create a more concrete argument with evidence. 1,2,4 and 5 can be interrelated as the dog is revered in each of the case because of a sense of loyalty. I think loyalty and manners can be interrelated, as loyalty is a condition of a "gentle-dog's manners."
Questions that come from the topics:
What is the terminology surrounding manners and genteelness in the 18th Century?
Was there a scientific explanation surrounding tame or civil versus wild?
The science angle may be an interesting one to look into.
I believe that although you admit to procrastination (like all of us!) your research paper is moving in a very interesting direction. I think that the concept of loyalty in relation to dogs is good but your number 4 is looking even better. However, even though cannibalism can be fun topic to write on, I would focus more on the idea of "fear." I say this only because our course texts do not really contain anything cannibalistic. If you choose "fear" you can incorporate your primary source about dogs and disease. I also suggest, no matter how difficult, to finalize a thesis soon so you can start compiling strictly relevant research.
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