In Fantomina, as curiosity transitions from a psychological process to a mental state the characteristic becomes indivisible from the character results in a loss of agency.
Introduction: open with description of “genius” as exemplar of this transition in modern day usage.
One: explain criteria for curiosity as a psychological process and evidence of this criteria met in text.
Two: explain criteria for curiosity as a mental state and evidence of this criteria met in text.
Three: outline the young lady’s expression of curiosity. Show in text evidence that in her curiosity transitions in it’s expression, from psychological process to mental state, specifically how divisible the characteristic is from the charter. Show how this process can be imposed externally.
Four: outline Beauplasir’s expression of curiosity and provide examples of it’s stagnant dynamic.
Four: contrast Beauplasir’s loss of agency in the end, or lack thereof, against the young lady’s loss of agency, against the young lady’s agency in the beginning.
Conclusion: reiterate the idea that when a characteristic transitions from a psychological process to a mental state, the character becomes indivisible from the characteristic and experiences a loss of agency.
Looking forward! We'll talk about this in class today, but this is a great idea—albeit one worthy of a final research paper, not a five pager. :) I think each of your current "paragraphs" could be its own five-page paper (and would need that space to add nuance, literary quotes, and richness.) Perhaps be thinking of what aspects of this you would like to focus in on most, and what rigorous mini-argument could get you *closest* to the broader ideas you're interested in exploring. I think you might be able to tackle the (fascinating) state-->process idea mentioned in your conclusion by tracing it through curiosity—and weaving it carefully into a more specific thesis about how Haywood portrays this in Fantomina. (or it could be a gesture in the conclusion), but I do think the genius --> creativity is probably too big... a move that would likely take pages.
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