answered: The goal of the paper is to draw on research to give context

  

The goal of the paper is to draw on research to give context to the book, and then use that to make an argument about the book. You will also need to narrow your focus. I highly recommend making your focus the idea of pilgrimage. That would allow you to draw on her different travels. But again, you would not just be explaining what pilgrimage is and where it shows up in her book, but instead, how a historical understanding of international pilgrimage helps us better understand the book.
So don’t be afraid to leave out things that you know. Rather than giving all the information you know about this subject, only share what’s relevant for the thesis that you argue. In other words, only give us information about the international connection if you’re going to use it to inform your understanding of the literary text (The Book of Margery Kempe), and only give readings of the literary text that are directly related to the historical dimension.
First, you will need to find an argumentative through-line or question to follow. How do you now see The Book of Margery Kempe differently, and how is that backed up by your international knowledge? Start with a question you want to answer—when you answer it, that will be your thesis or argumentative through-line.) At the same time, remember that you’ll probably have to do additional research to answer your question once you really start to dig into it. Try to ground your ideas in the history—I think of it like history almost spilling over into idea. (Even these international presentations are still historical.)
How did connections to or knowledge of things abroad (including inaccurate knowledge) help to shape the composition of the text? Why is the author interested in this international perspective on the subject? Does something emerge from this convergence that differs both from the international influence and the prevailing domestic ideas and aesthetics? How does the author use this international connection to address the anxieties and hopes of the book’s audience? Those are some broad questions with which your argument will probably intersect. Your paper will inevitably be partly about what is revealed about the literary text and the cultures that engage with it when these two specific forces converge.
As you work on your paper (due Tuesday, October 20), please make sure to take into account everything the syllabus says about this assignment. And let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to reading your paper!