Assignment

Just like Paper 1, this assignment asks you to think about how authors use setting, characterization, narrative approach, and/or language to help the reader understand main ideas or themes.  For this paper, since we have introduced film, you may also think about how directors use camera shots and angles, lighting, music, color, and visual effects to convey a story to the viewer.

In addition, the assignment asks you to reflect on the course and what you have learned.

Choose one of the following topics to address in a persuasive essay. **Whichever topic you pursue, I ask that you conclude your essay with a brief (1 paragraph) course reflection. What have you learned? What will you take with you moving forward?**

1.       Compare and contrast one text and film pair we’ve discussed in the last half of the course (“The Swimmer” short story and The Swimmer film adaptation, or Whitehead’s “The Gangsters” and Lee’s Do the Right Thing).

2.       Discuss the use of one or more storytelling devices in either “The Swimmer” (short story), “The Gangsters,”  The Swimmer (film) or Do the Right Thing.

3.       Compare and contrast the definition of summer in three works we’ve discussed.

4.       Discuss one of the films in dialog with a current event (if choosing this topic, you can reference a current event article).

5.       Topic of your choice (please email with me first to discuss)

To build a thesis, you will want to ask and answer the following questions:

• WHAT is the author/ director’s argument?
• HOW (through which narrative elements) is it conveyed?

Thesis Example 1: Spike Lee sets his film on a single block of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in order to convey tensions in a small city space, and the failure of the American dream.

Thesis Example 2: In Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee employs a soundtrack of hip hop and jazz to underscore the importance of African American art.

Thesis Example 3 (Comparison/Contrast): In their respective work, both Chaplin and Shire argue that immigration is perilous. In The Immigrant, Chaplin uses humor to attract the viewer, whereas in the poem “Home,” Shire employs second person narrative.

Intro: Begin with hook (quote, relevant personal anecdote, question or philosophical musing to grab reader’s attention), then introduce and summarize work you will be discussing (author/director, title, year of publication/release). End with thesis statement.

Body: Each body paragraph should have a focus and main idea, and help prove your thesis statement. Give examples. Include textual evidence to support your points.  Avoid super-lengthy quotes (try to stick to 4 lines or less). Avoid merely summarizing facts or plot.

Conclusion: Explain what you learned from this reflection. You could also choose to make a connection to current events.

Citation Format: Please see https://www.scribbr.com/mla/how-to-cite-a-movie/ for a guide.

Note: when you discuss a particular scene, you can cite when it occurs in the movie (time frame).

Example (I’m making this up): In this scene with Da Mayor, Lee uses back lighting to illuminate the face of his character (Do the Right Thing 48:53-51:02).

MLA in-text citations for movies

The in-text citation must always correspond with the first word of the Works Cited entry. For movie citations, this is usually the title in italics. If the title is longer than a few words, shorten it to the first word or phrase.

Instead of a page number, add the time range of the part you are quoting or referring to.

(Moonlight 01:01:23–01:05:31)

MLA in-text citations for texts:

you want to cite the title, author, and year of publication initially. After this info is cited you only need the author and page number. If the author is mentioned in your sentence, just the page number will be in parentheses.

Cheever writes that Ned is a “pilgrim” (17).