Essay Exercise (Final) + Film Exercise

Choose one of the topics below for an essay.  Develop a clear and focused argument that you will defend with quotations from the text. You are discouraged from consulting secondary sources (especially internet resources) —although you may refer to footnotes, dictionaries, encyclopedias and the like for linguistic or historical background, allusions and so forth. If you have consulted sources, and they have influenced your thinking, you must cite them.  Academic dishonesty will result in failure of the course.

Paper Format: Four typed pages (more OK). Double-space in 12-point Times/Times New Roman.  Use 1-inch margins. Grade penalty for incorrect formatting. You may cite the books with simple parenthetical references to page numbers, like this (23-4). Upload as PDF or Word .doc ONLY. Absolutely no Google share or cloud items.

Grading:  Your grade will be based on your thesis (including originality and thoughtfulness), reasoning,

organization, use of textual evidence and quotation (quality, persuasiveness, and integration into your

writing), and grammar/sentence structure. You are responsible especially for finding quotations/evidence relevant to your argument; you may be penalized for ignoring relevant passages or relying on vague summary.

You will receive a letter grade.  For a C or above, your essay must: meet all format requirements; be written convincingly and coherently, with few errors in grammar or mechanics; respond fully to the assigned topic, including any special instructions; incorporate college-level writing.  College-level writing includes, but is not limited to, effective use of: Direct quotation and paraphrase, topic sentences and paragraph structure.  Strive to synthesize information into concise prose.

FOR ALL CHOICES: You must follow directions about choosing texts. You may reference more texts or films as additional evidence, but only if they suit the question, and in proportion to the directed focus.

TOPIC CHOICES

1. The Gothic genre has been criticized for presenting female characters in terms of either “shameless harlotry” or “trembling innocence.” First, briefly explain, with reference to two or more texts we have read, why this description makes sense. Do we also see authors including but critiquing this pattern? Then choose one relevant reading and argue whether it follows this pattern. Does it reduce women to stereotypes? Offer a critique, explain why, or explain why you think the author does something more complicated. How and why does the author use ideas of innocence and corruption

2. Gothic horror, like other kinds of fantastic literature, has been described as the “eruption of the inadmissible within the changeless everyday legality.” Explain how this description fits a written text from our course reading. What is “inadmissible” in the world evoked by that text? [Here “legality” means everyday rules, habits, assumptions, not so much actual laws. And “inadmissible” does not just mean bad things or evil actions—it suggests the socially unthinkable or the repressed. This is a challenging topic, not an easy one, and you must select a fitting text].

3. Stephen King has been credited with extending the horror genre to reflect the fears of modern, everyday life. What is the larger social world of America like in The Shining—and what does it conceal? What problems are hinted at? What real conflicts, problems, and anxieties underlie the supernatural events of the story? Assignment Description:

You will watch the film you’ve been assigned; analyze it using ideas and approaches from class; submit a précis following the template provided; and be prepared to answer questions in class. You will submit as a hard copy/printed on the day scheduled for your film.

Goals

We’ll practice using ideas from class and consider how popular culture can reflect (unacknowledged) fears and social anxieties.

A précis helps you make non-trivial observations about texts and films. A précis (‘pray-see) is a kind of scholarly summary, but one that analyzes how a text/film works rather than just what it says. It can also aid in organizing papers and presentations, as an alternative to the standard hierarchical outline.