Close Reading Unit Assignment Sequence

In this essay, you are being asked to generate a focused, original, complex argument about either Sleeping Beauty or The Dark Knight. Your essay must focus on the villain or villainy in either film, but you may write about anything you choose within this topic, as long as you can support your argument using only close readings of evidence from the film. Keep in mind that you don’t want your argument to be so broad that you can’t do it justice in a 5-7 page essay, or so narrow that you don’t have enough material to generate a compelling argument of this length. You might explore any of the following ideas in your argument: • The villain’s motivations • The relationship between the villain and the protagonist (or any character or group of characters) • How the film defines evil/what it means to be a villain • Similarities and/or differences in the way the film represents the villain vs. other “evil” or “bad” characters, or vs. the “good” characters/the protagonist • The villain’s role in the plot or the development of the film’s other characters • The development (or lack thereof) of the villain throughout the course of the film • The villain’s role in illuminating one of the central themes of the film These are only some suggestions, and if you are interested in pursuing other ideas related to the villain or villainy in either film, you certainly may!The best essays are those that are written about something you are genuinely interested in. In addition to these suggestions, you might also look back on the many questions posed about different aspects of a film in “Film Terms and Topics” and try to think about the villain of either film in the context of these questions. You can also look back on your notes from the film and our in-class discussions, think back to our in-class activities, and refer to the discussion questions distributed in class. Finally, you are encouraged to come chat with me, or to visit the Writing Center, if you need help brainstorming ideas (or if you need help with any aspect of the writing process). The goals of this essay are as follows: • To develop and motivate your own strong, original, and compelling argument about a single film (to make a claim that meets the requirements of a strong thesis statement) • To support this argument through the detailed analysis of specific textual evidence (to develop your close reading skills) • To gain a deeper understanding of either Sleeping Beauty or The Dark Knight, and more generally, villains and villainy • To help your reader gain a deeper understanding of Sleeping Beauty or The Dark Knight as well as villains and villainy • To teach your reader something new – you want your essay to change how your reader views and understands the film you are analyzing Writing is a Process As we discussed in class, writing is a process through which we think and learn. Thus we will complete both a draft and a revisionof this essay. After submitting your draft you will receive written feedback from me, and we will also meet individually to discuss your essay in a required conference (see the “Conferences” handout for more information). You will also receive some feedback from your peers, and you are encouraged to visit the Writing Center. All of this feedback is meant to help you improve and refine your argument and analysis as you work through the revision of your essay. The draft is not graded, but it must meet the minimum page requirements, and it must be turned in – you cannot receive a grade on your essay unless you complete both a draft and a revision. A draft cannot receive credit if it does not meet the minimum page requirements. Every day that the full draft or the revision is late, 1/3 of a letter grade will be deducted from the final grade for the essay.Any essay or assignment that is not turned in by the time and in the form specified on this sheet will be considered late. Evidence As indicated above, this essay is a space in which you are being asked to think deeply and critically about a single text. With these goals in mind, no outside sources may be consulted for this essay, including in the gathering of evidence, in trying to develop an argument, and in the actual writing of the essay. Your evidence will come entirely from Sleeping Beauty or The Dark Knight, and you will present only your own thoughts and ideas about the film. Formatting Your essay should be 5-7 pages in length, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins, in 12 point Times New Roman font, and should include a title, heading, and page numbers in MLA format. You must provide both in-text citations and a works cited page, also in MLA format. See pages 5 and 6 of this handout for an example of the formatting for this essay. For MLA in-text citations of evidence from films, as long as it is clear what film yourevidence is coming from, you do not need an in-text citation. If it is not clear what film you are citing from, you may include the title of the film in parentheses after your evidence. Below, I have provided the format for an entry for a film in a works cited page (I have included the entries for both films in the formatting sample): Film title. Dir. (director) First and Last name. Distributor, year of release. Medium. Additional Assignments All Pre-Drafts and cover letters will be considered late if they are not submitted by the time specified in the assignment description, or if they do not meet the minimum page requirements of the assignment. Late assignments can only receive half credit. These assignments cannot be submitted for credit once the revision of the essay has been submitted. Submit on latte before class, bring 1 hard copy to class This assignment will be graded on a credit/no credit basis. In this assignment you are being asked to choose one scene to analyze from The Dark Knight. This scene must include the Joker, discussion of the Joker, or a theme or element that relates to the Joker or villainy in the film (for example, other criminals, the struggle between good and evil, etc.). Please choose one aspect of the scene you would like to analyze (think back to our in-class activity in which we analyzed the first scene of Sleeping Beautyand I asked that you focus on the relationship between light and dark). Then, complete the following steps. 1. Identify the topic you have chosen at the top of your assignment. 2. List any and all details of the scene that you think are related to this topic. 3. Make some general observations about this list of detailsas a group. What do you notice when you look at these details together? Do any patterns, similarities, or tensions emerge among them? 4. Choose the 1-3 detail(s) that you think are the most important. 5. For each detail, list any and all observations or questions you have about it. 6. Look back at what you have written about the detail(s). In a paragraph, make a single claim (a statement that something is true) about why the details are important (whatthey add to our understanding of some aspect of the scene,or a component of thefilm more broadly, such as a character, a theme, a conflict, etc.). Be sure to clearly explain how the detail(s) support this claim. Submit on latte before class, bring 3 hard copies to class This assignment will be graded on a credit/no credit basis. In this assignment you are being asked to draft a working thesis statement for your close reading essay. Please consult the “Requirements of a Strong Thesis Statement” handout as well as the UWS Grading Rubric in crafting your thesis. Keep in mind that this is a working thesis. As we will discuss, your thesis can (and should) develop and evolve throughout the writing of your essay. In other words, you are not “locked” into this thesis. This is simply a chance for you to receive early feedback on your argument as you begin working on your essay. However, you do want to make a concerted effort to develop a strong and complete thesis, and one that you are actually interested in pursuing, so that the feedback you receive will be as helpful as possible. Please also include your motive (first identify your motive in the specific context of your argument, then identify which category of motive yours falls into). In addition, in one paragraph, please provide a close reading that you feel supports your thesis. Be sure to clearly explain how the evidence you provide and the claim you are making about this evidence supports your thesis. Please note: Although you can certainly develop and refine the claim you made in in Pre-Draft 1.1, this is not required. In other words, you are free to write your essay on a different topic, or to make a different claim. Submit on latte along with the draft of your essay This assignment will be graded on a credit/no credit basis. In addition to the draft of your close reading essay, please compose a cover letter, formatted as a letter, of at least 1 full page (double spaced in 12 point Times New Roman font) in which you address the following questions: 1. What about your essay are you the most pleased with and why? 2. What was your biggest challenge in writing this essay and why? 3. What are your plans for developing your essay as you move forward in revision? Submit on latte along with the revision of your essay This assignment will be graded on a credit/no credit basis. In addition to the revision of your close reading essay, please compose a cover letter of at least 1 full page (double spaced in 12 point Times New Roman font) in which you address the changes that you made in your revision and why you made them. Please note that this assignment is asking you to reflect meaningfully on the writing process. In other words, it is not enough to say “I changed my introduction because my instructor suggested I should.” Instead you want to think seriously about why the changes mattered to your essay, andspecifically how you implemented them. Your name Instructor name Title of course Date assignment is due Your original title for your essay All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Works Cited The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Bros., 2008. Film. Sleeping Beauty. Dir. Clyde Geronimi. Walt Disney, 1959. Film.