Length and Due Dates

Length:  4 pages, formatted as described in the "Requirements" section of the Web site  
First Draft Due: Friday, July 14, by noon. at Kimberlee's office (Padelford A-16) or via email  
Final Draft Due:  Friday, July 21, by 4:00 p.m. in Kimberlee's office; commented first draft must be attached    

Assignment    

You may write your essay on one of the following topics:    

1) Throughout the term, we have discussed how films employ formal techniques to construct race.  Compare and contrast how two of the films viewed during the first four weeks represent racial identity.  You may focus on the construction of a particular racial identity or identities, or you may concentrate on how a single formal element--editing, sound, mise-en-scene, cinematography--works to represent race. 

2) The Birth of a Nation, Glory, and The Searchers portray historical periods that predate the films by at least fifty years.   As Thomas Cripps reminds us, such historical films "wear history as a loose garment" at best and reflect as much on the period during which they were made as they do on a historical period.  Compare and contrast the ways in which two of these films' plots use the past to speak to contemporary tensions and conflicts.

3) Both The Searchers and The Birth of a Nation are concerned with miscegenation.  Compare and contrast the ways in which the films portray miscegenation, both in terms of plot and form.  Why is miscegenation a threat within the plots and how do formal cinematic elements highlight the threat?
 

Guidelines   

1) Because your audience has viewed the film(s), you do not need to summarize plot.  Instead, concentrate on analyzing the film and offering examples of specific scenes, narrative details, or cinematic techniques that support your claims.

2) Essay #1 requires you to make an argument about the film(s).  A successful essay will pose a clear, defendable argument regarding the chosen topic and develop that argument over the course of the essay.  All summary, paraphrase, quotation, or description of images should be offered as part of an analysis.  Each reference to the film(s) or reading should support your argument.

3) You may draw on class reading in your essay.  If you do so, you must indicate the author's name and the page in parentheses at the end of the sentence in which you use the material.  You need not provide a works cited list. 

4) If you have questions or concerns about writing this essay or want to discuss ideas, please speak with me during office hours. 

Grading   

The essay will be graded according to these criteria.  Failure to submit a draft will bring a reduction of .5 in the paper grade; .3 will be deducted for each day a final draft is late, including weekends and holidays.