essay

RWS 280: Academic Reading and Writing Instructor: Enrique Cervantes / Fellow: Bree MacDonald

Essay 2: Film, Race, and the Sympathetic Racist (200 Points)

Due Thursday 06/14

In his critical essay “Spike Lee and the Sympathetic Racist,” published in the academic journal Thinking Through Cinema: Film as Philosophy in 2006, Dan Flory defines the “sympathetic racist” as "characters with whom mainstream audiences readily ally themselves but who embrace racist beliefs and commit racist acts" (68). He argues the following about Lee’s character Sal in Lee’s Do the Right Thing:

In focusing audience attention on a character toward whom they feel favorably while also revealing that character’s racism, Lee constructs a film that philosophizes by developing a conception of what it means to be racist that fundamentally challenges white viewers to inspect their own presumption about how they see themselves and others. (Flory 68)

For this paper, you are invited to work critically with Director Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino and Dan Flory's "Spike Lee and the Sympathetic Racist" to respond to the question: Does Walt Kowalski function as a sympathetic racist?

Using Flory's essay as a critical lens, you will write a Flory-style paper in which you similarly examine Clint Eastwood’s character, Walt Kowalski (also played by Clint Eastwood), in the 2008 American drama Gran Torino and his effect on the film’s audience. Make sure that you clearly introduce and summarize Flory's essay and theory on Sal in order to build your foundation and to guide your reader through your own analysis of Walt. Your introduction will be similar to how Flory uses Richard Dyer to set up his essay, though as stated, you will use Flory. Though you are being asked to write in a similar style to Flory, remember that it is your ideas, insights, and discoveries that make your papers an insightful pleasure to read.

Possible Questions to consider:

· Does Walt fit into Flory's theory on sympathetic racist characters? In other words, does Walt challenge white viewers “To inspect their own presumptions about how they see themselves and others” (Flory 68)?

· What do you feel is the purpose of having characters like Sal and Walt? Do you think Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood have similar goals for their audience? Why or why not? (You may want to do some research into these two men.)

· How might nonwhite audiences react to Walt?

· Does Eastwood (as director) encourage his white viewers to “reflect on and devise a new belief schema for understanding race” (Flory 76)?

Requirements:

Content

· Your essay should utilize Flory’s theory but be driven by your own insight and be supported by concepts and information from the reading and films. Your thesis/major claim should respond to the question: Does Walt Kowalski function as a sympathetic racist?

· Introduce and summarize Dan Flory’s “Spike Lee and the Sympathetic Racist. Be sure to paraphrase Dan Flory’s theory and “sympathetic racist type” (69) so you can work closely with it.

· Write so that someone not in our class and who has not read Flory or seen the films could understand your paper. That means you will be briefly summarizing concepts and ideas from the text you are working with, as well as briefly summarizing the plot of the 2 films.

· Analyze Walt Kowalski’s character using Dan Flory’s theory. You can begin by considering how a white viewer might view him differently than a nonwhite viewer. What sort of allegiances might people have with Walt?

· For your conclusion, consider the ways in which Clint Eastwood’s film does and/or does not invite white and nonwhite viewers to reflect critically on race. You may choose to compare Eastwood’s film to Lee’s to make your point.

Form

· Use a critical, academic voice to work closely and critically with Flory’s essay and Eastwood’s film, supporting your ideas and assertions with examples, paraphrases, and direct quotes from them.

· Frame or “sandwich” direct quotes and use voice markers to help integrate and distinguish the voices of others from your own.

· Write at least 4 complete pages, typed, 12-point font, double-spaced, in correct MLA style and format.

· Remember to include your Works Cited page, though it does not count towards the 3-page requirement.

· Have fun and do not hesitate to see Enrique or Bree if you have any questions or concerns.

Essay Requirement	Not Done	Needs Work	Fair	Well Done
The writer:
responds to each requirement of the prompt: Content · Thesis/major claim responds to question: Does Walt Kowalski function as a sympathetic racist? · Introduces and summarizes Dan Flory’s “Spike Lee and the Sympathetic Racist. · Paraphrases Dan Flory’s theory and “sympathetic racist type.” · Summarizes concepts and ideas from the text you are working with, as well as briefly summarizes the plot of the 2 films. · Analyzes Walt Kowalski’s character using Dan Flory’s theory as well as original ideas and assertions. · Considers the ways in which Clint Eastwood’s film does and/or does not invite viewers to reflect critically on race.
uses a critical, academic voice;
sums up their position with a clear thesis statement/major claim in the first couple paragraphs.
supports ideas with specific examples, details, information, paraphrases, and/or direct quotes AND frames or “sandwiches” direct quotes and uses voice markers to help integrate and distinguish the voices of others from their own.
summarizes texts/explain ideas/information fully enough for readers not in our class to follow;
presents ideas in an order that makes sense to the readers;
creates comprehensive topic sentences (aka, road signs) and makes sure each paragraph has a clear focus by addressing its topic sentence;
makes sure each paragraph is a reasonable length (usually 1/3 to 2/3 a page);
uses transitions between paragraphs and within paragraphs so the text is cohesive and “flows” well as a whole;
ends with a conclusion that completes the discussion;
proofreads carefully so that sentences are clear;
uses “quotation marks” and gives citation when including an author’s exact words, for example: Flory asserts that films can help individuals understand how their choices can affect the “lives of [their] fellow human beings” (77), and this is important because…
produces at least 4 full pages in MLA format and style, including a Works Cited page.