ENC

Major Paper #3 for ENC 1102 at MDC: Play/Drama OR Film/Movie

Assignment: Your goal is to pose “an interpretive question about a single drama/play OR about a single film/movie and respond analytically showing your readers how the content supports your interpretation.” You may use any play other than either The Blizzard by David Ives or the play Post-Its: Notes from a Marriage by Paul Dooley and Winnie Holzman. We are not seeing a movie in class this term, but since the sample paper is based on Lars and the Real Girl, you cannot use this film BUT you can use any other film for your paper this semester.

“In the introduction to your essay, pose an interesting, problematic, and significant question about the play/film, one that can be answered several different ways according to the evidence in the text. Look for a question that might lead to differences in opinion among your classmates and that offers readers new insights into the play or film—the “text” for this particular assignment. Your task in this assignment is not to discover the right way to interpret the text, but to explain your way of reading some aspect of it.

Using a closed-form structure, present your thesis and supporting arguments. Before you give your thesis, make clear just what question you are putting to the text and why. It is this question that engages your readers’ interest and makes them look forward to your analysis.” (In other words, no one should ask, “Who cares?” after reading your introductory paragraph). Then, in the body of your paper, explain your own responses to this question, contrasting your answer with other possible interpretations that (may) have been proposed by your classmates (or others) or that you yourself have considered. You need to provide the citation/integration of at least two secondary sources that provide an insight into your reading of the play or film. Feel free to dispute “the alternative interpretations” if necessary, “but concentrate on showing your reader how you arrived at your interpretation and why you think that interpretation is valuable. Use details from the play or film (and appropriate secondary sources) for support.

Good literary questions call attention to problematic details of the text, stimulate conversation, and provoke readers to return to the text to reread and rethink. You know you have a good question if (others) disagree about the answer and (can) contribute their own views to the conversation.” Some good questions can arise from the subject matter of the play/drama chapter of your textbook as well as the photocopied film chapter. You can always ask questions of the author, text, reader(s), or culture(s) as well. In addition, many questions from the fiction analysis chapter can be asked of plays/film because these mediums are being used to tell a story/narrative most of the time.

Evaluation Criteria: -Provision of a fairly original interpretive question about a play or film with an analytical response to it showing readers where and how the text supports your interpretation through the use of both details from the play or film and secondary sources.

-The consideration and integration in writing of the ideas of at least two outside/secondary sources, which provide a cultural and/or critical context and which provide support in formulating a debatable thesis/argument about a play or film (via both in-text citations and a Works Cited page).

-Few grammatical errors; adherence to MLA style.

-Participation in peer editing sessions (evidence shown through drafts and peer editing questions).

Requirements and guidelines:

All drafts and the final product must be typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman (or other acceptable 12 pt. Font). Your margins must be one inch, and you must have a proper MLA heading of four lines and a centered title with all pages numbered as per MLA stipulations (consult your Bedford Handbook).

The final product is due NO LATER than Thursday, July 9, 2020 by 6:30PM AND must be submitted to TWO locations: once to Turnitin.com via Blackboard AND once to my e-mail, which is [email protected] and must be at least three pages long not including the Works Cited page; the essay should not be more than six pages long plus Works Cited page. LATE SUBMISSIONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE. THIS IS STATED ON THE SYLLABUS, AND THIS POLICY WILL NOT CHANGE. Make sure to submit the electronic copy to turnitin.com or receive an “F” on the essay.

*****Any and all optional revisions are due on Thursday, July 9, 2020 by 6:30PM as well, and there will be slots for these also on turnitin.com .*****

As per the syllabus, no late work will be accepted as far as Major Paper #3 and/or the optional revisions are concerned. Any excuse for late work must be approved by the Academic Dean/Chairperson (as must any excuse for anything not submitted in a timely manner from here on out).