Paper 3- 12 Hours

8. Paper 3--Adding Comparison and Contrast

8.1. Module 8.1: Details

Preparation for Paper 3

English 101

Preparation for Paper 3

The general topic of the paper is: (1) the American dream, (2) its effects on one or more characters in The Great Gatsby, and (3) the differences and similarities between Jay Gatsby and Charles Foster Kane in terms of the American dream.

You need to merge Papers 1 and 2 with the new paper.

You need at least two quotes from the novel and two quotes from the film to substantiate new points that you make in Paper 3; you need to have finished reading The Great Gatsby and viewing Citizen Kane.

Don't rely on the film of The Great Gatsby. Citizen Kane, on the other hand, was originally a film script, so use the film for your analysis and quotes.

The number of quotes total will be four from Paper 2 plus four more.

Consider that your paper is about The Great Gatsby and the American dream; Citizen Kane is one segment of this paper, but the overall idea, the opening thesis statement of the paper, and the overall conclusion should be about TGG.

Evaluation Criteria 1

. Elements of Organization I.

Opening paragraph: It needs both a new thesis statement and a new organizing idea. It should be followed by a statement of significance.

V. Closing paragraph: It needs both a new summary and a new conclusion. It should end with a hint of things to come, or some of the issues left unaddressed, or a mention of implications of the ideas presented that went unnoted in the body of the paper. If you end up writing the opening and closing of the paper at the end of the writing process, after you have written most of the three-segment body of the paper, you would be right on task.

First segment body of the paper (II): II. This segment will be five paragraphs.

A. Sub-thesis that supports the overall opening's thesis and sets the main idea for this segment

B. What is the American dream in general terms? (General)

C. What is the American dream in the novel? (More specifically)

D. Relate the American dream to characters in the novel. (Even more specifically)

E. Closing Most of this segment of the paper comes from Paper 1. Be sure proofread and edit it, and to make any changes that you wish to make.

2. Methods of Development: Use description and example for this first segment of the body of the paper. Review chapters 3 and 10 in PE.

3. Mode of Order: The overall mode of order for this segment of the paper is general-to-specific; however, consider what the mode of order is for each section within the segment as well.

5. Transitions: Note: You need a very short transitional paragraph of one or more sentences to make the transition from informational level development to analysis using cause and effect development. Avoid making reference to technical terms such as information-level, analysis, cause, and effect.

Second segment part of the paper: III. This segment will be five paragraphs. A. Develop the American dream as a cause in the sub-thesis. The dream has the force to make impacts. B. What is the effect of the American dream on a character? C. What is the effect of the American dream on a second character (or a second effect on the same character as III. A.)? D. What is the effect of the American dream on a third character (or a third effect on the same character as III. A.)? E. Closing

2. Methods of Development: Use cause and effect for the second segment of the body of the paper.

3.Mode of Order: The overall mode of order for this segment of the paper is time OR importance; however, consider what the mode of order is for each section within the segment as well. Third segment of the body of the paper: IV. This segment will be five paragraphs.

A. Develop a sub-thesis on the American dream as it applies to The Great Gatsby and Citizen Kane using comparison and contrast. The purpose here is to analyze the American dream as it relates to the two main characters, Jay Gatsby and Charles Foster Kane in terms of three issues that you have chosen. When you do comparison and contrast, you need to identify two things (Gatsby and Kane) and three issues, such as the way the dream impacts them in terms of love, or women, or money, or power, or ambition, or corruption, or family (there are dozens more possible issues).

A. A sub-thesis about the two characters (what do they have in common or what differentiates them?)

B. Issue #1-related to Gatsby and then to Kane

C. Issue #2-related to Gatsby and then to Kane

D. Issue #3-related to Gatsby and then to Kane

E. Closing The new segment must have two quotes from the novel and two quotes from the film. See mechanics for details on how to do in-text citations and the works cited page.

Do not, repeat do not, use the words compare and contrast, similar and different, alike, contrasting, in your segment using comparison and contrast. Do not use sentences like "Jay Gatsby and Charles Foster Kane are alike in many ways." This kind of sentence says almost nothing because it is a truism. Instead, be specific and name the characteristic traits that they share: "Gatsby and Kane are committed to self-initiative and achievement on their own terms. They understand individual responsibility comes from their choices in life." This kind of specific language shows the similarity specifically in concrete terms. Do include a transitional phrase to introduce this five-paragraph segment of the paper, however, that might include a phrase such as "in contrast," or "similarly."

4. Mechanics:

For a passing grade, review your paper for effective mechanics.

In-text citations. List of works cited. Use of quotation marks and punctuation. Use of formal introductions to quotes.

The new segment must have two quotes from the novel and two quotes from the film. This means that in Paper 3, you must have a total of eight quotes-four from Paper 2 and four new ones for Paper 3 (two additional from the novel and two from the film).

About in-text citations from the film: You will need to make your film quotes look like this in the text of your paper: Welles shows how alienating power can be when he portrays the relationship between Kane and his first wife: “People will think what I tell them to think” (Citizen Kane). You have to cite the film without a page or line citation because there is no way at present to mark the point in the film when a line appears.

However, you need to follow MLA style. As a consequence, your works cited page must have at least two references for Paper 3-The Great Gatsby and Citizen Kane.

5. Transitions:

o Use first, second, and third, for the three segments of the body of the paper. o Use “In summary,” and “In conclusion,” in the closing.

o What transitions are you using to communicate your methods of development (description and example for II, cause and effect for III, and comparison and contrast for IV ); and your modes of order (general to specific for II, importance for III, and what mode for IV)?

Use transitional phrases that help with comparison: also, in the same manner, similarly, likewise; and that help with contrast: but, however, on the other hand, in contrast, nevertheless, still, even though, on the contrary, yet, although.

o You need a short one-sentence transitional paragraph between the information and analysis (cause and effect) levels of development and between the cause and effect and second analysis (comparison and contrast) level of development.

6. Format:

o Double space.

o Page numbering.

o Four-line heading.

o Title that hints at the thesis. o Indenting.

o Formal tone (eliminate the use of the following: “I,” “me,” “my,” “mine”; “we,” “us,” “our,” “ours”; “you,” “your,” and “yours”). Formal tone does not use these personal pronouns.

o Outline (five-sentence outline). Unnumbered page at the bottom of your paper. The outline that you turn in on the last page of your paper, un-numbered because outlines are not a part of an MLA paper, should have copied and pasted just the overall thesis statement; the three sub-thesis statements of segments II, III, and IV; and the overall conclusion.

o Length: The three body paragraphs for II, III, and IV should have about 20 sentences each. That means that the body paragraphs should be 80 sentences.

o Remember to add to that some sentences for I. A, B, and C, and V., as well as for II. A and II. E, for II. IA and III. E, and for IV. A and IV B. Roman numerals refer to your outline. Arabic numbers refer to evaluation criteria. Sample papers are available at the Reserve Desk on the second floor of the library. If you have access to West's library, please review a few of these to get concrete ideas about how to write the new segment for Paper 3.

How to get started and things to keep in mind as you write:

To start your essay, use the following phrasing: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (verb of your choice)…. Make this first sentence of the essay be your thesis statement. There is discussion in textbooks about where to place your thesis: Should it be the first sentence? Should it be in the middle of the first paragraph or at the end of the first paragraph? For this class, for the purpose of uniformity and clarity for your reader (me), make your first sentence be your thesis statement. Follow that thesis statement with your organizing idea sentences.

There should be three of these sentences, one for each five-paragraph segment in the body of the essay. The organizing idea sentences tell the reader in advance what is in the three-segment body of the paper. You probably should not try to write these organizing idea sentences (some call them advanced organizers or controlling ideas) until your paper is completed because you may not be clear about what exactly your three-segment body is about until after you have written it.

Example: This paper will demonstrate what the American dream means in The Great Gatsby. Then it will reveal some of the tragic consequences of the dream on its leading character, Gatsby. Finally, it will show how the dream corrupts Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane, just as it does Gatsby.

Last, create a statement of significance, which explains why this paper is important, significant, or interesting. Some call it a hook to get the reader's interest. Your topic is not a matter of life and death, yet the idea of the American dream is an important myth in American culture and history.

A Full Outline would look like this:

I.Opening:- (one paragraph)-5-10 sentences

A. Thesis statement: This is the overall main idea of the essay

B. 3 Organizing Ideas

C. Statement of Significance

II. Developed at the information level using examples and descriptions-(5 paragraph total)

A. A sub-thesis statement about the American dream (starts with “First,”) - 5-10 sentences

B. The American dream in general terms- 20 sentences

C. The dream applied to the novel- 20 sentences

D. The dream applied to characters in the novel-20 sentences

E. Closing Insert a short one-sentence transitional paragraph here-5-10 sentences

III. Developed at the analysis level using cause and effect-(5 paragraph total)

A. Sub-thesis about the American dream as a cause (starts with “Second,”)- 5-10 sentences

B. One consequence of the dream on a character-20 sentences

C. A second consequence of the dream on a character-20 sentences

D. A third consequence of the dream on a character20 sentences

E. Closing Insert a short one-sentence transitional paragraph here-5-10 sentences

IV. Developed at the analysis level using comparison and contrast- (5 paragraph total)

A. Sub-thesis about the American dream as it relates to Gatsby and Kane (starts with “Third,”)- 5-10 sentences

B. Issue #1 that relates to Gatsby and Kane (such as lost love)- 20 sentences

C. Issue #2 that relates to Gatsby and Kane (such as idealism and disillusionment)- 20 sentences

D. Issue #3 that relates to Gatsby and Kane (such as power and wealth)- 20 sentences

E. Closing-5-10 sentences

V. Ending paragraph: 5-10 sentences

A. Summary, using the phrase “In summary,” which should be three sentence long. (one for what you have said in II, one for what you have said in III, and another for IV).

B. Conclusion, using the phrase “In conclusion,” which should be a restatement of the thesis in different words and more evolved as an idea.

C. Hint of things to come.

The outline that you need to attach to your paper as the last page (unnumbered because it is not part of MLA) will look like this:

I. Thesis statement that addresses the American dream in The Great Gatsby and its consequences

II. First sub-thesis sentence that looks at the dream

III. Second sub-thesis sentence that looks at its consequences

IV. Third sub- thesis sentence that looks at similarities and differences between two men of wealth

V. Conclusion

8.2. Module 8.2:

Consider This : In P1 you wrote about what the American dream is. You used examples and descriptions to do it. You described it in general terms, you related it to an element of the plot, you related it to three characters. The thesis would have been something to do with what the dream is as it relates to the novel.

In P2 the task shifts. You retained what you wrote in P1. You added a section using cause and effects that demonstrated that the true essence of the American dream (the segment of P1) has consequences for three characters in the novel (the new cause and effects 5-paragraph segment). The thesis wold have been something about how the dream affects characters.

In P3 the task shifts again. You will retain the first and second segments of P2. You will add a new 5-paragraph segment in which you will compare Gatsby and Kane. You will do this by comparing and contrasting Gatsby and Kane in terms of three issues.

For example, one issue might be how wealth and power are elements for the two heroes in their pursuits of the dream. How do wealth and power relate to the heroes in their pursuits, what is distinct to one or the other? Is it an assistance or a hindrance, a facilitator or a barrier? Is it a means or an obstacle?

A second example might be the issue of love and how that affects the two heroes in their pursuits.

And P3 will need one more issue to complete the three-body paragraphs of the third segment of the paper.

The thesis this time will be about Gatsby specifically and about his pursuit of the American dream in terms of the three issues you choose to use in the third segment.

In order to develop this thesis in the third segment, you will compare him with Kane for the purpose, really, of understanding Gatsby more fully--not for the purpose of equally treating Gatsby and Kane in the overall thesis, not for referring to them as two primary subjects. Thus, you will not mention Kane in your thesis.

Kane's purpose ultimately is to work as a means by which you understand Gatsby more, a mirror in a sense.

For example, in national basketball history, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are often compared and contrasted. The purpose of that development many times is to give greater insight into Magic Johnson (at least here in LA).

Here is an example of a thesis for P3:

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby has a hero who is defeated in his pursuit of his American dream by his magnificent gifts of great power, consuming love, and driven self-confidence.

You may see how a thematic element created in the thesis and carried out through the three segments of P3 will be an additional means by which you develop your overall idea and by which you hold the paper together at the same time.

A thematic element is not a part of the assignment, but if a student chose to add the idea that Gatsby is doomed from the very start of his efforts, fate for example, then could be referenced throughout the three segments to help support the thesis and to help hold the paper coherent.

If a student wanted to add that thematic element of fate to the thesis listed above, it might read like this:

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby has a hero who is inevitably defeated in his pursuit of his American dream by magnificent gifts of great power, consuming love, and illuminating self-confidence.

The idea of inevitability then would get played out in the essay's three segments as a matter of Gatsby's tragic fate--not a part of the thesis so much as a thematic element that gets referenced while the thesis is consciously developed by the three segments.