The Walking Dead "Volume One"

Paper 2 English 102 Fall 2015 Prof. Hadbawnik Schedule: 4-11 Wednesday: paper assigned 11-11 Wednesday: Introduction/thesis workshop Bring with you ONE PRINTED COPY of your introduction/thesis draft. 16-11 Monday: Peer Review—Minimum 750 words

Bring with you TWO PRINTED COPIES OF YOUR PAPER. 22-11 Sunday: Final draft due electronically through Moodle at 6pm. As a reminder (from the Syllabus): “All essays handed in to me are to be typed/word-processed. Use a Times New Roman font (size 12 pt.), double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Each essay to be graded must be accompanied by a cover letter (minimum one page, detailing your writing process for that particular piece and the essay’s evolution, along with your assessment of the successful and less successful aspects of the essay). I will not grade essays that are hand-written or lack a cover letter and/or other things listed above; the assignment will accrue late penalties until it satisfies this requirement.” What I am looking for: Length: AT LEAST 1,200 words, double-spaced, typed pages (Use Times New Roman, 12pt font and 1” margins) Introduction stating your main argument (thesis statement) Body paragraphs that adhere to PIE-model (Point, Illustration, Explanation) Proper use of examples and/or quotations from the essays and outside sources to

support your arguments (rather than just summarizing the texts) Clarity of language (avoiding clichés, trite expressions, vague words) Essay title Works Cited page

Topics:

1) Write an essay in which you argue that a particular zombie story (film, book, video game, etc.) reflects and/or comments on three specific elements of contemporary culture. For example, you might choose to base your argument on The Walking Dead. How does The Walking Dead address issues and concerns of contemporary culture? What does the nature of the zombies have to say about the fears, anxieties, and (possibly) desires of our time period? What decisions do the “living” in the story have to make, and how do those decisions likewise seem to respond to issues that we are facing in society? Make sure that you include three specific aspects of culture, such as fear of government, gender roles, anxieties about overpopulation, etc. You will almost certainly want to choose a zombie story created since 2000, since that is “our” current culture.

2) Write an essay in which you choose one element of several zombie stories and form an argument about how the evolution of this element reflects changes in the culture. For example, we looked at clips and read essays that describe the way zombies have changed over the years according to tastes and shifts in culture. You might focus on the element of how zombies look – they started off looking relatively “normal” and now seem grotesque. You might focus on the speed and mobility of zombies – again, they started off being almost immobile and silent, later they grew faster and somewhat articulate. You might focus on the methods for killing zombies, or how zombies are formed, etc. No matter what you choose, you will have to analyze carefully and argue that the changes in this element of the zombie reflect changes in culture, and present evidence for how and why that is. You will probably need three stories/films from three different decades to trace the shifts and formulate a complete argument.

NOTE: As should be clear from the above, the emphasis here is on being specific and focused. If you choose topic 1 you will write about ONE zombie text but THREE specific cultural concerns that text addresses. If you choose topic 2 you will discuss (probably at least) three different films or books, but focus on only one element from them and how that element comments on culture. In the past, most students have chosen a close analysis/argument based on one zombie story (topic 1). Here are some sample thesis statements from successful papers to give you an idea of what I’m looking for: “World War Z combines the rapidly growing population of the world, fear of medicine and drugs, and lack of cooperation between nations to create a truly eye- opening zombie film.” “The Walking Dead TV series represents a way to portray issues concerning distrust and failure of the government, conflicts with morality, and the idea of family.” “The Last of Us [video game] provides the player with a gripping story in which America’s modern culture is represented through anxiety towards the environment, fear of biotechnology and disease, and the fear of corruption in government.”

You must have at least two, possibly more, sources for your paper. This means you will need a works cited page. Good luck.