English Essay Proposal

COM 1102 Writing About Literature

Details for the Research Paper

Research Paper Due Dates:

Item (see syllabus for full details) Date

Request a different reading from your textbook with its film

version

No later than Sunday of Week 2

Topic proposal and three proposed sources Sunday of Week 3

Rough draft of your essay Thursday of Week 6

Final draft Sunday of Week 7

Your essay for this course will be a research paper in which you compare and contrast one of our

readings with its film version. Essays should be between 1,300 and 1,500 words, make use of at

least three credible outside sources, and be written in MLA format.

Topic selections are as follows:

Written Version

(All of these works are in The Bedford

Introduction to Literature)

Film Version

Shakespeare, William. Othello. (Choose

between these two films)

Othello. Castle Rock Entertainment, 1995.

DVD.

O. Chickie the Cop, 2001. DVD.

London, Jack. To Build a Fire. To Build a Fire. BBC TV, David Cobham

Productions, 1969. DVD.

Hemingway, Ernest. Soldier's Home. Soldier's Home. Learning in Focus, 1977. DVD.

Faulkner, William. A Rose For Emily. A Rose For Emily. Chubbuck Production

Company, 1983. DVD.

Melville, Herman. Bartleby, the Scrivener: A

Story of Wall Street.

Bartleby. Parker Film Company, 2001. DVD.

Your comparison/contrast research paper should explore and analyze the similarities and

differences between the story or play and its film version. Your analysis should consider, but is

not limited to, any changes to storyline, characterizations, setting, and tone. It should also

consider whether or not changes to the original story or play are successful in the film version. If

the two versions are very similar with few changes, you can analyze whether the decision to

adapt faithfully was a sound one. You must use at least three credible outside sources in addition

to the story or play and the film. If you wish to select a different reading from your textbook with

its film version, you must request permission from your instructor no later than the end of Week

2. Topic proposal and three proposed sources are due by the end of Week 3. You must also

include an analysis of how each source will help you and how each is credible. Rough draft of

your research paper is due to the discussion board for peer review by Thursday of Week 6.

Research Paper Grading Rubric