Comic Spirit Waters Essay Questions
CWL 320I: The Comic Spirit Waters/Spring 2007
Term Paper Guidelines
Due Date
May 10th, 2007
Format
A. Typed double-space, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, standard 1” margins B. 4-5 full pages, not including optional bibliography C. Stapled upper left corner, with no cover or title page D. Accurate, complete citation info, preferably MLA format
Prompt
Identify, analyze and evaluate how and why a comedy pertains to the "power struggle" theme that has been central to our course material. You should focus on either a comedy in its cultural context or comedic adaptation. Think of all the terms, all the lectures, how to make comedy more than just a "pleasure" thing and then pick something you find interesting and do it yourself.
Assessment …show more content…
A. Is the student’s voice clearly heard above any others? A. Does the topic address the concerns of our specific course? A. Does the opening paragraph introduce a strong, sustained argument, including a clear thesis and leading into a series of concise, well-developed illustrative examples? A. Is the paper sound mechanically? 1. spelling 1. punctuation 1. grammar 1.
transitions and sequencing of sentences and paragraphs E. Rhetorically, is the paper at or above a level of upper-division college scholarship? E. Do we see legitimate effort, i.e. citation accuracy, editing and proofreading?
Nota Bene: A. Thoughtful alternative approaches are always welcome, subject to instructor or TA approval. We especially like things that reflect your own cultural background. A. If problems arise in the paper’s development, contact your GA early. A. Cheating will not be tolerated. Students are responsible for University guidelines on plagiarism. Be very careful using the Internet! A. You may use material we have discussed in class only as secondary reference B. No Animal Farm or Midsummer Night’s Dream papers allowed! Sorry, we are just sick of 'em! And we will let you know about any other no-gos... C. Some Time-Tested Things to Watch Out For: 1. Think specific: an "aspect" mean, for example, a paper not on The Simpsons but rather on "religion-based satire in The Simpsons of the sort that has been examined in class, with the "Homer Predicts the Rapture and Meets God" episode as central
text. 2. Don't be afraid to speculate and hypothesize; comedy is about questioning absolute truth. So look to develop a nuanced thesis e.g. not "War is bad," but rather, "The 1960s nuclear war satire Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb exemplifies both the "Cold War" as agon and also predicts issues of militarism in contemporary American culture." 3. Expand your boundaries away from your comfort zone i.e. don't do your paper on She's the Man but if you wanted to compare She's the Man with its inspiration, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night or What You Will with a focus on power and gender expectations then and now, then you have yourself a winner.
Term Paper Guidelines
Due Date
May 10th, 2007
Format
A. Typed double-space, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, standard 1” margins B. 4-5 full pages, not including optional bibliography C. Stapled upper left corner, with no cover or title page D. Accurate, complete citation info, preferably MLA format
Prompt
Identify, analyze and evaluate how and why a comedy pertains to the "power struggle" theme that has been central to our course material. You should focus on either a comedy in its cultural context or comedic adaptation. Think of all the terms, all the lectures, how to make comedy more than just a "pleasure" thing and then pick something you find interesting and do it yourself.
Assessment …show more content…
A. Is the student’s voice clearly heard above any others? A. Does the topic address the concerns of our specific course? A. Does the opening paragraph introduce a strong, sustained argument, including a clear thesis and leading into a series of concise, well-developed illustrative examples? A. Is the paper sound mechanically? 1. spelling 1. punctuation 1. grammar 1.
transitions and sequencing of sentences and paragraphs E. Rhetorically, is the paper at or above a level of upper-division college scholarship? E. Do we see legitimate effort, i.e. citation accuracy, editing and proofreading?
Nota Bene: A. Thoughtful alternative approaches are always welcome, subject to instructor or TA approval. We especially like things that reflect your own cultural background. A. If problems arise in the paper’s development, contact your GA early. A. Cheating will not be tolerated. Students are responsible for University guidelines on plagiarism. Be very careful using the Internet! A. You may use material we have discussed in class only as secondary reference B. No Animal Farm or Midsummer Night’s Dream papers allowed! Sorry, we are just sick of 'em! And we will let you know about any other no-gos... C. Some Time-Tested Things to Watch Out For: 1. Think specific: an "aspect" mean, for example, a paper not on The Simpsons but rather on "religion-based satire in The Simpsons of the sort that has been examined in class, with the "Homer Predicts the Rapture and Meets God" episode as central
text. 2. Don't be afraid to speculate and hypothesize; comedy is about questioning absolute truth. So look to develop a nuanced thesis e.g. not "War is bad," but rather, "The 1960s nuclear war satire Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb exemplifies both the "Cold War" as agon and also predicts issues of militarism in contemporary American culture." 3. Expand your boundaries away from your comfort zone i.e. don't do your paper on She's the Man but if you wanted to compare She's the Man with its inspiration, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night or What You Will with a focus on power and gender expectations then and now, then you have yourself a winner.