ILS 4320: Scene Analysis Essay, (De) Constructing Race
Assignment: For this assignment you will be writing about a central idea (a theme or pair of themes) found in a scene of your choosing (either Django Unchained, Twelve Years a Slave, The Color Purple, or Mudbound) and will trace this theme's (or pair of themes') development through the director’s use of some of the film elements from chapter 3 of A Short Guide to Writing About Film (see course readings in Ulearn).
In addition, however, you should examine how the director uses these elements and theme to either construst or deconstruct our cultural and historical understanding of race. This requires that you QUESTION what you see, not simply describe it. Keep in mind that you are arguing how these elements allow the director to construct MEANING (i.e., the director uses sound to construct meaning and communicate their theme by ...).
When identifying a theme, it is important to reduce it to a one word idea (i.e, loss, hope, forgiveness, etc.)
NOTE: THE IDEAS FOUND IN THIS PAPER MUST BE YOUR OWN. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD (AND ARE REQUIRED) TO USE THE COURSE READINGS THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED THUS FAR TO STRENGTHEN AND FURTHER SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT BEYOND A SIMPLE DESCRIPTION OF THE EVIDENCE FOUND IN THE SCENE. YOU MANY NOT USE SOURCES OTHER THAN THESE.
At its very basic definition, your scene analysis is a written evaluation of a work of art (in this case film) that attempts to enlighten/communicate to a reader about the underlying meaning of the scene and its relationship to the social construction or deconstruction of race.
Purpose
In this type of paper a writer is forming an academic argument. As the writer you are arguing that your interpretation of the scene from your chosen film is a valid argument - not the only interpretation - in an attempt to aid the viewer in “seeing” the film in a new light or from a different perspective that perhaps may be different from their own. Your claim should point out what you see at the overall theme of the scene you choose and/or its potential impact (on a viewer).
Audience
Your audience is made up of academics, scholars, film critics, professors, and students (who are academics, scholars, and film critics in training much like yourselves). You should assume that they have seen the film and are familiar with its contents. Because of this you would never merely summarize the plot of the narrative because your audience is already familiar with it. This would also conflict with the purpose of this type of paper. You are to discuss underlying meaning (or potential impact), not retell the events of the story.
Because your audience is a scholarly one, your paper must be presented in a formal manner. You should use high diction and avoid first person, personal pronouns, and contractions.
Focus
The focus of your paper should be what you feel is an important idea or theme found in the scene and/or its potential impact on a viewer (how it constructs or deconstructs race). Although there are multiple theories and methods for approaching a film,
Development
NOTE: SEE CHAPTER 3 OF SHORT GUIDE TO WRITING ABOUT FILM IN COURSE READINGS IN ULEARN FOR IDEAS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT.
In developing your ideas, you should concern yourself with three important steps. First you must make a writerly assertion about the content of your scene (what you see as its overall theme and/or potential impact on a viewer).
Providing specific evidence is step 2 of the development process. The writer of this paragraph would need to provide specific examples from the scene of emotionally-charged and symbolic imagery and explain why they are significant and important. REMEMBER: DON'T JUST DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE. THAT'S NOT ANALYSIS. ARGUE WHY THE DIRECTOR USES THIS PIECE OF EVIDENCE TO AID THEM IN COMMUNICATING THEIR THEME.
The third and final step is to explain how the evidence illustrates the assertion.
You will recall that the assertion is your subclaim (the first sentence of a body paragraph that proves that your overall claim is valid).
Organization
Your essay should be organized in a logical manner. Even though your audience has seen the film you are examining, they don't see or understand its content in the same way that you do. Organize your ideas in a way that creates your most effective argument.
This organizational method will, of course, vary not only from student to student, but from film to film, as well as by individual scene that each student chooses.
Just remember that your sub-claim does not have to only focus on one film element (sound, for instance). You may focus on multiple film elements in a single sub-claim.
For instance:
Spielberg's uses sound, camera shot, and symbolism in this scene to communicate the crushing oppression felt by African American women during this historical moment.
NOTE: When relating events in the scene use words such as, "Spielberg develops the major characters in the story..." Notice the use of the active verb "develops." Try to stick with using active verbs as you analyze the scene and sequence of events within it.
Format
•Your essay should have a title. It should also be typed, double-spaced, with one inch margins all around, Times New Roman Font, & 12 pt. See OWL PURDUE for other questions about format. Your essay should be a minimum of 4 FULL pages and no more than 6 FULL PAGES.
Your grade for this assignment will be determined as follows:
Total Possible Points: 80/
Final Draft, evaluated on the following criteria:
Focus (22 points): Does essay have a clear purpose? Overall claim stated in intro and restated in conclusion? Focus on a single idea or aspect of the literature? Is it clear how examples in body are related to the overall claim? Does the writer explain the broader implications of this claim to the text as a whole? Are the subclaims clearly related to the claim? When read together, do the intro and conclusion form one idea?
Development (22 points): Does writer support interpretation with evidence from text? Avoid giving a plot summary? Does writer explain for the reader how the evidence supports interpretation (and as a result the claim)?
Organization (22 points): Do first few sentences arouse the reader’s interest and focus their attention on the subject? Are readers expectations set and clearly met? Do paragraphs have clear focus, unity and coherence? Effective transitions? Does the writer guide the reader from beginning to end?
Style (7 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone? Does writer use the literary present tense to describe events in the story?
Mechanics (7 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?
NO PEER CRITQUE (-7 POINTS)
NO 1ST DRAFT ON DUE DATE (-7 POINTS)
NO ST REPORT AND REVISION PLAN (-7 POINTS)
NO REFLECTION (-7 POINTS)
Grading scale:
A 72-80
B 64-71
C 56-63
D 48-55
F 0-47
