UWC2101O: Writing & Critical Thinking: Monstrosity

Essay Two

Content Instructions

The second essay assignment for this module constitutes 30% of your total course grade. The length of your essay should run between 5-6 typed pages (between 1250 to 1500 words). The purpose of this essay assignment is for you to practice the concept of comparative analysis by using the “lens” method of reading, the goal of which is to deploy a concept or idea from one text as a filter to read and understand a passage from another text. Like Essay One, the strategies of close reading still constitute an essential part of the close analysis and interpretation used in your essay.

The Writing Process:

1. Familiarize yourself with the “lens” method of comparative analysis as suggested in Kerry Walk’s “How to Write a Comparative Analysis.”

2. Pick from the following ONE pair of texts that you wish to write about:

• Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
• Sharon D. Michalove’s “The Reinvention of Richard III” and William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Richard III
• Alexander Doty’s “‘He’s a Transvestite!’ ‘Ah, not exactly.’ How Queer Is My Psycho” and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho
• Barbara Johnson’s “My Monster/My Self” and Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters
• Sharon D. Michalove’s “The Reinvention of Richard III” and Menno Meyjes’s Max
• Robin Wood’s “An Introduction to the American Horror Film” and Hughes Brothers’ From Hell
• Any pairing of texts / films that we have read / seen thus far in the semester. (If you choose this option, please discuss with me the pairing in advance.)

3. Decide which will be the A text and which the B text: the A text is the one that will be the “lens” while the B text is the one where you select a passage to do a close reading with. It is more obvious in some pairings which is the A and which is the B text (particularly those involving one theory text); others may require some configuration on your part. We will discuss this in detail during the conferences on the first draft. (There might also be a more challenging possibility where you may pick two theory / critical essays and demonstrate how one limits or challenges the other. Please come and see me if you choose this option.)

4. Isolate in the A text a concept, an idea, or a theory that you can apply to your reading of B. Thoroughly read through A to understand the context and the meaning of the idea.

5. Identify in B a passage or scene that you want to close read using the idea from A as a “lens.” Hint: find a passage that you can interpret one way when you read it without the “lens,” and you can change your interpretation when you re-read it through the “lens” from A.

6. Proceed to close read the passage from B with and without the “lens." Establish the differences in the readings.

In completing the above steps, submit your choice of the pairing to me on Monday, 23 February 2004. Include a brief statement of the idea which you will be using from A and the passage or scene from B which you will close read. Bring this to class.

7. The process of writing your drafts is the same as in Essay One. You need to establish the topic, the motive, and the thesis in the introduction. The main difference is that you must now include text A in the introduction, particularly the thesis statement.

8. Your thesis should include how the idea from text A affects the way you read the passage from text B. Provide also the “results” of your analysis of the passage from text B.

9. Devote at least one short paragraph in the body of your essay telling the reader what the idea from A is. Be sure to flesh out sufficiently the context in text A from which you extract the idea.

10. Proceed then to close read the passage or scene from text B.

11. What you have learned from Essay One should also apply here in Essay Two. Read my instructions on Essay One to refresh your memory.

First Draft of Essay Two is due on 26 February 2004. Bring two copies of your essay to class. Your essay draft must be at least three pages long. We will peer review your drafts in class.

Conferences will be conducted on 27 February and 1 March 2004.

Final Draft is due at midnight on Friday, 5 March 2004. Upload your Word file to my IVLE workbin.

General Instructions

1. Establish a clear and concise thesis statement, preferably at the end of your introductory paragraph.
2. Be able to relate topic sentences from the paragraphs of your essay to your thesis statement so as to ensure a coherent argument.
3. All drafts are to be typed, double-spaced.
4. All bibliographical entries and parenthetical documentation should adhere to the MLA standard. For the purposes of this essay, read Hacker pages 326-333.
5. At the top left hand corner of the first page should be the name/info block (See my Administration page for this). For subsequent pages, include only a page number at the top right hand corner.
6. Margins should be one inch on all sides.
7. Give your paper a title; be creative.
8. The following are considered major grammatical errors:
i. Subject-Verb Agreement
ii. Sentence Fragments
iii. Run-On Sentences: Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
Although I do not have a policy of counting grammatical errors and penalizing you accordingly, an excessive number of major and minor grammatical, spelling, and syntactical errors will jeopardize your grade. It is, therefore, significant that you proofread thoroughly and manually your essay (most grammar and spelling checks on computer programs will not identify all possible errors, so do not be overly dependent on them). Refer to Hacker, pages 164-172, 203-214.
9. Be reminded that the penalty for late papers as stated in my syllabus still stands.