Apr
7
essay assignment #3
April 7, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
Essay #3: Cultural Criticism/Commentary/Academic Essay
3-5pp.
due: Wednesday 4/16
(E.g. Nickel and Dimed, “Virtual Gangstas Coming to a Suburban House Near You”, “The Empire of Images in Our World of Bodies”, “Essential Play”)
Your topic (taken from the blogging you’ve done this semester) must be a “thorny” one–one that is complex and for which there is no easy answer or solution. You should be able to see the value of arguments on various “sides” of the issue. Writing this essay should help you clarify your ideas on the issue and help you to recognize the difficulties involved in finding any stable answer(s). Do not select a thesis for which you believe you know the “truth” and have a “ready answer”; instead, allow your paper to be driven by inquiry. Ideas must be developed, explored, examined, analyzed, researched, and complex. You must try to construct fresh insight about the material studied.
In crafting the essay, pay careful attention to your narrative strategies (thinking about the texts we’ve read in class and the “moves” these authors have made):
* choices in narration–utilizing first or third person or mixed narration
* setting(s) as establishing a context for your essay
* incorporating research–finding material that both supports and tests your thinking
Required Sources (these are minimums)
–1 web-based source (another blog, online magazine, web page, etc.)
–2 scholarly journal articles
–1 book
* providing a clear sense of the intention and overall meaning of your piece while avoiding didacticism
