ENGL1102 - Brickman
Summer 2006

Essay #3

Critical Argument

Write a well-developed, well-supported argumentative essay in response to two articles on Lee's Malcolm X. One of these articles must be a popular review of the film (like Roger Ebert's or another popular film critic's review in the New York Times or Atlanta Journal Constitution) and the other article must be a "scholarly" critical essay on Lee's film or Lee's movies in general. You cannot use the two articles (one by Ebert and one by hooks) that we discuss in class. We will go over how to identify and search for these two different types of secondary sources, and you will have to turn in the titles of your two chosen sources with annotation/summary to me before the draft is due. Essentially, this paper asks you to disagree with one critic's response to Lee's Malcolm X in a scholarly form of argument. In other words, I do not want you to write a "review" of the film, but rather you will be offering a scholarly response to another's argument about the film. You will be expected to support your argument with specific evidence from the film, and I will expect you to describe that evidence in great detail (focusing on the visual elements of film, the sound and music, dialogue, and the story content). As I have said repeatedly, your argument is only as good as your evidence.

Goals: This paper will test your ability to formulate an argumentative thesis. I have made it a little easier for you because I have insisted that you give yourself a target: someone else's reading of the film. However, I do not want you to become involved in a screaming match. You are offering another reading of the film in opposition to someone else's reading, and you need to be reasoned and fair with your cinematic evidence. You do not need to use every scene in the film and you should not spend time with plot summary. As you will see from the other critical articles, you will need to collect specific evidence that supports your reading of the film. Obviously, this assignment also challenges you to produce a clear, concise essay written within the conventions of a persuasive, well-structured, well-supported, and grammatically sound academic writing.

Pitfalls:  The major pitfall to consider here is getting too caught up in argument. Responding to someone else's argument can often descend into a kind of bickering. Do not assume that you need to take on every point in the other secondary essay. Pick the major point or a major point and prove that point wrong or misguided, etc. Worry about your evidence from the film, which will back up your points, rather than concentrating on tearing the other essay apart. There is also a danger here of a multi-focused thesis, if you try to take on too much from the other article. I expect you to have as clear a thesis like (if not clearer than) the article to which you are responding.

Length: 4-5 pages

Draft Due:  July 24

Final Draft Due: July 28

Presentation and Documentation: All your drafts must be typed and ready for presentation to me and your peer at the beginning of the class period on the day on which they are due. You are required to use any outside sources for this paper, which must be documented according to MLA guidelines found in the MLA Handbook [WR Tab 6]. You should use a 12-point Times-like  font, double space everything, and remain within 1" to 1.25" margins. Work that fails to follow MLA format will receive a 5 point deduction.

When you turn your final draft in on the due date, you are expected to turn in the entire writing process for the paper including the following: (1) final draft, (2) rough draft, (3) peer evaluation, (4) prewriting, and (5) works cited page. 5 points will be deducted for each part of the assignment that is missing or incomplete. You may turn your work in a folder or stapled together. Finally, please do not forget the penalties for late papers (both rough and final drafts) outlined in the course policies on the syllabus. If you do not turn in a rough draft, you will not receive a grade for the assignment. Moreover, because it is the last paper, you will not be able to turn the final draft in late. It will not be accepted after the 28th.