A critical paper is your opportunity to evaluate an aspect of one or more texts, formulate a thesis, research critical opinions on the subject, and use the text and the secondary sources to support your ideas in writing. For your second critical paper, your “text” will be the film written and directed by Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko (2001). In order to avoid offering merely a summary of the film’s plot, you need to develop a thesis that is open to argument, and engage with at least three secondary sources. Focus on proving your argument with specific references to the texts you are writing about. This assignment is worth 20% of your grade.
Please choose one of the following topics for your paper:
1) Donnie Darko is a difficult film to classify according to the common genres of film. Make an argument for Donnie Darko fitting best into one of these genres: a) teen coming-of-age film; b) science fiction/fantasy film; or, c) gothic/horror film. Use your research to familiarize yourself with each genre, and then develop a detailed extended definition of the genre you have chosen. Analyze the elements of the film that support your choice of genre.
2) Director Richard Kelly has developed a theory of time travel that he employed in the writing of Donnie Darko. You will find the explanation for this theory in the Module 4>Week 15 folder on the link to the website Donnie Darko: The Tangent Universe. Explain Kelly’s theory of time travel, and then provide a reading of the film’s elements that explains how the film develops this theory.
3) Films generally reflect or comment on the place and time period in which they are set. The characters, the plot, the theme(s), and even the soundtrack of the film contribute to the film’s commentary on this time and place. Donnie Darko is set in American suburbs in 1988. Analyze the elements of the film. What does the film suggest about suburban American life, especially for high school students in the late 1980s?
Due date: The final draft of this paper will be due on Saturday 11:59 pm at the end of Week 16. You will submit your paper on Blackboard using the upload tool in the Module Four folder.
Requirements:
Length and format:
*The paper must be a minimum of three complete pages, typed and double-spaced, to a maximum of five complete pages.
*Use a 10- or 12-point, professional-looking font. Using a larger font will result in a paper which does not meet the length requirements for this assignment. Failure to meet the minimum length requirement will result in loss of a letter grade for this assignment.
*Use 1-inch margins on all sides of the paper. On the first page of your paper, include the title of your paper, your name, and the class’s identifying information.
*Attach a Works Cited that conforms to MLA guidelines to the end of you paper.
*Use at least three secondary sources (whether you quote them directly or paraphrase). WEBSITES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE SOURCES FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT. Use scholarly articles that you locate in ACC library’s database. You may use the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) to find character and actor names, song titles, production locations, and other information regarding the production of the film. This website will not count as one of your three secondary sources, but it should be properly cited on your Works Cited list.
Grading: I will be grading you on the following criteria:
Thesis statement: The paper should have a specific, focused, and effectively-worded thesis statement.
poor thesis statement: Jones’s and Smith’s use of the tree as a symbol in their poems is both similar and different. (unfocused and non-specific).
effective thesis: While Jones and Smith both use the tree as a symbol of knowledge, Jones presents the tree as knowledge that improves mankind, and Smith presents the tree as knowledge that leads mankind into evil.
Organization: An essay is comprised of an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. Ideas which support the thesis should be divided into logical paragraphs and presented in a logical order. You will find it helpful to begin with an outline of your essay.
Content: I will be looking for ideas and insights which show college-level thinking. Also, I will be looking for the use of lines from the poems or stories which support the opinions you assert about the works. Use you own ideas: a good essay is not a patchwork quilt of critics’ words. Instead of piecing together the words of the critics, use critics to back up your own opinions, or argue against the critics’ opinions. When you borrow the words of critics or any secondary sources, give them credit by citing their words or ideas within the text of your paper. For this assignment, two secondary sources are sufficient.
example of direct quote: One critic states that the tree in Smith’s poem “recalls the Tree of Knowledge from the biblical story of the Garden of Evil: it both opens up new possibilities and brings other possibilities to an irrevocable end” (Allen 52).
example of paraphrase: One critic feels that the tree in Smith’s poem is similar to the Tree of Knowledge that appears in the bible because it offers greater knowledge, but it also puts an end to an easier, more childlike life (Allen 52).
Grammar and Mechanics: Be sure to proofread and edit your paper. The effective paper will not contain significant grammatical errors, spelling errors, or typos. Follow MLA guidelines for formatting your title page, the text of your paper, and the Works Cited. If you need help with your writing, make use of the Learning Lab or meet with me during my office hours.
