Research Requirement:
• Please read Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Justice and Redemption, written by Ronald Cotton and
Jennifer Thompson.
• Please view the 60 Minutes episodes concerning their story at the following links:
o Eyewitness Testimony Part I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97DSyF_Z3Do
o Eyewitness Testimony Part II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4V6aoYuDcg
Paper Directions:
• Now that you’ve read Picking Cotton and watched their story on 60 Minutes, please reflect on the
theme of forgiveness in the memoir. Does Ronald forgive Jennifer? Does Jennifer forgive
herself? Does Jennifer forgive Bobby Poole? Do Jennifer and Ronald forgive the justice
system? Do they need to? How would you forgive/not forgive if you were Jennifer? How would
you forgive/not forgive if you were Ronald? Provide details and examples from their story to
support your thoughts.
• Please quote from the memoir at least twice in your paper and provide proper in-text
citations after each quote.
• Please quote from the 60 Minutes episodes at least twice in your paper and provide in-text
citations after each quote.
Paper Outline:
• Paragraph 1: Introduction of the memoir and the theme of forgiveness
• Paragraph 2: Ronald & forgiveness
• Paragraph 3: Jennifer & forgiveness
• Paragraph 4: The justice system & forgiveness
• Paragraph 5: Others & forgiveness (Bobby Poole, Jennifer’s boyfriend, Detective Gauldin,
the other rape victim, etc.)
• Paragraph 6: You & forgiveness if you were any of the above people (they’re real people,
not characters—remember that this is a memoir, not a novel)
• Paragraph 7: Conclusion
Documentation Tips:
• Don’t forget to integrate your quotes smoothly into your sentences. A sentence in your response
might look like this: Thompson notes that during the trial, “Ronald Cotton must have had three
times more people there than I did” (Thompson and Cotton 67).
• Don’t forget to include proper in-text citations after each quote (see handbook)
• On your Works Cited page, cite the memoir as a book with two authors (see handbook)
• On your Works Cited page, cite the 60 Minutes videos as a “work from a website” (see handbook)
• Optional: Have your paper reviewed by a tutor on campus at any Library Learning Commons or
online via BrainFuse
ENC 1102
Picking Cotton Synthesis Paper
Assignment Sheet
Format Requirements:
1. Utilize MLA format with an MLA formatted header (see sample header provided in Canvas)
2. Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1-inch margins
3. Length Requirement: 3-4 full pages double-spaced
4. Proofread for fine tuning errors (such as spelling, spacing, formatting, punctuation,
capitalization, and grammar)
5. Use professional language and avoid text slang
6. Provide in-text citations for each quote
7. Provide a Works Cited page at the end of your paper
Rubric:
Paper Element Your Points Points Available
Introductory paragraph of the memoir and topic 15
Forgiveness development & details from the memoir 15
Quote & Citation 1 from Picking Cotton 10
Quote & Citation 2 from Picking Cotton 10
Quote & Citation 1 from 60 Minutes 10
Quote & Citation 2 from 60 Minutes 10
Fine Tuning (grammar, punctuation, format, etc.) 15
Works Cited Page (2 sources: Picking Cotton & 60 Minutes) 15
Total Points 100
