Choose one of the topics offered in Module 6. Follow directions/ requirements in the prompt, and submit your essay by Friday night at the latest. Please be aware that all papers are run through TurnItIn software!
Format: 4-5 pages (min. 1200 word count), 1” margins, double-spaced, 10/12 pt. type. Use an effective structure that carefully guides your reader from one idea to the next, and edit thoroughly so that sentences are readable and appropriate for an academic audience. On a cover page or in the top left-hand corner of the first page, be sure to put your name, my name, our class, and the date. A relevant title (centered) is a nice finishing touch, too.
Labeling and file protocol: Files must be in a PC-friendly format; those sent submitted in a different format or without the proper file name will not be accepted and the student will receive F/ zero for the assignment. The names of files submitted must be saved as NAME.ASSIGNMENT NUMBER (i.e., Marc Bolan.HUM 135 essay). This is the name of the file on your computer, NOT the title you might give the essay itself. Students may submit papers as .pdf, .txt, .rtf, .doc or .docx files; on any word-processing program, use the dropdown menu under “Save As” to find these options. Or simply paste text directly into the text field. Either way, if I can’t open it, I can’t grade it, so no Google docs, Pages, Mac-only format, etc.
Here are four essay prompts (A-D). You must choose one to write for a letter grade. All term papers must be 12-1500 words (3-4 pages), typed, double-spaced, 1” margins, 10/12-point type. Put proper identifying information (name, class, date) in the header, and choose a good title that conveys your topic. Due Friday.
A: Reflection on Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Choose one of these approaches:
EITHER: Consider it as a period piece (rural America in the 1920s), as a class portrait (working-class black Southerner), or for its rather unique heroine (poor black bisexual single mother). You may also assess it for its literary style (epistolary). You must refer to at least three scenes / elements of the book to support your interpretation.
OR: In what ways do we see the characters of Celie, Mister, Nettie, and Shug evolve or change during the story? Pick at least two people and discuss what changes occur in their lives and personalities. Cite at least three scenes in the novel that illustrate these changes.
OR: Compare & contrast the book and the Steven Spielberg film version, citing and evaluating specific differences in character, plot, and/or theme. Again, at least three major examples must be considered.
B: Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones): Dutchman (1966 film version directed by Anthony Harvey)
You have two ways to consider this important early piece of “racial justice” theater. In both cases, however, start by writing a clear, concise paragraph summarizing the plot. Then:
EITHER: What do you think Baraka is saying about race relations in America? Admittedly, the play is 50 years old, but it’s still powerful and every bit as timely, given the increased calls for racial justice that have resulted from the events of this past year. Discuss at least three points you think the play raises and comment on how they might still be relevant today (or not). Watch this interview clip to get a better sense of what the author was trying to do, and make sure to refer to at least one comment of his in your paper.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkhL70D2ZB0 (Links to an external site.)
OR: Alternatively, pick two scenes for each main character, where Clay and Lula make a particularly important speech. It may be her opening monologue or his closing one – it’s up to you. But you must interpret their words to explain their positions on race, class, and /or gender – all of which are issues that the characters raise. Remember, that means you need to discuss four separate scenes, focusing on the dialogue.
You can review the play here (in 6 segments/scenes):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6XmBX9-po&list=PLkllO54doZSvlvAvPWrKw3Zzu7lq9OLTD (Links to an external site.)
Also, find cast and other practical details here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060358/ (Links to an external site.)
C: Crossroads reflection: This wonderful adaptation of the Robert Johnson legend uses it to underpin a modern relationship drama that then takes a supernatural twist. Eugene (Ralph Maccio) hopes to become a bluesman with the help of “Blind Boy” Willie Brown (Joe Seneca), who once walked the same path as Robert Johnson, right down to making a similar Faustian pact (a deal with the Devil), and now needs Eugene’s help to undo it.
In your essay, consider both of the following points. You must make at least 3 connections to scenes in the film, using relevant quotes to illustrate your opinions.
- What details in the film parallel or correspond to those from the life and myth of Robert Johnson, and in what ways? How does Willie follow in Johnson’s footsteps?
- In what ways does Eugene (Ralph Macchio) become a bluesman? What lessons does he learn from his fellow travelers? In other words, what experiences does he have that would be the stuff of blues lyrics?
See here for cast and other useful details: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090888/ (Links to an external site.)
D: Black Identity, Blues Literature reflection: Choose two (or more) of these pieces that describe or dramatize the Black experience, both socially and economically. Summarize the essays/stories in a good paragraph each and then express your own opinion as to how the ideas expressed there might connect with current issues of equity, inclusion, and racial justice. You must make at least two connections back to each essay or story. In a separate paragraph, you must also comment on the music and performances of Nina Simone to show how she aligns (or doesn’t) with the race issues raised in the essay. Choose at least two pieces from this list: Zora Neale Hurston,Their Eyes Were Watching God excerpt (chapter 18); Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal;” Alice Walker, “Everyday Use;” Malcolm X, “Learning To Read;” Cornel West & Wynton Marsalis, “Jazz, Hope, and Democracy.”
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