Compare and contrast the underlying themes in a film required for the class since Pillow Talk with a film seen outside of class.

Second Essay-Film 140
1. You must submit your essays by email to drop-box on D2L.

2. Make sure your name is on the essay.

3. You must attach your essay as a MS Word, WordPerfect, PostScript, Acrobat PDF,
HTML, RTF and Plain text. No other file types will be accepted. Turnitin will reject all
other file types and give you an error message. You will receive zero credit if you submit
any other file types.

4. You will be able to view notes and corrections in drop-box on D2L.

5. The drop-box will not accept any late assignments for any reason. The deadline is firm.

6. Turnitin will check your essay for originality.

Answer one of the following essay questions. Write no more than two typed pages,
double spaced and remember the essays must be typed. Concentrate on one clearly
defined thesis.

* State your thesis clearly in the first paragraph.

* Prove your thesis in the body of the paper.

* Sum up in the final paragraph.

* Cite concrete examples from specific scenes to prove your thesis.

* Your thesis should express one central idea.

* Concentrate on one underlying theme in the film.

If you choose to respond to questions 1-4, it is crucial that you connect the two films to
one another by comparing and contrasting their themes to develop a strong, well-
supported argument. Make sure that your essay has a clear thesis and specific examples
that demonstrate your claims. Only use elements from the plot sparingly to support your
thesis. Your ideas and insights should form the core of your paper.

Your essay should go somewhere. That is it should prove something. Enlighten me.

No plot outlines. I have absolutely no interest in a cursory retelling of the story. Assume
that I have seen the film numerous times. Work will be graded down for poor grammar
and spelling errors. Your writing should be clear, concise and to the point. It should have
impact and punch. It should carefully explore and prove your thesis.

In evaluating your work, stress will be placed on:

a) The coherence of your argument.

b) The range and detail of the examples you cite.

c) Originality and depth of thought.

d) Supporting evidence from the text and films viewed in class if appropriate.

1. Compare and contrast the underlying themes in a film required for the class since
Pillow Talk with a film seen outside of class.

2. Compare and contrast a required film with a nonrequired film by the same director
(Coppola, Lucas, John Singleton or Mike Nichols). Compare and contrast the
underlying themes.

3. Compare and contrast the underlying themes in a mainstream Hollywood release
with the underlying themes in an Independent production.

4. Compare and contrast the underlying themes in another youth/coming of age film
from any period with the underlying themes in The Graduate.

5. Carefully analyze the underlying themes in a film seen at the Pacific Film Archive,
a Film Festival or Paramount Theater this semester.* Include a synopsis of what
the film was trying to say, an analysis of whether or not it was successful and why.
Use concrete examples from the film and be specific.

*Extra credit will also be given to a film seen at the Pacific Film Archive, a Film
Festival or Paramount Theater.

SOME SUGGESTED YOUTH/COMING OF AGE FILMS

Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Diner, Harold and Maude, Sixteen Candles, Ferris
Buellers Day Off, Risky Business, American Pie, Stand By Me, My Life As a Dog, The
Cider House Rules, 400 Blows, Rebel Without a Cause, American Pie, Superbad, etc.

There’s a write way and a wrong way to communicate

Odette Pollar

San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, June 9, 2002

In these days of fewer people doing more work, there is a heavier reliance on each person
doing his own writing. Studies show that business people who write well get ahead
quickly. Good writing eliminates confusion, reduces mistakes and saves your
organization money. Here are some tips that will help you tackle your writing tasks more
effectively:

. Getting started. Whether it is a letter, report, memo or e-mail, focus on your readers.
Who are they? What is critical for them to understand? How technical must you be?
. Have a clear purpose in mind. Define your message and consider the best way to
transmit that message.
. Try to see your writing through your reader’s eyes.
. Write as you would speak to them. Be natural and use words that come easily to
mind. Write to inform, not to impress. Avoid verbosity.
. Organize your ideas. Outlines are helpful, and brief notes help reduce the number of
rewrites or the chance of sending something that is incomplete. Readers need to
know the who, what, why, where, when and how of your message.
. Write first, edit second. Get all the information down before you start to worry about
style. You can edit and polish on your second draft.
. When stuck, start in the middle. There is no law that says you must write the
introduction first. Sometimes it helps to get some of the basic information down on
paper before trying to figure out how to lead into it.
. Use plain, simple English. Emphasize nouns and verbs, not flowery adjectives and
adverbs. Avoid the passive voice as much as possible – “Roberta Gonzales wrote the
project report” is much stronger than “The project report was written by Roberta
Gonzales.” In general, shorter sentences are easier to understand than longer, more
complex ones. Short paragraphs encourage the reader to continue.

Write succinctly. “Choose” is better than “make a choice.” Why use three words when
one will do? Eliminate useless phrases such as “Please be advised,” “we wish to draw
attention” and “I have before me your letter.” The reader will appreciate the brevity.
. Check your facts. Be careful with names, dates and numbers.
. Proofread your work. Never trust your computer’s spell check function. A human
needs to read your work for sense, meaning and accuracy. Try the proofreading trick
of reading sentences back-to-front. This overcomes any tendency to read too quickly
and skip words and syllables.
. Don’t rush. Whenever possible, set your writing aside for an hour – or even a day –
and come back to read it fresh.
. Give it the teen test. Look at your final copy and ask, “Would a bright 13-year-old be
able to understand this?” If not, rewrite it.
. Fall in love with the dictionary. Look up problem words and phrases that you are
unsure of. Asking a colleague to review the document is also a good idea.