Analysis of an Individual Comic Strip or Political Cartoon Choose one comic strip or political cartoon. If you visit the website of a newspaper such as The Baltimore Sun, The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc., you should be able to search for comic strips or political cartoons easily.

5 essays:
1. Cartoon Analysis Essay 550 words
2.Application Essay 750 words
3. Evaluation Essay 750 words
4.Media Analysis 500 words
5.Classification Essay 500 words

Cartoon analysis essay 550 words
Option #1: Analysis of an Individual Comic Strip or Political Cartoon
Choose one comic strip or political cartoon. If you visit the website of a newspaper such as The Baltimore Sun, The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc., you should be able to search for comic strips or political cartoons easily.
Which techniques does the creator of the comic strip use? How does the creator make his/her point in the comic strip? What do we learn about the characters and/or ourselves from this comic strip or political cartoon? If colors are available, what do they tell us about this comic or cartoon? What language is used and how can that be interpreted?
And importantly, which of the key terms from the topic lesson can you discuss in your analysis? For example, how of elements of imagery, symbolism, metaphor, and/or irony help reveal the cartoon’s message?
As with all academic essays you write in this course, this essay should have a well-defined introduction with a thesis statement, body, and conclusion.
In essence, what are some of the physical elements present in the cartoon1 – characters, text, colors, etc., along with figurative elements such as metaphor and symbolism, that help to explain the cartoon’s message? It can be helpful to focus on a single element in the cartoon in its own body paragraph (including the element in the topic sentence and in the thesis) and describe how it portrays the cartoon’s message before moving to the next cartoon feature in a new paragraph.
Sample Thesis Statement: “John Smith uses (add one element from the cartoon), (add a second element from the cartoon), and (add a third element from the cartoon) to show (add the cartoon’s message).”

1A successful analysis will go beyond the obvious, literal elements of the cartoon and will analyze figurative elements, too. Use the course topic lessons to inform your analysis.

Option #2: Analysis of Multiple Comic Strips or Political Cartoons
Choose two political cartoons or comic strips created by the same person. Which techniques does the creator of the political cartoons use? How does the author make his/her point in the political cartoons? What do we learn about the characters and/or ourselves from these political cartoons? How does the language transmit the creator’s message? Using a comparison or contrast mode of development, draw conclusions about the techniques the author uses in the political cartoons and how they apply to our lives. As with all academic essays you write in this course, this essay should have a well-defined introduction with a thesis statement, body, and conclusion.
Use the point-by-point or subject-by-subject structure to compare and contrast about three to five elements found in the cartoons that help to explain how they apply to our lives or to a message present in today’s society. After you compare and contrast each paragraph, be sure to explain the message those elements and the cartoons help to depict.
Sample Thesis Statement: “John Smith’s cartoon strips Cartoon 1 and Cartoon 2 use (add one element from the cartoon), (add a second element from the cartoon), and (add a third element from the cartoon) to explain (add the cartoon’s message).”
Be sure to document the cartoon or comic strip on a Works Cited page. Please visit the following source for citing an electronic image: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/
The guidelines for this assignment are as follows:
Length: The assignment should be at least 500 words.
Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the following information:
Your first and last name
Course Title (Composition II)
Assignment name (i.e., Cartoon Analysis)
Current Date
Format:
MLA-style source documentation and Works Cited2
Your last name and page number in the upper-right corner of each page
Double-spacing throughout
Standard font (Times New Roman, Calibri)
Title, centered after heading
1″ margins on all sides
Save the file using one of the following extensions: .docx, .doc, .rtf, or .txt
Underline your thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.

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Application essay
Assignment Instructions: Frankenstein Application Essay
The Frankenstein Application Essay
Literary works like Frankenstein explore the “human condition” or experiences that humans encounter. The study guides for Frankenstein offer several “Real Life Considerations” meant to help you critically analyze the applications of the work’s themes in today’s world. Now, you will choose one of these topics and explore it using secondary resources to learn more about the novel and its relevant social topics. You might find information about social issues in familiar sources such as magazines, newspapers, or social science journals. Make sure your sources are credible – you do not want a random website or an encyclopedic website such as Wikipedia.2 Your sources will preferably be scholarly ones. Here are some ideas of places where you might find appropriate sources for this assignment:
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/ (note that this is different from regular Google)
Microsoft Academic Search: http://academic.research.microsoft.com/
Cornell University’s arXiv (open access sources in math, biology, physics, and other fields): http://arxiv.org/
Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE): https://www.base-search.net/
Your local library
Your thesis statement and paper must address both the literary qualities and the social issues as you evaluate the novel, Frankenstein. However, keep in mind, your essay does not have to answer ALL of the questions listed under each topic. Only answer the questions you feel are the most relevant to the thesis statement you choose. Develop your essay so it has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Ensure that each of your claims is supported with valid evidence from the novel, Frankenstein, and at least three other credible external sources.3
Using proper MLA style, insert parenthetical citations and signal phrases for all borrowed information in addition to a Works Cited page for Frankenstein and your chosen external sources.
You have several options for this assignment:
Option #1: Can science go too far?
There is an ongoing battle between faith or spirituality and science that has been active even before the time of Mary Shelley. What are some of the dilemmas she addresses that are still important today? What are some of the ethical questions she brings up regarding the scientific definition of life and death? What does she illustrate about the power science has to blur the line between life and death? What is a current news item that is similar to this issue?
Hint: Develop a thesis that answers a question like this one: “How and how well does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein address ethical issues of science and/or faith for audiences, regardless of when they read the novel?”
Option #2: Discovery
Both Frankenstein and Walton are trying to discover something important to them. What parts of their real lives drive them to discovery? Does that drive still exist today? While we’ve mapped the globe, are there still geographical places for people to explore? In science, are people still trying to discover the meaning of life, how to save life, and how to defeat death? What methods do they use? Are there better ways to accomplish these goals than others? What are some of today’s motivations for discovery?
Note: Develop a thesis that answers questions like this one: “How and how well does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein address human discovery as a theme?”
Option #3: World Perception and Prejudice
Reread the paragraph where the creature describes the book from which Felix teaches Safie. It begins: “The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney’s Ruins of Empires…”
What are some of the perceptions and prejudices from the book that Felix teaches Safie? How have these perceptions and prejudices changed, if they have, in today’s society? What are some present-day situations and references that may claim a lack of prejudice or an open-mindedness, but, in fact, are still very prejudiced, racist, sexist, etc.? Why do you think these situations still happen? Can anything be done about it?
Hint: Develop a thesis that answers a question like this one: “How and how well does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein address human prejudice in the world throughout time?”
Option #4: Personal Perception
It could be argued that the creature did not consider itself a monster and didn’t do awful things until people treated him like a monster. What are some real-world instances in which people’s actions could be a reaction to abuse from others? Who do you feel is accountable in these situations? Why?
Hint: Develop a thesis that answers a question like this one: “How and how well does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein address the effect of peer perceptions on personal development?”
Option #5: Death and Suicide
At the end of the book, the creature promises to destroy himself. Is this a justifiable end for him? Could he have been redeemed? Would he have had a place in the world of Shelley’s novel? How could this relate to current-day issues like suicide or the death penalty?
Hint: Develop a thesis that answers a question like this one: “How and how well does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein address the value of an individual’s life and death?”
Option #6: Nature vs. Nurture
The creature argues that had someone properly guided him, he would not have been so wretched. Frankenstein4 argues that the creature was evil to begin with, so it would have been useless to teach him at all. What are some current debates – especially in education – where these kinds of arguments still arise? How much of behavior of you think is based on nature (how a person IS) and how much is based on nurture (what a person LEARNS or EXPERIENCES)? What examples from the present support your opinion? What do you feel is the truth? Why?
Hint: Develop a thesis that answers a question like this one: “How and how well does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein address existing personality traits versus how a person is taught to act?”
Option #7: Feminism
The feminist perspective is often explored in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. How are the women characters treated in the novel? What perceptions of women did Shelley use and comment on? How did she handle the theme of motherhood?
Hint: Develop a thesis that answers a question like this one: “How and how well does Mary Shelley incorporate responses to feminist issues into the novel, Frankenstein?”
The guidelines for this assignment are as follows:
Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the following information:
Your first and last name
Course Title (Composition II)
Assignment name (Frankenstein Application Essay)
Current Date
Format:
MLA-style source documentation and Works Cited5
Your last name and page number in the upper-right corner of each page
Double-spacing throughout
Standard font (Times New Roman, Calibri)
Title, centered after heading
1″ margins on all sides
Save the file using one of the following extensions: .docx, .doc, .rtf, or .txt
Length: This assignment should be at least 750 words.
Underline your thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.

1 Remember to italicize titles of books. Thus, if you are referring to this book’s title, you should italicize it as Frankenstein. However, if you are talking about Frankenstein the character, it will not be italicized (e.g., Victor Frankenstein is the main character in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.)
2 Tip: Part of your grade will be assessed on the credibility of your sources.
3 Failure to use the minimum source requirement will constitute a severe point deduction.
4 It is a common misconception that the creature is named Frankenstein. Keep in mind that the creature itself is not Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein is the human protagonist in the novel. The creature, or monster, is Victor’s creation.
5 This resource may be helpful as you are making MLA formatting decisions: MLA Formatting and Style Guide

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Evaluation essay

Assignment Instructions: Frankenstein Critical Analysis Evaluation Essay
Note: Please review the source guidelines below very carefully. If you do not choose from the provided sources below, this will cause a grading delay and you will need to resubmit the assignment.
For this assignment, you will write your evaluation essay. You are required to submit only your final draft for this assignment (though we encourage all students to take advantage of the additional feedback a draft can provide). Use the graders feedback and the rubric to make revisions to your draft before submitting the final. Your second draft will be graded.
Now that you have completed Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, you are in a good position to consider what critics have written about the novel. You will need a total of two critiques (also known as critical analysis essays) for this assignment.
First, use the selection of links below to locate a critical analysis essay written about the 1818 version of Mary Shelley’s novel. You may focus most of your attention on this first critique. If the author of your critique is not specified, focus on the publication of the critique.
Choose from among these sources:
Romantic Circle’s Critiques:
Critique 1
Critique 2
Critique 3
Critique 4
Critique 5
Critique 6
Professor Naomi Hetheringtons critique
The questions in the study guides should have helped you evaluate this criticism in your head. Now its time to write it down!
Your evaluation may go more smoothly if you approach the guiding questions in this order:
Evaluate the critic/author:
Who wrote the criticism you read? What credentials does the author have? (If you are using a valid source, you should be able to find these easily)
Find the thesis of the article:
What is the thesis of the critical article youve chosen? What point does the author want to make about Frankenstein?
Evaluate the thesis:
Do you agree with this thesis? Why or why not? Weve covered many ideas in the study guides. Can you find points within the guides that support your agreement or disagreement with the critical writer(s)? Look for new supporting information rather than revisiting the same ones the critics have chosen.
Evaluate the support:
Whether you agree or disagree with the thesis, does the critic provide sufficient research from the text and outside references to make a strong case? What does the article have for support from the text or outside sources? In your opinion, what makes these references valid? Do you feel the author uses this support properly?
Next, locate a second critique about the novel that includes ideas somewhat similar (genre classification, for instance) to any of the discussions you have in your essay. The second critique can either support or refute any of the claims in your paper. The objective of this portion of the essay is to further support your opinion of the primary critics thesis or support. Therefore, for example, if you choose a secondary article that refutes any of your claims, you will need to counteract those ideas to bring the focus of your essay back in alignment with your essays thesis (your personal opinion of how the primary critic is either correct or incorrect in his or her thesis claim and/or how the first critic is either effective or ineffective in his or her support). Every discussion in this essay should ultimately support the claim you make in your thesis.
For instance, if the first critic argues that Shelleys writing is juvenile, and if you agree, does the second critic also support this thesis? How so? If the second critic does not support your assessment of the first critic’s thesis, what evidence can you use from the text to argue that the second critic is incorrect? Consider another example: if the first critic believes the novel is autobiographical, and if you disagree, does the second critic help you argue your own view of the first critic’s thesis? If so, how? Perhaps the second critic disagrees with your view and feels the novel is autobiographical– if that’s the case, be prepared to use evidence from the text to refute the second critics thesis and support your own argument. Using two critiques in this way will allow you to create a polished, comprehensive Evaluation Essay that allows you to connect your own ideas to those of seasoned critics.
In addition to addressing each of the evaluative components above, develop your essay so it has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You must include an evaluative thesis statement in both the introduction and the conclusion. Ensure that each of your claims is supported with valid evidence from the literary criticism you have chosen; the novel, Frankenstein; and/or the study guides.
Using proper MLA style, insert parenthetical citations for all borrowed information in addition to a Works Cited page for Frankenstein and your chosen literary critiques; you are not required to cite the study guides if you use them.
Helpful Hints: For a thesis statement, try answering a question like: How and how well does this piece of criticism state and support its argument regarding Frankenstein?
You might use these as possible guidelines in crafting your thesis statement:
(Critic, aka author of the critique) uses (add critic title) to (add an adjective to describe the effectiveness of the argument such as adequately or inadequately) argue that (add critics thesis) by (explain why and/or include your support).
OR
(Critic)s (add critique title) (add an adjective to describe the effectiveness of the argument such as adequately or inadequately) argue that (add critics thesis) because (explain why and/or include your support).
More specific thesis examples:
John Smith uses “Frankenstein Critique Essay” to adequately argue that Victor’s mother created the first monster by coddling Victor as a boy.
OR
John Smith’s “Frankenstein Critique Essay” does not effectively argue that Victor’s mother created the first monster because the novel Frankenstein too strongly supports inherent good or bad, which means nurturing roles cannot be held responsible.

The guidelines for this assignment are:
Length: This assignment should be a minimum of 3 typed pages or at least 750 words.
Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the following information:
Your first and last name
Course Title (Composition II)
Assignment name (Evaluation Essay, Writing Assignment 4)
Current Date
Format:
MLA-style source documentation and Works Cited
Your last name and page number in the upper-right corner of each page
Double-spacing throughout
Standard font (TimesNewRoman, Calibri)
Title, centered after heading
1 margins on all sides
Save the file using one of the following extensions: .docx, .doc, .rtf, or .txt
Underline your thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.
Reminder: You need at least two critiques in addition to the novel in Works Cited in order to receive the highest score. In other words, you need three sources total in cited in the essay and on the Works Cited page in order to earn the maximum points in the corresponding column on the grading rubric. Failure to meet the source minimum will result in a severe decrease in your grade.
Rubric: Grading Rubric for the Critical Analysis
Once you have finished with your essay and are ready for it to be reviewed by a grader, submit your assignment using the Draft or Final upload links for this assignment. Please note that drafts are optional.
Last modified: Monday, July 22, 2019, 1:07 PM
https://s3.amazonaws.com/StraighterLine/ENG102/Topic+4%3A+Evaluation/_Belle+Assemblee_+Review+of+_Frankenstein_%2C+March+1818.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/StraighterLine/ENG102/Topic+4%3A+Evaluation/_Blackwood’s+Edinburgh+Magazine_+Review+of+_Frankenstein_%2C+1818.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/StraighterLine/ENG102/Topic+4%3A+Evaluation/Hetherington%2C+_Creator+and+Created+in+Frankenstein_.pdf

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MEDIA ANALYSIS ESSAY:
Writing Assignment: Media Analysis
You are required to submit the FINAL copy of this assignment, but you may first submit an optional
DRAFT. This will allow you to receive qualitative feedback that can inform your revision. You should
always avoid focusing solely on the graders DRAFT feedback; use the feedback as a supplement to the
course lessons and your own revision ideas. Always expect to revise beyond what the DRAFT grader
specifically notes if you want to improve your score.
For this media analysis, you will analyze how one part affects the whole media production.
Note that you should select only a single piece of media; you should not be discussing more
than one film, for example. You should choose one1 of the following parts to explore:
Genre: Explain how the production you chose fits into its genre.
Camera: Analyze how the cameras use (camera angles, for instance) affects the
overall production.
Lighting: Describe how lighting is used to enhance or detract from the production.
Actors/Characters: Analyze how the actors OR the characters themselves enhance or
detract from the production.
Symbols: Explain what the symbols are and how their usage affects the overall
production.
Music: Describe how the music enhances or detracts from the media production.
Sound Effects: Analyze how the sound effects enhance or detract from the
production.
Special Effects: Explain what special effects are used and how they affect the viewing
experience.
Comparison to a Literary Work: (Note: This option may only be chosen if the film you
chose is also in print form.) How are the book and film similar? How are they
different? Which is better, and why?
Your purpose in this assignment is to explain how or why something works; therefore, you
should not include a full summary of the media production. Instead, you can provide context
where needed so the reader understands what is happening. The body of the essay must
1 Please review the rubric and note that you will not earn full credit if you analyze more than one of these
components.
focus on your analysis. You can use the ideas contained in the Media Analysis lesson
presentation and the Writers Handbook link to help you.
As with all college writing, your essay should have a strong thesis statement in addition to an
introduction, body, and conclusion.
Other than your chosen film, television show, and/or book, you are required to cite at least
one other credible2
source for this essay. This resource from the course will help you
understand more about evaluating sources. Moreover, if you use specific information from
the media production and/or print source, such as a quotations, you should include your
chosen media source on your Works Cited page, too. Use proper parenthetical citations or
signal phrases, and be sure to include MLA documentation and a Works Cited page for this
assignment (this resource from the course will help).
Review the rubric to see how your work will be assessed on this assignment.
Thesis hints: You might use these guidelines in crafting your thesis:
If you are analyzing elements in a production:
In (add your one chosen production), (add character 1), (add character 2), and (add character 3) were
used to (add how they enhanced the production or explained the productions message).
OR
If you are comparing/contrasting a book and film:
(Add book) contained (add one aspect that made the book better than the film), but (add film) used
(add one aspect that made the film better than the book) and (add a second aspect that made the
film better than the book) to better capture the readers imagination.
Here are more specific thesis guidelines:
If you are analyzing elements in a production:
In the movie The Lorax, the characters Lorax, Once-ler, and Alocius O’Hare were used to show how
environmentalists are fighting against profit-driven industries that are harming the environment and
depleting natural resources.
2 Please note: Basic dictionary sources, user-edited websites (e.g., Wikipedia, eHow, etc.), and sites that house
databases of quotations are not considered credible sources. You will lose points in the Research category of the
rubric if your sources arent credible.
OR
If you are comparing/contrasting a book and film:
Even though the characters were portrayed mostly the same across the book and the movie in
Stephanie Meyers Twilight, the setting in the movie was much more detailed, which made the movie
a much better overall experience compared to the book.
The guidelines for this assignment are as follows:
Length: This assignment should be at least 500 words.
Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the
following information:
Your first and last name
Course Title (Composition II)
Assignment name (Media Analysis)
Current Date
Format:
MLA-style source documentation and Works Cited3
Your last name and page number in the upper-right corner of each page
Double-spacing throughout
Standard font (TimesNewRoman, Calibri)
Title, centered after heading
1 margins on all sides
Save the file using one of the following extensions: .docx, .doc, .rtf, or .txt

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Writing Assignment: Classification Essay
You are required to submit the FINAL copy of this assignment, but you may first submit an optional
DRAFT. This will allow you to receive qualitative feedback that can inform your revision. You should
always avoid focusing solely on the graders DRAFT feedback; use the feedback as a supplement to the
course lessons and your own revision ideas. Always expect to revise beyond what the DRAFT grader
specifically notes.
The Classification assignments requires you to organize a topic into categories and then
provide examples of what characteristics fit into each category.
You have several options for this assignment, so you will need to choose one:
Classify the types of writers
Classify the types of bosses/supervisors
Classify the types of monsters
Classify the types of characters
Classify the types of heroes
Classify the types of dance
Classify the types of teachers
Classify the types of roommates
Classify the types of dates
Classify the types of mothers
Keep in mind that these are general topics. You may need to further subdivide these general
topics in order to have a specific enough topic for your essay. For instance, dance may be
divided into cultural dances, for one, and then even further into Mexican dances. Famous
guitarists could be divided into rock guitarists, and then further into bass guitarists.
Regardless of the topic you choose, you will need to identify its classifications and provide
enough evidence to prove that your classifications are correct. This evidence (details,
reasons, and/or examples) needs to be corroborated by at least one other credible1
source.
Failure to use a credible source for support will constitute a point deduction. This resource
from the course will help you understand more about evaluating sources.
Properly cite others ideas and language according to MLA guidelines (this resource from the
course will help). If you use any exact words from your source, you must put those exact
words in quotation marks and included a parenthetical citation. If you put source material
into your own words (i.e., if you paraphrase), you will not need quotation marks, but you will
need a parenthetical citation. Make sure that your parenthetical citations correspond to the
works cited entry. In addition to the evidence, you must explain how the evidence you
present proves that your classifications are correct.
1 Please note: Basic dictionary sources, user-edited websites (e.g., Wikipedia, eHow, etc.), and sites that house
databases of quotations are not considered credible sources. You will lose points in the Research category of the
rubric if your sources arent credible.
To make your classifications clear, examine only one classification per body paragraph. The
body of the essay should follow a logical progression. You may choose to organize your essay
based on any one of the following:
Move from the least important classification to the most important classification
Move from the most important classification to the least important classification
Move from the largest category to the smallest one
Move from the smallest category to the largest one
If the classifications occur in a set space, move from left to right OR right to left
If the classifications occur in a set space, move from back to front OR front to back
As with all college writing, your essay should have a strong thesis statement in addition to an
introduction, body, and conclusion.
Here is an idea of how you might introduce your essay if you were classifying types of sports
fans2
: On a clear, warm evening in June, thousands of Americans might be getting ready to
watch a baseball game. These fans may stop by concessions to grab a hot dog and cold drink
before ambling to their seats, and they might be in the grandest arena or in the smallest of
baseball parks. But regardless of location, any given baseball game will find among its fans
the following three types: the Fair-weather Fan, the Diehard Fan, and the Newbie.
Tip: Notice how this introduction provides vivid description of the scene while preparing the
reader for what the main focus will be.
As seen in the example above, you might use this as a simple guideline in crafting your thesis:
The three most ubiquitous baseball fans are the (first fan type), the (second fan type), and (third fan
type).
The guidelines for this assignment are as follows:
Length: This assignment should be at least 500 words.
Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the
following information:
Your first and last name
Course Title (Composition II)
Assignment name (Classification Essay)
Current Date
2 NOTE: Because this topic is used here as an example, you should not choose this as your own topic.

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