Claims and Goals of the Essay or a Presentation
The goal of this essay is that you will be able to synthesize and apply what you have learned in class with one of the experiences mentioned above. Whichever one you pick, review the chapter which corresponds to your cultural experience and the analysis at the end of that chapter. In your introductory paragraph briefly mention any of the technical elements, which we have discussed in class and which you will illustrate later in the essayof the artwork or of the film. Give an account of the sensory stimuli to which you responded. If you will be using a definition of an abstract concept in any part of your essay, define that concept on which you will be writing.
Themes
As we have discussed in class, a theme means a concept from class which the reader or audience finds in a work of art. Typically, it is not stated explicitly; it is part of the subtext of the work. Gilgamesh, for instance, does not explicitly state the concept of the Heros quest; however, we know from class that, in fact, the idea of what qualifies as a hero repeatedly appears as a subtext of the story. One might argue that the movie Arrival and Room depict a modern version of the heros quest.
Qualities such as empathy appear, moreover, as part of the subtext the story. Everyone from our class should be able to identify art works which depict the theme of Empathy. You should have notes on the Kathy Kolwitz art work. You should be able to take those notes and describe how she uses line, shape, form to convey that theme in the work Mothers; therefore, if, when you make a visit to a museum, you should be able to apply the same process of analysis to the artwork you see there.
We have discussed on a number of occasions how a writer might identify the theme of enlightenment and associate it with a character or an artwork. Anyone who is still unclear about that theme needs to reread Allegory of the Cave or Crito and watch the videos on the same topics.
Never use a dictionary definition of a concept which is a part of your claim. For instance, a student decides to write about the concept of Free-Will. Some of my students state that Free-will means they can do whatever they want. Vague and nondescript as that definition is, it is a start. That student must reread Allegory of the Cave, especially the part in which Socrates questions Glaucon about the prisoner who escaped. Should he return the cave or not? If so, why he should or should not return? Obviously, that exchange between Socrates and Glaucon concerns free-will or the nature of enlightenment, and I am sure having read Allegory of the Cave and discussed it in class most students could create a much better definition for that concept of Free-Will than I can do whatever I want.
Again, you must define your theme in your own terms. Then make your claim about the relationship between the film or the other cultural experience and that concept. Although you will reword your claim to reflect your own voice, here is an example: I believe your film or your works of art reflects the nature of your concept. Then give the reader your definition of that concept and some indication of how you will support that claim 2-3 sentences. Those sentences will outline the subsequent body paragraphs
Other Themes
We have discussed and define a number of themes in class. We have reviewed them on quizzes. You may choose one of the following themes as the topic for your essay, or you may come up with your own; however, you must discuss it with me first.
Pluralism (found in readings week 1, check the calendar)
Ethics (found in readings week 1, check the calendar)
Aesthetics (found in your text book)
Enlightenment (found in Allegory of the Cave)
Artisanship (found in your text book)
Empathy (found on readings week 1, check the calendar)
Hero (found in Gilgamesh)
Free-will (found in Allegory of the Cave or Crito Dialogue)
Mortality (found in Gilgamesh)
Step by Step
Begin with a section that offers a brief, factual overview: what you did, where it was, when you went, who was being featured etc.
Focus on some aspect of the event which piqued your interest. If you went to a museum or art gallery, you certainly cant describe every work. Signal what technical concepts from the book and the class that you will use and the sensory stimuli to which you responded. Then make your claim. *A museum or gallery will require that you describe the place too. Refer to Chapter 3 of your book. The same is true for a performance. Choose highlights which you will describe in detail later.
The body paragraphs will be your in-depth response to the experience and support for your claim.
Conclusions will remind the reader what your claim is and how you proved that claim. It will not just reiterate your claim. Having conveyed the importance of that experienced, you should be able to state why it was important to you and why the reader should care. Give them some action to take.
Step by Step, Film project
Take notes as you watch the film. Later you will refer to your notes to locate the scenes which you will discuss in detail.
Again, you may offer a brief overview to begin your essay (2-3 sentences); however, avoid plot summary.
Pick 3-4 scenes which you believe illustrate ideas which we have discussed in class and in your book. Addressing one of the concepts listed in Works, Concepts, and topics is required.
You may discuss a technical aspect of the film in regard to your scenes. For instance, you may discuss concepts such as mise-en-scene, lighting, or something else; however, you do not need to do that.
Read or reread chapter 7 as a reference for technical terms. Though as stated in step 4, it is not required that you discuss a technical aspect of the film.
Works, concepts, & topics covered from 1020 & 2210 (some may not be covered)
Platos Allegory of the Cave, Critos Dialogue, Thucydides Pericles Funeral Speech, Antigone, Oedipus, or The Story of Job have themes which are echoed in the film. When we discussed the works above, we covered some of the following themes: Aesthetics, Artisanship, Social Contract, Justice, Opinion vs. Truth, Pluralism, Civilization, or Free will. You may have another theme which you want to discuss.
Some final suggestions for formulating a claim and organizing your essay
This is not a freshman English essay, but you may find it helpful to build a controlling idea (your claim) around a theme echoed in one of the sources above and your view of the movie or another cultural event. The following are examples of themes which are explored in our readings for the semester such as the ones list above. For instance, does the film explore the nature of reality? Does it confront concepts of truth and justice? Does the film define the idea of justice or social injustice? Does the cultural event which you picked explore what enlightenment means?
Consider a concept such as free-will. How does one of those authors above define the concept of Free-will? Is Free will or a lack of it present in the scenes or the film or the artwork which you picked to describe? Again, pick one theme. Create a Visual Cluster of your topic like the Venn diagram. It can help you see relationships.
For a museum visit or performance you may employ narrative; however, you should not use narrative to describe the film. Describing the events of the movie will lead to plot summary. You can assume the reader knows the plot of the film. You will discuss scenes for the purpose of analysis. Analysis is different from the plot summary.
After free writing, you may also find a Definition, Compare and Contrast, or Category essay useful when combining the experience of your cultural event with the topics above (again if you have never heard of any these types of essays, see me). For instance, upon reflecting on the class, how do you now define Aesthetics in your own life, and how does you work of art or the film mirror or challenge that definition?
Instead of defining it, you may judge a work of art by a criteria. If so, then it becomes a classification essay. For instance, what type of line does the artist employ in the composition? If thick or thin? Does that line direct your eye? In what type of medium does the artist work? We will discuss and see examples of compositions which have a distinct way of representing reality, so, if any of this is unclear now, it will be made clear.
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