Next week

Dear students,

I hope you had a nice holiday!

As I mentioned in class, your schedule next week will be as follows:

*substitute visiting on Tuesday

*work on your projects outside of class on Thursday

If you have any questions about the schedule, please email me or ask your peer mentors.

Looking forward to your projects!

Prof D

Fairy Tale Assignment

For next Tuesday's class, you will required to bring in a physical example of that day's assigned fairy tale that we did not cover in the homework and that is not in any of your assigned books for the course.

You must also select a version other than the Disney version, simply because those examples are too easy to find. You can, however, use Disney-inspired and subverted works--provided that Disney themselves did not make or manufacture them.

So, a little mermaid figurine you found at the dollar store would be a NO GO, since Disney manufactured it.

An Ursula-inspired drag queen works, though--provided she's not working for Disney! Make sure to double-check.

Here's where things get interesting: you can, if you like, select a non-film or a non-book version of the story. A sculpture, a painting, a performance art piece, a comic, a children's toy (again, can't be Disney)--these are all options. You could even bring in a cereal box!

Again, can't be Disney, though.

Make sure that the example you pick is ripe for analysis. You need to be prepared to discuss what it tells us about culture: who is the audience, what sorts of messages does the object or story send, what cultural ideas does it complicate (is it subverting the original story for some reason? Is it a feminist re-telling), what is relevant about its form (book, sculpture, cereal, etc).

The 1 page analysis should be typed, double-spaced, and should follow MLA formatting. You are strongly encouraged to use your class notes on fairy tales in the analysis as well.

As for your visual example, it can be printed out from the computer. Make sure you take a few notes on the context of the work--I will ask you where it came from, who made it, when they made it, why they made it, what it's about, etc. Please make sure it's printed neatly and is large enough for the class to see.

Please don't bring examples on your phones or computers--these will not count for credit and you will not be able to share them. Additionally, no "it's in my head" examples.

You may also want to bring two different examples, just in case someone else in class steals your thunder.

Looking forward to seeing your fairy tale examples!

Hi everyone,

If you're signing up for classes, I'm going to be teaching an awesome Jan Term course on horror fiction and film and two spring Why Read classes on science fiction. Sign up! Tell your friends!

Prof D

Final Essay & Presentation

Create a monster for the 21st century, to be presented to the class in a 10-15 minute presentation.  Please present your monster in a creative way--dress up as your monster, do a skit, share a video (all videos should be uploaded to youtube or vimeo so they can be played easily in class), visual aids/posters, etc. 

You may not bring laptops the day of the presentation, but you may upload to the web and present from the in class computer. Please do not present anything that requires a flash drive or downloading as we do not have time to set up in class.

Quickly slapped together print outs or scrawled drawings will receive no credit. You may not present a creative aide that was not made by you. 


Pay careful attention to your monsters physical attributes, living environment, prey, attitude, etc. Make sure these directly represent cultural fears and desires. 


Additionally, please answer the following questions in an essay format, 3-5 pages in length, and present them to the class as well. You may choose to present them in a creative way or a more straightforward way, but they must be answered directly. Being able to critically analyze your monster, as we've critically analyzed the monsters in this course, is imperative to your success on this assignment. Failure to do so, even if you have a cool looking monster, will result in a non-passing score on the assignment.


Here are the questions:


What cultural fears does your monster represent?


What cultural desires does it represent? 

You will want to choose something specific to the culture. For example, just as Dracula represented the Victorian desire for more sexual freedom for women, your monster will need to express a particular desire that relates to our cultural moment as Americans in this country, today, in the era of Facebook, the internet, climate change, political strife, student loan debt, etc (those are just a few specific examples, it can really be anything). Whatever you do, don't just say that the desires (or fears, for that matter) are something generic. You won't want to say that your monster represents a "fear of the unknown" or "fear of change" or "fear of death" --these are too broad and generic. Pick something related to what's going on in the world today. "Fear of being buried under a mountain of student loan debt" is a specific fear, related to what is going on in the world today. (Don't copy the fears I've put here--come up with your own). 


How is the monster's body a physical manifestation of these cultural fears and desires? For example, if it is a vampire that can walk out in sunlight, does it represent our changing attitude toward difference--the fact that we now are more tolerant of those who are not "the norm"? 


How does your monster "fit in" to the lineage of the monsters we have learned about this semester? Does your monster have anything in common with those monsters? How does your monster differ from them, as a representation of this particular cultural moment and place? 

Are there any other monsters that you took inspiration from? How did they inspire you?

Apply at least six quotes from the in-class monster thesis notes to your monster. How does your monster represent these quotes? You may choose to directly quote or paraphrase, but do include a Works Cited page.
Can't wait to meet your monsters! :-)

Transitions

Writing Transitions

Good transitions can connect paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas, transitions can help readers understand how paragraphs work together, reference one another, and build to a larger point. The key to producing good transitions is highlighting connections between corresponding paragraphs. By referencing in one paragraph the relevant material from previous paragraphs, writers can develop important points for their readers.

It is a good idea to continue one paragraph where another leaves off. (Instances where this is especially challenging may suggest that the paragraphs don't belong together at all.) Picking up key phrases from the previous paragraph and highlighting them in the next can create an obvious progression for readers. Many times, it only takes a few words to draw these connections. Instead of writing transitions that could connect any paragraph to any other paragraph, write a transition that could only connect one specific paragraph to another specific paragraph.

Example: Overall, Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits.

Another important thing to note is that the corporation had expanded its international influence.

Revision: Overall, Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits.

These impressive profits are largely due to the corporation's expanded international influence.

Example: Fearing for the loss of Danish lands, Christian IV signed the Treaty of Lubeck, effectively ending the Danish phase of the 30 Years War.

But then something else significant happened. The Swedish intervention began.

Revision: Fearing for the loss of more Danish lands, Christian IV signed the Treaty of Lubeck, effectively ending the Danish phase of the 30 Years War.

Shortly after Danish forces withdrew, the Swedish intervention began.

Example: Amy Tan became a famous author after her novel, The Joy Luck Club, skyrocketed up the bestseller list.

There are other things to note about Tan as well. Amy Tan also participates in the satirical garage band the Rock Bottom Remainders with Stephen King and Dave Barry.

Revision: Amy Tan became a famous author after her novel, The Joy Luck Club, skyrocketed up the bestseller list.

Though her fiction is well known, her work with the satirical garage band the Rock Bottom Remainders receives far less publicity.

Contributors:Ryan Weber, Karl Stolley.
Summary:

A discussion of transition strategies and specific transitional devices.

Transitional Devices

Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops. Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. And finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.

There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers to make certain connections or assumptions. Some lead readers forward and imply the building of an idea or thought, while others make readers compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.

Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a given way.

To Add:

and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)

To Compare:

whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true

To Prove:

because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

To Show Exception:

yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes

To Show Time:

immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then

To Repeat:

in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

To Emphasize:

definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation

To Show Sequence:

first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon

To Give an Example:

for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate

To Summarize or Conclude:

in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

Rough Draft Workshop

Questions:

1) Does the writer have a strong hook for the introduction? If not, suggest one. Does the writer introduce their topic clearly and succinctly, providing the necessary historical and plot background information so that the reader is not confused about the topic at hand? Give one or two suggestions for improvement in this area (do not skip).

2) Does the essay’s thesis seem to be undeveloped or too broad, or is it just specific enough to argue in an 4-6 page paper? Does it have one to two sentences? Does it outline the main topics that will be discussed in the essay? Many any necessary suggestions for clarification and more specificity as well (do not skip). Lastly, please remember that the thesis needs to address the prompt. 

3) Please note any places in the essay where further clarifying details could be added. This is something everyone in the class needs to work on. Is the writer clear about why "_____" is the real monster? Do they use scenes and quotes from the book and sources to back up their ideas?  Make sure historical context information is also provided.

4) Is the writer incorporating research from scholarly sources into the essay (not .com sources or dictionary/encyclopedia sources)? Do the sources seem to be strong and ON TOPIC? Why or why not (do not skip)

5) Does the writer have strong quotes from the book (Frankenstein) that they intend to use in the essay? They should! Are those quotes “murder weapon” quotes? Which quote is the strongest and which is the weakest? Suggest an ordering for the quotes that would help the writer work from their strongest point to their weakest (keeping in mind the importance of chronology/topic organization as well)—do not skip! Are the quotes smoothly integrated into the essay and not plopped?

6) Does the writer have sufficient analysis for their quotations? Remember, analysis is even more important than the quote itself. Make sure the writer is not simply explaining the quote in a summarizing fashion, but connecting it to its larger significance (relationship to their thesis). Make suggestions for improvement below, and be specific (do not skip).

7) Is the essay organized? Do the body paragraphs seem to build logically upon one another? Give at least one suggestion for improving the organization of the essay (do not skip). Starting at the beginning of the scene and then going forward from there is a good idea.

8) Does the writer incorporate their monster thesis notes into the essay effectively? 

9) Does the writer use effective transitions when moving between paragraphs? See the next post on this blog for tips.

NOTE ON ROUGH DRAFT DUE DATE

Hi everyone in my first section (11:00-1:20),

Please note that your rough drafts are actually due NEXT THURSDAY, not Tuesday. Sorry for any confusion! Please update each other.

Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday,
Prof D

Counterarguments

Please carefully read through this post on counterarguments, and incorporate this information into your essay.

Essay #3: Who is the Real Monster in Frankenstein?

Write an argumentative essay that declares either Victor, the creature, no one, or both Victor and the creature, the real monster of the novel Frankenstein.

This paper will further utilize your skills in comparison/contrast, but with a  clearly delineated argumentative bent. You will be analyzing throughout, but with a clear argument (your thesis) that you return to over and over. Make sure your arguments are logical and well-developed. I recommend one clear argument sub-point per paragraph, with lots of evidence to support it.

Additionally, you will want to make sure to incorporate into your essay plenty of counterarguments for the opposing perspective. Remember to utilize the skills you gleaned in class in this regard.

It should be very clear from the get-go (your thesis) who the monster is, and, most importantly, WHY. Your thesis does not need to be a mystery, as many of you were taught in high school. 

Your "why" needs to be spelled out and well-qualified (specific). It should be a "why" that you can back up with numerous examples from the novel itself in the form of quotes and paraphrases, as well as a why you can back up with examples from outside research.

You must incorporate your monster thesis notes (you will get more this forthcoming week) four times into the essay as well.

You need at least two outside sources, in addition to Frankenstein the novel. Your paper should have proper MLA citation and a Works Cited page. Failure to use MLA citation properly will result in a non-passing grade. Proofread for grammar errors.

Your outside sources must be scholarly sources, on topic. Think of articles written on Frankenstein, or the ethical dilemma presented in the book (so, philosophical or ethical science articles, etc). They may not be random websites or movies. They must be found via the library's database. There has been a ton of research on Frankenstein, so there should be no trouble finding sources, provided you budget your time and really dig for them.

One of your outside sources may one be the critical essays in the back of your Frankenstein book. The other you must find on your own.

Don't forget to cite your monster thesis notes as well as Frankenstein itself. This means you should have at least four critical sources listed on your Works Cited page total.