Category: Other

FINAL ASSIGNMENT: Write an Essay (1000-1500 words): choose a successful comedy film (successful meaning critically and/or financially) and explain how the political and/or social climate of the time impacted the film. What was happening at the time it was made, and how did that contribute to the humor and the films success? Why did we find this funny? Whats the point of view presented by the film or filmmaker? How is cinematic language being used to convey the humor and theme of the film? Are there other noteworthy films of this style? Has this style or anything in the film become outdated, and if so, why?

Be thorough in your essay, citing specific examples. You must choose a film          that you are able to talk about for more than a paragraph. If you’re having trouble thinking of a film, I recommend starting with a genre or style of comedy you like, doing some research on the noteworthy films from that genre, studying what was going on at the time they were being made, and from there choosing the one you find most interesting. Feel free to contact me if you are really struggling (but do not do so at the last minute!)

Please do not exceed 1500 words if you can, as I have limited time to read 36 essays before final grades are due.

I am applying for Virginia tech as a graduate student, my major is Architecture and they asked me to write a two pages paper:

Why do you want to undertake graduate work?
Why do you qualify to pursue graduate degree at Virginia tech?
What do you expect to derive from your program of study?
If you have a concentration or area of interest in mind, briefly outline your interests in this area.
Why do you expect to contribute as a student and subsequently as a member of other profession?

I also attached a paper as an example.

You are writing a research paper on the playwright Federico Garcia Lorca.

You must use one primary source and three secondary sources. One of these must be a scholarly source from the JSTOR database.You must include three quotes from the course textbook: Theatre by Robert Cohen ( I attached the chapter to files).
Primary Sources: A primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings, speeches, and art objects. Interviews, surveys, fieldwork, and video recordings, speeches, and art objects. Interviews, surveys, fieldwork, and Internet communications via email, blogs, listservs, and newsgroups are also primary sources. In the natural and social sciences, primary sources are often empirical studiesresearch where an experiment was performed, or a direct observation was made. The results of empirical studies are typically found in scholarly articles or papers delivered at conferences.
Secondary Sources: Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. Secondary source materials can be articles in newspapers or popular magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly journals that discuss or evaluate someone elses original research.

Research areas you must include:
1.Introductory paragraph/Thesis
2.Biography and background of the playwright
3.Body of Work and Career of the playwright,
4.Playwright’s influences and Training,
5.Playwright’s impact on the craft, industry, diversity and/or social/political climate.
PLUS a Works Cited Page.

Please include Lorca’s play Yerma as an example of his work.

500 words or more analyzing the editing of a scene. Talk about different types of cuts – match cut/smash cut/cutting on action/etc. How do these cuts tell the story of the scene? How do they make you feel? What about the pacing? Is it fast or slow? How does that tell the story? Write generally about what choices the editor makes and how that affects the story and feeling of the scene.

Include a youtube link of the scene you write about. You may choose any scene you want.

A Good Man is Hard to Find p. 352 or p. 336
The Gift of the Magi p. 164 or 271
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas p. 252 or 229
in the Backpack Literature (Kennedy & Gioia).

Select one of the stories that you read and write an essay based on the provided writing assignment. The essay must be NO FEWER than 800 words. Essays containing fewer than the minimum word count will NOT be graded. You should not have more than 20% from outside sources (in this case the textbook). That is no more than 160 words. NO outside sources other than the textbooks should be used (no internet!).

Essay guidelines

The essay should be no fewer than 800 words.

The essay should include direct quotes and in-text citations from the text.

The essay should NOT include information from any outside sources other than your textbook. You should include both inner citations and a works cited page from the information in the textbook in MLA format.

Students should make sure that they answer the entire question and support their answers.

A Good Man is Hard to Find

n Review the steps outlined on pages 223-224 or 200-202 for writing about theme to help develop a strong thesis sentence about this storys theme. Then develop your argument into an essay, supporting your argument with evidence from the text, including quotations from the story.

The Gift of the Magi

n Write an essay analyzing the irony in this story. Discuss the various types of irony used, providing examples from the story. Explain how the author used irony to develop the story and entertain the reader. Also, discuss how the author used irony to help the reader better see the theme or main idea of the story.

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

n Write an essay discussing the use of symbolism in this short story. Does the author use a symbolic scapegoat in the story? How does symbolism affect the story? Why do you think the author used it in the story?

                                                                “Lottery”
        “The Lottery,” on p. 258 or 235  in the Backpack Literature (Kennedy & Gioia).

Read the short story “The Lottery” (it’s an easy read) that is in your Backpack Literature book and share two or three literary terms that you found in the story.

Are these important to the story?
Why?
Why not?
How do you think the use of the literary terms affect the way the reader “takes in” the story (for better or for worse)?