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For the essay in this course, you've got two choices. Pick one
category and run with it:
You can either:
 | Examine a single theme from one of the
pieces that we've read. For instance, you could examine arrogance in
"Scandal in Bohemia" or trust in The Maltese Falcon. I leave what
theme and what work up to you. See below, however.
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| Do a character analysis of one of the figures
from one of the works we've read. Character analyses generally look for
how a character changes from the start to the end of a piece (if they do).
In the alternative, you could lay out the things that make that character
distinctive, the elements which make him or her tick.
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Whichever essay you choose:
| Your essay must be thesis-focused. This
means that you have to lay out how you're going to examine the text and
what you intend to demonstrate. Saying that Sam Spade is angry
isn't enough; I read that, say "Yup" and you've got nothing else to talk
about, nor I to read. If, however, you say that Spade's distrust of the
people around him makes him angry, then you're golden; you can discuss his
relationships in detail and demonstrate how they lead him to anger.
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| You must okay your topic with me
before you begin. This means that you need to draft an intro paragraph
and send/show it to me before you start your first draft. I want to make
sure that you've got a workable topic.
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Essays will be 4-5 pages in length; the first rough draft is due September
30, with
the final due October 7
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