n this 500-to-750 word paper (or roughly two to three pages), answer the following question:
In what specific ways does the film On the Waterfront illustrate the key themes and arguments of “A City Built for the Mob?”
In writing this essay you will need to pair textual evidence in the form of direct quotations from both the reading and the film. To help you quote accurately from the film, here is the full screenplay (on_the_waterfront).
You will write a stronger essay if you focus on the author’s explanation for both: (A) the causes of waterfront crime (B) the nature and internal dynamics of that crime.
I’ll grade your essay according to this rubric (ms-word doc delivered to your desktop). Looking at it before writing your essay will likely make it easier to write a good essay (this rubric also has links to handouts on the various elements and qualities that will help make your essay strong).
WRITING REQUIREMENTS AND TIPS
1. Length: 500-750 words (about 2-3 pages of 12-point, double-spaced font)
2. You will want to organize around your essay around a concise thesis statement that appears near the beginning of your paper.
3. Be sure to underline your thesis statement (five points off if you do not).
4. Be sure to have at least eight direct quotations (four from the reading, four from the film). When citing dialogue or action, be sure to specify the episode and the approximate time in the film (27:32). When citing material from the reading–whether in a direct or indirect quotation–be sure to provide the page number (but I don’t need a full citation). Again, to help you quote accurately from the film, here is the full screenplay (on_the_waterfront).
5. When using direct quotations from the reading, be sure to use method 3 or 4 from HW 1 and also be sure to reduce your quotations to ten for fewer words. See here on how to reduce quotations.
6. When making your arguments, be sure to ground those arguments in specific evidence from the readings and film. Generally, to demonstrate how the film mirrors the reading you will want to pair a specific point from the reading with an example of the same phenomenon orfrom the film.
7. Be sure in those paragraphs where you make points from evidence to organize those paragraph in the familiar cl/ev/wa format from HW 1 and that you put a (CL) in front of your paragraph’s claim, an (EV) before the evidence, and a (WA) in front of the warrant. (Keep in mind (A) not all paragraphs should be in cl/ev/wa format–just those that make a point from evidence. Also keep in mind (B) that the cl/ev/wa format is for organizing individual paragraphs rather than for organizing whole papers. A strong paper will likely have a series of cl/ev/wa paragraphs as well as a number of paragraphs that are not in that format.) See, for example, the sample outline below.
(You do NOT need to follow this obviously hypothetical outline; but if you get stuck, it’s a good road map)
- Introduction
A. Brief background (no more than three sentences)
B. THESIS: The film’s depiction of the causes and nature of docklands crime mirrors the reading in four specific ways: (A), (B), (C), and (D) - Similarity (A)
CL: In both the reading and the film, space aliens inspire individuals to commit crime.
EV: A quotation from the reading demonstrating the presence of space aliens
EV: A quotation from On The Waterfront demonstrating the role of space aliens in crime
WA: (connecting your evidence to your claim)
3. (B)
CL
EV (2 quotations or other pieces evidence; one from On The Waterfront and one from the reading)
WA (connecting your evidence to your claim)
4. (C)
CL
EV (2 quotations or other pieces evidence; one from On The Waterfront and one from the reading)
WA (connecting your evidence to your claim)
5. (D)
CL
EV (2 quotations or other pieces evidence; one from On The Waterfront and one from the reading)
WA (connecting your evidence to your claim)
6. A conclusion
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