Write a 1,000-word essay in which you respond to the prompt below. In your essays, I’m looking not only at the quality and depth of your brainstorms but at the quality and precision of your writing as well. In other words, “good ideas” are important, but “good writing” is equally important here. So what is “good writing”?
1. Writing that reflects a mastery of Essay-Mechanics. I want you to write a solid introduction that — first of all — introduces the main subjects your essay will examine. Your intro-paragraph should culminate in a thesis statement in which you mention the main topics you’ve just introduced and tie them together in some specific way that your body-paragraphs will elaborate upon. I want a series of body-paragraphs that allude directly to your thesis statement — clarifying it, giving examples of it, exploring different dimensions of it, etc. And I’d like to see a concluding paragraph that doesn’t simply summarize your whole paper or simply restate your thesis. You need to actually draw some sort of conclusion about your main subjects — something about them that only appears to you after you’ve considered them at some length in light of your thesis.
2. Writing that reflects a mastery of Paragraph-Mechanics. Your Intro- and Body-Paragraphs should be fully developed (i.e., at lest 5 sentences long). Conclusion-Paragraphs can be short, though. Sometimes a single sentence is enough. I’d like to see topic-sentences in all your body-paragraphs — sentences that refer back to your thesis statement by repeating key phrases from it or paraphrasing it in other words.
3. Writing that reflects a mastery of Sentence-Mechanics. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation are very important, so you will want to leave yourself extra time to revise your wording and phrasing. Some of you may be a bit rusty with your grammar, and you may find it helpful to work with online tutors (Net Tutor and/or the tutors in our college’s Library and Learning Center).
4. Writing that reflects a mastery of Citation-Mechanics. You’ll need to cite the works that you refer to over the course of your essay. This includes both the essays and the images within our textbook. And if you refer to any additional resources (e.g., articles, websites, paintings, youtube videos, etc.), you’ll need to cite those as well. All of your citations should be in proper MLA format — with in-text (parenthetical) citations within the essay itself and a Works Cited page appearing as the last page of your essay.
With “good ideas” presented in “good writing,” you’ll produce work that you and I both can be proud of.
Writing Prompt
Take another look at Charlie Chaplin’s Pay Day. Chaplin is not only considered to be one of the greatest comedians of silent cinema, but one of the greatest theorists of human nature as well. His comedy is never just comedy; it’s always also a comment on the state of our humanity in relation to specific circumstances and social situations.
I’ll leave it up to you to explain to me — in your essays — what Chaplin’s understanding of our human nature is. Watch Pay Day again and think about this. What does Chaplin seem to be saying in this film about the nature of humankind? Point out specific scenes in the film and explain how these scenes reflect Chaplin’s views.
As you explain this to me, I want you to refer to AT LEAST TWO of the essays we’ve read in this unit. Compare and/or contrast Chaplin’s view of human nature to the views of (pick 2 or more).
Mencius
Hsun Tzu
Thomas Hobbes
Nicholas Carr
Carl Jung
As usual, I’ll need a Works Cited page at the end of this essay. You’ll need to cite the materials in our textbook AND you’ll need to figure out how to cite Chaplin’s film. Use the Ebooks that are embedded in our Canvas site if you need assistance with this.