English-28 days later and resident evil

28 days later and resident evil

DescriptionEnglish 1302 Essay 1 Assignment Fall 2018
Close Reading in the Zombie Genre
Viewings: Night of the Living Dead (1968); Dawn of the Dead (1978); 28 Days Later (2003)
Assignment: George A. Romero’s living dead films constitutes the most significant reservoir of popular zombie culture in existence. Romero’s films are rich with social and political commentary and are as notable for their unique view of contemporary American culture as they are for their gore and guts. Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later marks the most significant turn in the modern zombie genre, this time toward a twenty-first century concern with contagion and outbreak. What’s next in the genre? We’ve seen representations of zombies in television in shows like The Walking Dead, and they’ve proliferated in cinema as well, in films like Train to Busan, Dawn of the Dead (the remake), The Battery, Warm Bodies, Shaun of the Dead, Juan of the Dead, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Dead Snow, Life After Beth, Zombieland, Pontypool, Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies, The Dead, etc…
We’re going to start this unit by reviewing what I am referring to here as “the classics” of the modern zombie genre: Romero’s first two films and also Boyle’s film. This will give us a good sense of what the zombie genre is about. But your assignment will be to tell us where it’s headed. Specifically, you will select one of the more contemporary zombie films from this list (or another one if approved by the instructor), and, using your understanding of one of the three earlier films, make a claim about what has changed between that earlier film and the more contemporary film. In short, this is a comparison/contrast exercise that is also and at the same time, an argument paper. Examining the earlier “classic” zombie film and the more recent contemporary film, you’ll make a strong, arguable claim about the meaning of the zombie in the contemporary moment. Moreover, you’re going to do a lot of research in the zombie genre, thus giving you an opportunity to ground your claim in the broader zombie discussions taking place nationwide.
Step 1. Pick a contemporary film to focus on and make an arguable claim about what that film is doing in the zombie genre, how it’s changing our expectations or understanding of what zombies are. At this stage in the game, your argument will be called a “working thesis” because it will stand in the place of your final thesis, but you may want to change some things up, too, as you write and research. Basically, what you have is a placeholder that may or may not look like the final product.
A NOTE on Step 1: It helps to focus your argument on one particular topic. So, for instance, you might want to discuss the way that women characters are treated in Night of the Living Dead and how they’re treated in Zombieland. This would allow you to make a concrete claim about the relationship between the two films (women are treated such and such a way in Romero’s film, while in Zombieland they are treated in a different way) and then use that as a stepping stone to making a claim about the genre as a whole. (Zombie films still tend to focus on male leads, but they do seem to understand more fundamentally the importance of female characters).
Step 2. Conduct research. You should try to find everything you can about A). the films you’re writing about, B). the zombie genre and/or the horror genre, and C). the topic you’re focusing on. For the purposes of this class, that will primarily be materials that you search for on the HCC library website and in the library itself. We’ll work on research strategies in class, but remember to read everything you find with an open mind. You’re reading to “overhear” everything people have to say in a conversation you’ll soon be joining. Underline important points and keep a list of those sources you think you’ll be able to use in writing your essay.
Step 3. Once you’ve read what’s out there about your topic, you should go back to your “working thesis” and revise it to be more reflective of the knowledge you’ve gained through research. Remember that you are joining a conversation, so you want to make sure your argument is unique, but also acknowledges the work that’s out there. It may be informed by the things you’ve read, but it should be something that would surprise even the author of your favorite secondary source. As you write, your thesis may still change or grow to reflect the ideas within your paper. Conversely, you should also look to tailor your writing within the paper to your thesis. A good paper is always in the process of either articulating the thesis or supporting it.
Step 4. As you write in support of your thesis, employ the following basic steps of analysis:
–Look for patterns in the films related to your chosen topic. These may be patterns in the behaviors of the characters, in the ways the scenes are filmed and assembled, in the narrative logic of the films or in the themes that they deal with.
–Try to make sense of these patterns. Ask yourself what they mean and why they occur. They may seem intentional as if the director wants the viewer to understand or derive a specific meaning from their occurrence. On the other hand, they may seem to have happened accidentally—even still their very existence is worthy of interpretive commentary.
–Use your secondary materials to help you make your argument. These materials MUST be quoted or cited within your essay.
Requirements:
• Final Paper of at least 2000 words, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman 12 or Calibri 11 font, citation of one of the three films we’ll discuss in class and at least five secondary sources, proper MLA formatting throughout, including in-text citation and a works cited page.