Cinema and Psyche

CompLit 382, Spring 2006

Before writing your paper, ask yourself the questions below. When your paper is complete, read it again, ask the same questions again, and see if you can get a good answer.

Introduction

• what is the main point I want to make?
• how did I arrive at this idea?
• why is this idea interesting or relevant?
• how can I focus this idea in a specific, interesting, and arguable thesis?

Body

• is my train of thought easy to follow?
• what reasons do I have for believing my thesis?
• how can I support these reasons with specific examples, quotes and logical reasoning?
• in what order can I arrange these reasons, so that each paragraph is dependent on the one before it and supports the one after it?
• what objections might people have to my arguments, and how can I overcome them?

Conclusion

• how can I show the reader that I have proved my point without restating my arguments?
• if my thesis is valid, what broader implications does this suggest for my topic? How might these implications impact the reader?

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1. Pick the topic that interests you most. Do not try to answer all parts of the question. Instead, focus on one aspect of it. Formulate a clear argument. Support and develop it in your entire paper. Once you have developed an interesting, coherent and original argument, carefully decide what elements of the texts you are examining will serve as good evidence for your paper.

2. Every essay must have a thesis. The thesis is the main idea of your paper, in which you declare your position and define your approach to the topic. It is also the major statement/hypothesis which the rest of your paper goes on to develop and prove.

3. Do not summarize the plot of the story about which you are writing. Assume that the reader of your paper (i.e. the instructor) is familiar with the plot. Proceed directly to your argument/analysis.

4. The use of first-person statements (with the exception of “I believe” and “I feel”) is all right. However, try to limit it. Since you are the one writing the paper, it is clear that your opinion is expressed in it.

5. Avoid the use of contractions. Write out “it is” instead of “it’s”, “does not” instead of “doesn’t,” etc.

6. Use gender neutral language as often as you can. Use humankind or humanity instead of mankind, police officer instead of policeman, spokesperson instead of spokesman. When using words like “one” or its derivatives (everyone, no one, etc.), make sure you use both “his” and “her” when making the rest of the sentence agree with them. (e.g. Everyone in the One State can see his or her neighbors through the glass walls.) To avoid such complex or awkward constructions, you can use a plural subject for your sentence. (e.g. All the citizens of the One State can see their neighbors through the glass walls.)

7. Here are some notes on possessives and plural nouns. Plural nouns never require an apostrophe between the word and the plural ending “s.” (e.g. There were more than thirty soldiers in the room.) Singular possessive nouns usually require an apostrophe followed by an “s.” (e.g. There was a soldier in the room. The soldier’s gun was on the table.) Plural possessive nouns add an apostrophe after the plural ending “s.” (Many of the soldiers were writing letters. The soldiers’ letters were to be mailed the next day.)

8. Spell check your paper. Remember, spell check software cannot distinguish between words which are pronounced the same, but spelt differently. Make sure that you are using the right word. The most annoying mistakes are confusing “soul” (spirit) with “sole” (part of a shoe) and “manner” (way, method) with “manor” (estate, mansion).

9. Always, always PROOFREAD. If you have the time, put your paper away for a day or so, and then reread it. You'll be surprised at how easy it will be to spot your mistakes. It is also a good idea to ask a friend to read your paper. See if he/she can understand what you are trying to say. Your friend might also find typos and other mistakes that you have overlooked.

10. Keep a copy of your paper. If you are writing on a word processor or computer, save your paper to disk. Save frequently while you are typing. Computers can play horrible tricks on you: papers disappear mysteriously, hard drives erase themselves. Save, save, save!

Note: This page was created with the generous contribution of Alix, Anita, and other colleagues.

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