Using Comparison and ContrastObjective
Using six outside sources, students write a 2,000- to 2,500- word comparison or contrast research paper that explores the commonalities and differences of plot or character development between a book and a movie based on the book. The paper will persuade the reader that either the book or the movie does the better job with that literary element.
Topic
Have you ever read a book and then been excited to see the movie—only to find the movie a huge disappointment? Or perhaps you found the movie version enlightened the book?
Your assignment is to provide your own analysis of a novel you choose that has been made into a movie (
not
a movie that has been made into a book). You’ll write your literary analysis using the comparison and contrast pattern of development. Your analysis must incorporate examples from both the book and movie to illustrate the commonalities or differences for either the plot development or one major character in the book and the movie. You must conduct either an interview or a survey related to the novel and movie, as well as research different reviews of both the movie and the book to support your analysis. You must use a total of six sources for this assignment: the novel, the movie, one interview or survey you conducted, and three critical reviews.
Purpose
To inform about one literary element in the novel and movie
To persuade audience that either the book or the movie does a better job developing either the plot or one major character
Audience
Distance-education students
Process
Review the novel you chose for this assignment and the movie based on that novel. Choose to focus either on plot development or on one major character. Scan through the novel to mark examples related to that focus and watch the movie again taking notes of examples.
Keeping notes as you go, work from “Generating Ideas” on page 388 through item 1 of “Discovering Similarities and Differences” and “Generating Details” on page 390. Don’t conduct any research at this point. Continue with item 4 of “Discovering Similarities and
Differences” and “Generating Details” on page 390, where you imagine the author of the novel interacting with the stars or scriptwriter in the movie. Explore how the author would react and what he or she might say about the way the novel has been adapted. Then explore what the stars/scriptwriter might say to defend the movie. Don’t conduct any research at this point.
Craft applicable questions for either an interview or survey to learn what others think about the novel, the movie, or both. Conduct that research. After completing the previous steps, conduct additional research, picking up with item 5 of “Discovering Similarities and Differences” and “Generating Details” on pages 390–391. Remember to research enough to educate yourself and to find the sources most applicable to your purpose and audience, the four you’ll cite in the actual paper.
Continue with “Developing Your Thesis” on page 391 and work through the rest of the “Guided Writing Assignment” to the top of page 399 to produce the required comparison or contrast research paper. Use your textbook as needed to apply appropriate writing skills as you prewrite, research, organize, draft, revise, edit, and proofread to produce a final essay meeting the content and length requirements. You must also ensure your work displays good writing traits, such as those indicated in the Advanced Composition course rubric (see Appendix). Prepare a final draft of the paper according to the exam submission format assigned in the Syllabus. Provide the MLA Works Cited page as the last page in your document (but not included in the word count). Submit your final work to the school as instructed.