ENC 1102.1729 Paper #1 Assignment


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Nick Melczarek, instructor Department phone: 392-6650
Office: Turlington 4357 e-mail nickym@melczarek.net
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Office hours: MW Per 4 (10:40-11:30 a.m.)
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course listserve: FALL-5865-L@lists.ufl.edu
Contents (click to jump to the following sections)
Paper 1 Assignment (read all the way through -- there are helpful tips throughout):
»» ("The Ambiguity/Ambivalence Paper"): Choose one of the followng texts -- -- and in 3-4 pages identify any one scene, image, or phrase you read ambiguously and/or ambivalently, and discuss how you "played" that ambiguity/ambivalance. (back to Contents)

  • Rationale:
    Basically, point your reader directly to a part in your chosen work that you read as ambiguous or ambivalent -- remembering that any ambivalence or ambiguity isn't necessarily on the page itself, attributable to the writer/scriptor, but was an effect "triggered" by you reading the text. Define "ambiguity" and "ambivalence" the first time you actually use those terms; identify the writer/scriptor whose text you're using, and give the text title; quote the passage in question; explain how/why you read that passage ambiguously/ambivalently (what was there on the page that made you think "gee, this is ambiguous/ambivalent!"); and, finally, discuss how you "played" that ambiguity/ambivalence -- what kind of "reading" you created. Use terms and concepts from the critical/theoretical material we've read (Eco, Barthes) when/where/if they apply. Employ critical literary vocabulary(from the Terms site) when/where/if they apply. I'm asking you to do on paper the kind of thing we've done already in class -- only more formally.
  • Caveats/cautions:
    -- This is not an exercise to see how many terms you can cram in your paper, nor will you receive extra credit for doing so. Use the literary and/or critical terms at your disposal only when/if they help you explain your ideas.
    -- By "3-4 pages" I mean 3-4 pages; 2 pages plus two lines on page 3 doesn't count! (Nor does enlarging the font size, nor enlarging the margins.) This is not an invitation to pad you paper with needless material; rather, this is an opportunity for you to fully explain your ideas and illustrate those ideas with examples from the original texts. If you're padding, waffling, or tangenting, I'll know it -- and it'll count against you.
  • Thesis note: Be sure that in your final draft you state clearly and directly your thesis at the top of the first page. This final thesis (which may or may not be the same as your tentative thesis) states what you consider the effect of the ambiguity/ambivalence you read in your chosen text. As such, try not to phrase your thesis as "In this paper I will show that ..." -- your reader already works from the assumption that you're going to show her something.
  • Need a little help with your thesis? Before you start writing, have a look at "timesaver #3 (a)," "timesaver #3(b) and "timesaver #4" on the writing tips site -- these items will help you AND save you oodles of time!!!

    Be sure to consult the writing tips site!
    (back to Contents)

    »» What I'll look for in this paper: (Papers 2 & 3 will have additional requirements)

    Content-wise:

    Writing mechanics:

    (back to Contents)
    »» DUE DATES AND KEY ACTIVITY DATES: (correlate these dates with those on course schedule sites) (back to Contents)
    »» Troubleshooting & therapy: If you have questions about the assignment or your paper that we don't address in class or during conference times, (back to Contents)

    Ciao, Nick
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