Good vs Evil

The Genre Synthesis is the capstone of the semester; it is intended to take all of the concepts and ideas we have covered and put them together in one assignment. As with other assignments, you are free to choose the overarching topic/theme of the project. This is a research assignment, and as such, no matter what genre you choose, you should use one source from the class and five other external sources (you are free to use more than one from the class, but the extras will not count toward the cumulative total). If you discover that you are having trouble working a source from the class into the assignment, contact me and we’ll talk things through.

Like the Theme Analysis, you will choose a broad topic and then work through an analysis,using sources to support your thesis. This project will help your audience both learn more about the subject as well as understand your own argument and perspective on it. Remember that you are writing a persuasive as well as informative work here.

Sources: Regardless of which of the format options you choose, the same source requirements apply. You will use a minimum of six supporting sources for this project. A minimum of three of those have to be academic sources you find through the UA Library, and at least one source has to be one of our class texts (anything we have read, watched, listened to).

Genres: The genres available for this assignment, along with descriptions and requirements, are as follows:

Formal Essay

This genre is a traditional and formal scholarly essay. A specific description of this sort of essay can be found in the Theme Analysis assignment description, as this essay parallels that one. Your goal is to choose a topic/thesis to research, with the understanding that you are taking a position;remember that you are not writing a book report, but analysis. So, you will need to choose and use sources that support and build on your central thesis and argument, not make observations about what the texts say—focus on what they do for your overall argument.

You will write an essay that shows that you have thought carefully about the theme and genre, and you understand the intersecting and supporting texts. You will make a persuasive and convincing argument with an eye to how and why meanings are created, and then clearly and concisely explain these meanings within the bounds of your thesis. To accomplish this, you will need to have a claim about each text that you choose to write about—think of this as a “mini-thesis” for that source, that ties into your main argument and thesis for the essay. Be sure to utilize lessons and terminology, when needed, from class as support for your analysis.

You will compose analysis of your claims, so you will need to rely on the authority that comes with being a careful analyst and use it to convince your audience, through rigorous examination of the texts, that your argument is valid. Your essay will be graded on its ability to engage the reader with its thoughtful observations on the complexities of the idea you have chosen to analyze.

Your essay must be at least 1000 words; be sure to be clear and concise. You must use a minimum of 6 sources, with only 1 from the class counting toward this total (you may use more than 1 from the class, but these will not count toward the required 6). You must use a 12-point font and MLA formatting—errors in formatting (including in-text citations and works cited page) will detract from your final grade. If you are unsure of exact MLA standards, consult either the course textbook or the Purdue OWL site, which contain the most updated standards. This assignment is due via the assignment link on D2L no later than 11/28. You must save your file in Microsoft Word format (.doc, .docx).

Long-Form Journalistic Essay

This genre is very similar to the Formal Essay, with a greater emphasis on the mixture of analysis and creative writing (this doesn’t mean fiction, but more creative aspects to telling “the story” of your analysis). If you’re looking for examples of what this genre often looks like, consult articles from publications like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, or Slate. Long-form journalism also employs research and works its sources into the writing, but as opposed to a formal essay, the writing is less formal in terms of tone and author-voice, and more “story-like” in its analysis. Long-form journalism has a more general target audience than formal essays. For example, aspects like advanced terminology are written in a way that is not only more accessible to a general audience, but flow more smoothly in the narrative of the essay. The Serial podcasts are a version of this kind of work. For a good example of this kind of long-form journalistic essay, check out the following piece from the New York Times: The Scramble to Pluck 24 Billion Cherries in Eight Weeks

Your essay must be at least 1000 words; be sure to be clear and concise. You must use a minimum of 6 sources, with only 1 from the class counting toward this total (you may use more than 1 from the class, but these will not count toward the required 6). You must use a 12-point font and MLA formatting—errors in formatting (including in-text citations and works cited page) will detract from your final grade. If you are unsure of exact MLA standards, consult either the course textbook or the Purdue OWL site, which contain the most updated standards. This assignment is due via the assignment link on D2L. You must save your file in Microsoft Word format (.doc, .docx).

This is the synopsis I wrote and submitted:

“Written Proposal 1”

I am going to be writing in a formal essay format because I feel it creates the best argument while utilizing the sources to their full capacity. I feel like the essay format will keep my paper straight forward and to the point. It will also present my facts in an organized manner thus why I chose this style of writing. Formatting and organization will be key in this paper. I plan to separate my ideas into multiple papers. With the use of 6 sources I need to make sure I divide my sources so that my paper is free flowing and provides strong evidence. First off I am going to be writing about the characteristics of good vs evil and the dual nature of man. In turn i’m gonna explore some of the characteristics that might make someone evil and vice versa. One might beg to question if people are born naturally good or evil. In my paper I plan to answer this question while also detailing the characteristics that make that individual that way. This will ultimately become my argument. I am going to prove why humans are naturally born “evil” while simultaneously disproving the fact that people are born “good”. I will also explain how someone develops these evil or positive characteristics and traits. I plan to split this idea up into multiple paragraphs beginning with my claim and ending with my concession. I hope my audience can take away the same ideas as I had following reading my paper. I then plan to relate this concept back to some of our sources in class. For example the movie “Room” would fit because I could argue that Joy’s capturer took on dome of these evil characteristics. Some of the sources I plan on using may include https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130114-are-we-naturally-good-or-bad This will work as a great source to show physical data from an experiment which will really connect back to my theme.This source is very relatable which is why I chose to explore it further. Another source that will be beneficial to my essay may be https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/de-stress/one-common-personality-trait-all-evil-people-share-according-to-science/articleshow/69201720.cms

I will use this source in an attempt to explain some of the characteristics that make a person evil and how they cannot be avoided during growth. In turn I will be able to see all these characteristics while also disproving the claim that “all people are born good”. This source is going to help me disprove this claim. I can show why some of these traits are invalid which will be proving the validity of my argument. I am ultimately arguing that humans being born evil is in part just an innate behavior. The final source I located so far was https://www.bbc.com/news/health-15386740 . This source goes into great length and detail about some of the traits that make someone evil or in other word a psychopath. Mental disorders go hand in hand with being born evil. There is also factual evidence and I will be able to use evidence like brain scans to prove my claim.

I have to use 6 sources- 2 general (see above) 1 from the class (that is the Movie “Room”) and 3 from the UA library:

Here are the UA library sources- 4 to choose from- Must use 3

https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.arizona.edu/docview/1469850612?accountid=8360&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo

https://arizona-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=TN_cdi_proquest_hnp_114434603&context=PC&vid=01UA&lang=en_US&search_scope=Everything&adaptor=primo_central_multiple_fe&tab=default_tab&query=any,contains,born%20good%20or%20born%20evil&offset=0

https://arizona-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=01UA_ALMA21407394900003843&context=L&vid=01UA&lang=en_US&search_scope=Everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=default_tab&query=any,contains,born%20good%20or%20born%20evil&offset=0

https://arizona-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=01UA_ALMA51518573820003843&context=L&vid=01UA&lang=en_US&search_scope=Everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=default_tab&query=any,contains,born%20good%20or%20born%20evil&offset=0