be sure to name the homework file you upload to blackboard:
last name_first two letters of first name_assignment number
(example: if Albert Einstein were submitting homework #7, his file name would be Einstein_al_7.docx)
This assignment can be revised for a new grade with certain conditions; see the class policies handout. This assignment can be turned in late with penalties; see the class policies handout.
In this essay, you will apply Faludi’s concept of “ornamental manhood” to Season 2 of The Wire.
Explain how evidence from The Wire can be interpreted to demonstrate (A) how and why one male characters has embraced “ornamental manhood” and (B) how another male character from The Wire struggles to maintain his identity as a “useful” male.
Some questions to consider but that may not necessarily be part of your claims or your paragraphs:
- A) What has changed in the economic and social world of these men that has led some men to embrace a vision of “ornamental” manhood?
- B) How successful is either vision of manhood in the show?
WRITING REQUIREMENTS AND TIPS
1. Length: 350-550 words (about 1.5 – 2.25 pages of 12-point, double-spaced font)
2. You will want to organize around your essay around a concise thesis statement that appears near the beginning of your paper.
3. Be sure to underline your thesis statement (5 points off if you do not).
4. Be sure to have at least 10 direct quotations (5 from the reading, 5 from any episode of season 2 of The Wire we have watched, including those assigned this week). When citing dialogue or action, be sure to specify the episode and the approximate time into the show (example: episode 4, 27:32). When citing material from the reading–whether in a direct or indirect quotation–be sure to provide the page number (but I don’t need a full citation)
5. When using direct quotations from the reading, be sure to use method 3 or 4 from HW 1 and also be sure to reduce your quotations to ten for fewer words. See here on how to reduce quotations.
6. When making your arguments, be sure to ground those arguments in specific evidence from the readings and video. Generally, to demonstrate how the show mirrors the reading, you will want to pair a specific passage from the reading with an example of the same phenomenon or characteristic from The Wire.
7. Be sure in those paragraphs where you make points from evidence to organize those paragraph in the familiar cl/ev/wa format from HW 1 and that you put a (CL) in front of your paragraph’s claim, an (EV) before the evidence, and a (WA) in front of the warrant. (Keep in mind (A) not all paragraphs should be in cl/ev/wa format–just those that make a point from evidence. Also keep in mind (B) that the cl/ev/wa format is for organizing individual paragraphs rather than for organizing whole papers. A strong paper will likely have a series of cl/ev/wa paragraphs as well as a number of paragraphs that are not in that format.)
