Paper , Order, or Assignment Requirements

(Rough Drafts will be submitted to the HW link and the Final Draft will be submitted to Turnitin)

For your first essay, you will write a 750-word critical response to a conflict, problem or theme explored in the show The

Wire, Season 3.

Giving that you are ENC1102 students, this essay will require some research. Please use our library services and database

to find 2-3 scholarly sources to support your interpretation. If you would like to use one of our readings please let me

know so that you may cite it properly. However, the whole point of research is for you to practice finding scholarly and

reliable sources on your own; therefore, if you choose one of our readings you still have to look for at least 2 additional

sources.

To ensure you are meet all the requirements ask yourself:

Is the paper in MLA style with appropriate headings, page numbers, and title; in-text citations and a works cited

page, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font? Does it meet the minimum word count, 750 words?

Is there an introduction which succinctly presents a research question/problem, introduces The Wire Season three

and the episode in proper MLA format, explains the significance of the problem being explored, and offers a

thesis statement that provides your individual reading of a theme represented in one of the episodes or

characters in the show?

Is there a short summary that gives your reader some context that allows him/her to understand only the most vital

plot details relevant to your interpretation?

Is the paper focused and does more analyzing than summarizing? Does it sustained and support an argument

throughout the paper? 85% of the paper analyzing and only 15% summarizing: see analyzing vs.

summarizing handout http://www.aum.edu/docs/default-source/Learning-Center-Docs/tell-thedifference-between-analysis-and-summary-.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Does the paper offer at least 3 supporting paragraphs that convince the reader that the student writers

interpretation is a feasible one?

Do these supporting paragraphs have clear topic sentences that make a claim and refer back to the thesis

statement, and are these claims supported logically, through explanations, examples, quotes from the show and or

quotes from external scholarly sources?

Does each paragraph end with concluding sentences and does each paragraph smoothly transitions from one to the

next?

Does the paper present a counterargument and rebuttal?

Is there a conclusion that wraps up the paper nicely and reaffirms the student writers position? Is the conclusion

at least 5 sentences long?

Is the paper free of major grammatical errors? Is the style appropriate to the Genre? How well does it read? Can

the reader understand each sentence the first time read?

You may choose your own theme, but for your convenience, here are two examples you might want to write about:

Choose one character, for example Cutty, and explore the theme Man vs. Self: Struggles with morality, fate, desire and

belief, to name a few. Every believable and well-developed character suffers from the weight of internal conflict; you

might want to explore what the internal and external conflicts and circumstances that is causing a character to struggle

with when trying to resolve a conflict. Exploring any theme starts with asking good questions. For example, what are the

internal and external factors that lead the character to behave a certain way? Is it his fault? What is the role of personal

responsibility and what is the role of systemic racism, poverty and lack of access to public goods in the choices made by

the character?

Choose two characters, for example Avon and Bell, and explore the theme Man vs. Man: when a character struggles

against another character there is conflict like, for example, who to side with? Who is the hero or villain? Why? What are

some of the personal motivations or group dynamics that lead each one to think, act, and rule over others the way they do?

Who is a better leader? And so on

Other ideas: the theme of power and the use of Parody in The Wire; compare power operates in the police department and

in Barksdale gang. How are they similar? What do these similarities say about how power operates in society? What does

this say about good vs. bad or deviance vs. obedience? Who are the bad guys in the wire and why? How does the wire

complicate simple notions of good and evil?