The class is organized into three units or progressions, each culminating in a graded essay assignment. You will also complete in-class and homework exercises throughout each progression; this work will contribute to your process grade. I will read all your homework exercises but will not provide written feedback on every exercise; most times, you will only receive a point for participation. However, you are expected to complete all these exercises, as they help you do the difficult work required to develop strong formal and final drafts.

Progression 1: Rhetorical Analysis

Essay Assignment: Analyze specific writing choices in “Monster Culture” in order to make an insightful argument regarding the intended or imagined audience(s) for that essay. You should aim to not only characterize the audience(s) via your analyses of the writer’s choices but also to evaluate the writer’s stance towards the audience(s) and the significance of the writer’s choices.

Progression 2: Lens Analysis

Essay Assignment: Using ideas from “Monster Culture” and “Masters of Desire,” analyze a static visual advertisement in order to make an insightful argument about the messages of the advertisement and the methods by which it conveys its messages. You must also consider how your argument complicates or extends ideas from “Monster Culture” or “Masters of Desire.”

Progression 3: Researched Argument

Essay Assignment: Research and use a variety of contextual, theoretical, and argument sources to produce an insightful argument about the meaning and significance of a single “monstrous” film of your selection. You should aim to explore a specific interpretive problem evident in the film by analyzing the film itself and critically engaging with existing opinions about the film and relevant theories.