ESSAY- PERSUASION/ARGUMENT

Essay is a persuasive essay. Your goal is to present a convincing argument on one of the prescribed topics by using outside sources to support your argument. You MUST use the movie, Crash, as your major source.

Genre/Medium: Persuasive/Argumentative Essay-Typed

Purpose:

Unlike an editorial, the persuasive essay is not merely your personal opinion about a topic, but an argument that provides scholarly evidence of research (i.e. various sources, interviews, quotes, and sufficient statistical data) to support your position. Because of the length and complexity of this project, it is essential that you choose a topic that you really care about, one that you truly want to learn more about, and one that you will be interested in writing about.

Format:

Your seven-to-nine paragraph essay must contain a concrete closed thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph. In addition to your introduction, three supporting paragraphs and conclusion, your essay will also contain a paragraph of opposition and a paragraph of refutation. You will use MLA documentation to write your paper and we will consult with each other about your topic before the final draft is written.

Audience:

This essay will target a scholarly audience. Therefore, your language and style should meet the intellectual needs of individuals who read on a collegiate level. As you think about your audience, write to pique the interest of your audience by considering what your readers already know and what they need to know.

Stance:

For this essay, it is imperative that you take a stance and present ideas that convey your stance throughout your essay. Never contradict your thesis.

Requirements:

Although your final requirement for this project is a completed essay, you will carry out the steps for writing a research paper by participating in four separate graded activities that lead up to your final essay. Before you submit your final essay you will complete the following:

1. The Research Proposal /Thesis Statement Defense
2. An Annotated Bibliography
3. A Peer Review
4. Final Essay

Getting Started

Before choosing your topic you should consider what you want to write about. Once you have chosen your topic, you should decide where you stand on the issue. Next, you want to develop your position with evidence-research-that will validate your point. You will need to use at least 3 sources of support for your essay. Finally, you will present your argument in a way that convinces the reader that your perspective is a valid one. Remember, this essay, like the others you have written, should have a specific, detailed, three-point thesis statement.

Dos and Don'ts

- Don't deviate from the topic.
- Don't debate the obvious; go beyond the surface.
- Don't rely strictly on your feelings to present your case.
- Don't contradict your thesis.
- Do choose a topic you can personally relate to.
- Do consider opposing viewpoints and refute them.
- *Do check other sources beyond the Internet; be thorough in your research. WARNING: All sources found on the Internet or otherwise must be documented to avoid plagiarism! If you fail to properly document your sources you will receive an ‘F' for the assignment and the course!

Topics

Use the movie, Crash, and at least three outside sources to defend or refute one of the four statements listed below.

1. Perceptions of racial stereotypes and prejudices are manifested throughout the film, Crash, and in some cases, characters of the same race are juxtaposed to perpetuate these perceptions. For example, the movie writer caused the affluent television producer, Cameron Thayer, to "crash" into the thuggish car thief, Anthony. However, when Cameron gets the opportunity to interact with Anthony on a personal level, he chides Anthony. He states, "You embarrass me, you embarrass yourself." The movie further explores how racial tensions and violence are generated by individuals and by groups of specific ethnic communities.

Write an essay that agrees or disagrees that the film, Crash, demonstrates that racial prejudice is not a phenomenon that is specific to one ethnic or social group.

2. In the movie Crash, the story revolves around the lives of a number of individuals who are culturally diverse. At various points in the story some of the characters are involved in a vehicular accident in which their lives converge in distinctively different ways. As the story progresses, the audience witnesses, within society, evidence of anger, mistrust, dishonesty, family dysfunction, violence, police brutality, exploitation, privilege, and marginalization.

Write an essay in which you agree or disagree that individuals, despite negative and societal experiences, are capable of creating life-changing salvation or transformation, as exemplified in the movie Crash for several of the characters.

3. As Crash clearly articulates, individuals are not born prejudiced, but develop this mindset over time as a result of life's experiences where they are marginalized because of their socio-economic status and ethnicity. On the contrary, there are those within society who, because of their "privileged" status, somehow deem themselves above the law and do as they please without any fear of punitive actions taken against them. They typically buy their way into and out of situations at will, sending the message to the less fortunate and powerful that they are, indeed, above and are the law of the land.

Write an essay in which you agree or disagree that the "privileged" within society create many of the social stereotypes to maintain their "privileged" status.

4. Some argue that a distinct difference exists between being prejudice (having an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge), and being a racist (the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities, and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race).

Write an essay in which you argue that in the film Crash, Officer John Ryan is racist, prejudiced, or both.