HU 225 Interdisciplinary Humanities                              

Prof. Rodriguez                                                                       

Spring 2018

Directions for Comparative Essay Assignment

Through description and interpretation of an image and a text for each of the three periods discussed in class of (1) Modernism, (2) Postmodernism, and (3) Globalism, and discuss how a central cultural value changes over time. Reflect on the styles and themes prominent in each of the three periods.

Requirements for the Final Essay

(1)     This essay will be a comparative paper of approximately 4-5 pages (the manuscript typed in a standard business typeface and double-spaced). Provide your essay with a title at the top of the first page.

(2)     The essay is due on Sunday April 22, by 11:55pm.

(3)     Each paper must argue a clear comparative thesis focusing on the values of three different phases of periods of culture. The comparative thesis must be clearly stated in an introductory section and restated in a concluding section.

(4)     The chapters from which you will select your images are as follows:

          Modernism: Fiero chapters 32-34 (one image and one text)

          Postmodernism: Fiero chapters 35-36 (one image and one text)

          Globalism: Fiero chapters 37-38 (one image and one text)

(5)     In arguing the thesis, the body of each essay must purposefully describe and interpret at least one primary text and one work of visual art from each of the three cultures to be compared. All images and texts are to be selected from Fiero. Documentation is to be MLA style, with the page number parenthetically inserted in the text after a citation or paraphrase.

(6)     The papers are not to be summaries of the work of Fiero or any other source. They should interpret cultural values directly from primary materials, using secondary materials sparingly and purposefully.

(7)     Papers will be evaluated for (1) quality and originality of thesis, and accuracy and substance of content; (2) clarity of purpose in overall organization, coherence of the paper as a whole and of paragraphs, and fluency of transition; (3) accuracy and appropriateness of diction, and forcefulness and fluency of sentence construction; (4) accuracy and clarity of sentence construction, and accuracy of grammar.

(8)     Your work must be your own and must develop a clear thesis. Papers limited to summaries of the work of others, even if properly documented, do not meet the requirements of the assignment. Plagiarism of any kind, including identical papers submitted by two or more students, will result in failure.

Suggested topics

          the virtues of the hero and the leader

          developments in the concepts of women and their rights and abilities

          the role of minorities in cultural development

          concepts of the individual and individualism

          the relationship of reason to emotion

          concepts of nature as reflected in artistic styles

    concepts of the good citizen and public service

          variations in the concept of the good

          the role of technology in shaping cultural

Developing a Topic. Begin by selecting a topic and locating three images and three texts that meaningfully address the topic; OR begin by selecting an image or a text, identifying its topic, and assembling other pieces that meaningfully address the topic.

Selecting the Examples. You will likely have to propose, test, and reselect several times before you develop a set of six examples which are coherently focused on a clear topic. You might list them as below to help you develop the argument. For example, for the topic changes in the views of representations of self or personhood, I might select the following pieces:

                                                text                                 image

          Modernism          Frost The Road Not Taken        Man with Violin

          Postmodernism    Kafka’s Metamorphosis            The Scream

          Globalism            The Second Self                        Close Self Portrait

Relating the Examples to the Topic. After selecting the pieces, you are ready to test their relevance to the chosen topic. Each piece should be able to be clearly and fully related to your chosen topic. If any piece does not contribute the development of the topic, eliminate it and select an example that is relevant.

In the examples above, all of the pieces examine what it means to be an individual, and express representations of the self. The Second Self examines what it means to be a person as a woman, while The Metamorphosis examines the horror of losing yourself. 

Organizing the Examples. Once you have located a central idea for each piece, you are ready to organize them in a meaningful pattern.

Formulating a Thesis. You can then formulate a specific thesis and begin the actual writing of the paper. For the example above, the thesis might be:

Philosophically humans have always wrestled with the concept of the self in relation to the other. In my paper I will examine what it means to be a person using three historical periods. After examining the particularities of each period, I will examine a piece of literature and a piece of art in order to examine how the concept of the self has differed, has been expressed, and has evolved.