Assignment task: " Down by Law" and " Paterson" Essay
1. How effective and informative is the title?
2. How does the introduction set up and narrow the focus of the comparison succinctly?
3. Does the thesis statement respond directly to the prompt?
4. In what way is the thesis argumentative? How could you reasonably challenge it with an alternative perspective?
5. Is the thesis specific and narrow or too broad? Underline the most concrete words in the thesis. The more specific a thesis, the better.
6. How do the body paragraphs present strong comparisons? Is there just enough but not too much quotation and/or paraphrase? Comment on the use of "evidence" in the body paragraphs.
7. Is there a great topic sentence-reflecting not just one but several of the works-- in each paragraph?
8. Is there a meaningful conclusion sentence in each paragraph?
9. Does the conclusion paragraph "save the best for last" and assert the most meaningful or fullest expression of the thesis? Or, does it merely summarize?
10. Does the essay make good use of the discourse of film analysis? Make suggestions for improving vocabulary if needed.
11. What is your favorite idea in the paper?