Analysis Essay
Assignment: Analysis Essay (30% of course grade)
In an essay of at least 1000 words, pick one scene from the film (that is, a series of linked shots at the same time and place) and analyze how the film portrays Armstrong in a manner different from Hansen's version of the First Man.
Your governing claim (thesis) in the introduction should focus on how this scene changes the way in which you view Armstrong, and why that matters.
Tips for Strong Work
To do this well, you should perform close-reading analysis of the language in both works and imagery, in the film. You can find my and my students' page on this topic in the Writer's Web handbook.
You all have free copies of Grammarly to use for setence-level errors. Run your paper through Grammarly, please. I see too many careless errors with spelling and grammar. Keep in mind that you can lose up to 10 points for sloppy work that a machine can fix in most cases. When Grammarly is done with the draft, read it aloud.
Use film time-codes from the streaming film, like this: Directors of films get treated like authors of books, and the time-code appears as hour:minute:second. You'll lose points if you don't have the time codes reasonably close.Example of how to incorporate a page reference and time code (I've invented them just for this example). Note too how the writer follows up a claim with linked analysis, rather than rushing off to the next claim as though checking off a grocery list:
"We see Neil rebuff his soon-to-die friend Ed White here (Chazelle 1:26:15), whereas Hansen does not emphasize this moment in any detail when discussing Elliot See's memorial service (143). This short scene makes Armstrong's pain deeper than what we see in the book, whenever one of Neil's comrades dies. . ."
Using An AI for the First Preliminary Draft
I will post a draft that ChatGPT 3.5 did for this assignment. You must also generate a draft using an AI of your choice, uploading it to our Draft Exchange.
You submit this to the draft exchange with a 250 word (or more) statement saying what AI you employed, how you plan to use any ideas and words you found of interest with the AI's help, what you will change and, most importantly WHY you plan to make those changes. Put it right up front, berfore the AI-generated draft and with your name attached. I'll give you some advice about this and forward it all to our Writing Consultant. Failure to turn this in will mean you'll lose 10 points on the final essay grade.
The Second Draft
This draft, written by you and not AI, will come to me and I will send them to our Consultant. You are welcome to use the AI's first draft for ideas on how to organize this draft or include things such as clever turns of phrase from the AI draft. Keep in mind my commentary on Draft 1 as well as what you've said in your reflective piece there. Keep an eye on how I grade and my house rules / rubric, from our Writing for Me page.
You must upload Draft 2 to our Draft Exchange. This time, the Consultant will provide written feedback and meet you in person to hear your questions and offer ideas for improvement. Failure to turn in this revised draft will lose you 5 points on the final essay grade.
The Third and Final Draft
This one comes to me, again uploaded to our Draft Exchange. I'll compare it to the AI draft you did earlier. If it's too close, you'll get it back to redo. We'll repeat that process until "it's ready for liftoff," as NASA might say. Then I'll grade it.