How to write a genre analysis instead of a research paper
- Brandi Bradley
- Feb 25, 2019
- 4 min read
Hello Students!
This weekend I finished grading your Curation assignment. Your grade is available on Canvas with FEEDBACK! As you have surely realized by now, I provide feedback on nearly every assignment you get from me, UNLESS, it does not require feedback, such as agreement forms, etc. If you completed the assignment as instructed, I try to at least respond with Good Job.
If you are confused about your grade or the feedback I have provided, know that I cannot discuss it over email or Twitter, because those messages are not private. I must meet you over video conference to discuss grades. Go to Make An Appointment to schedule that.
Next week, we will meet again in Video Conferences. Make sure you sign up now because we have fewer slots available and you want to make sure you have one which fits into your schedule. The consequences of missing a conference meeting is: no feedback on your draft, a zero for participation in the conference, and two absences.
This Week's Twitter Assignment: Select ONE of the narratives from your Curation and live tweet it on your class Twitter. Watch it or read and tweet your thoughts about it. Schedule a time when a classmate can tweet it with you if possible. Don't think you have to do a movie or a TV show. Books are very interesting live-tweets.
With the information you gathered in your curation about the subgenre and the subgenre's conventions, you will be writing a 1,500 analysis of that subgenre. Your first draft is due on FRIDAY, MARCH 1. I want you to select the BEST of the curation to analyze considering all 10 of the conventions you provided. You do not need to cover all 10, but you should select examples which perfectly follows the conventions and AT LEAST ONE which works even though it challenges (subverts) those conventions. If you need to make adjustments to your curation, that's fine.
You will not need to do any outside research. You will not need a Works Cited page. You will not be consulting with the creators of your examples for their "intentions". You will be relying on your observations and your critical thinking skills.
Analysis is an opportunity to view something beyond the superficial presentation of the work. Think of it more like a dissection. Or reverse engineering. The best way to understand how a narrative works is to break it down to its rhetorical elements. You will be writing your Project 3 in this subgenre style, so you need to look at it closely in order to replicate the style. Your Project #2 paper will be you teaching your reader the rules and expectations of that subgenre and how to stretch those rules and still make a composition fall under that subgenre category.
What are the parts you will be exploring and listing in your paper:
Mode: The mode is how the audience experiences the composition and is either Text-based, Audio, Visual, or audio/visual. When considering how it is experienced, also consider the form. TV shows are either long stories broken in parts or short stand-alone stories (like anthology series such as Black Mirror). The mode will determine the media.
Media: The media is how the audience has access to the composition. The media is either face-to-face, digital, or print. Also consider how this media is purchased or procured. Digital is often free, however, the composition may only be accessible through a subscription service or paywall. Also, media changes. Is your show something which was composed to be broadcast week to week and is now streaming? The media distinctions will determine the audience.
Audience: Who is experiencing this composition. Consider age, income, geography, etc. Something behind a paywall will only be accessible to those who can pay for it. Some older compositions are only available now on antiquated technology or may be out of print. Don't make absolute assumptions about who is watching something because sometimes the results will surprise you. Push to understand why something appeals to a certain audience. Such as, why is Friends the number one show of 18-20 year olds and 40+ year olds? Why is Grey's Anatomy the longest running medical drama on television and streaming?
Style and Design: What does it look like? What style decisions did the composer make to appeal to their audience? What style decisions did they make to fit in the appropriate subgenre.
Rhetorical Appeals: Remember Ethos, Pathos, and Logos? How is the composer using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to make the narrative believable, emotional, or logical? If it is scary, how are they using the appeals to make it scary? If it romantic, how are they using the appeals to connect to romance?
Next, explain how this composition either fulfills of subverts the subgenre conventions. You have already outlined what the expectations of the subgenre are in your curation. How are they using them in the service of the story?
I ask you to use three examples for this paper. This does not mean I am asking for a 5- paragraph essay. To be clear: I AM NOT ASKING FOR A 5-PARAGRAPH ESSAY. Also, if you wish to add a 4th example, that is fine. I absolutely do not want all 10. If you follow the OUTLINE as provided, you are looking at an 8 paragraph essay, however, this will depend on your topic sentences and claims.
Don't Forget:
P2 Outlines are due WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27 before 11:59 pm.
Draft 1 for Project #2 is due FRIDAY, MARCH 1
This Week's Twitter Assignment: Select ONE of the narratives from your Curation and live tweet it on your class Twitter. Watch it or read and tweet your thoughts about it. Schedule a time when a classmate can tweet it with you if possible. Don't think you have to do a movie or a TV show. Books are very interesting live-tweets.
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