Literacy in Film Essay Prompt- 60 points/30%

Length: 1200-1400 words

Sources Required:
-3 different quotes from Williams and Zenger (must be embedded correctly)
-You will also quote your film throughout your essay

-Do NOT over quote (no more than 15% of your essay will be made up of quotes)
-Do NOT use quotes that exceed three lines (if your quote is longer than 3 lines in MLA format it is a block quote which I do not allow for such short essay)

What you will do: Choose a single scene from one film/movie (excluding any films Williams and Zenger discuss or the example/s I used in class)

-Only choose something you have access to (no unreleased films)

-No TV shows, sorry 🙁

Your argument/Thesis Statement will directly answer this research question: What literacies are present within the scene you chose to focus on and what does the presence of those literacies suggest about the film’s intended audience?

To answer this research question you will also need to specifically discuss what literacy is, what literacy studies are (the study of literacy as a theory- not one specific literacy), how literacy studies contributes to our understanding of society, why mainstream films are worth critical analysis, and why it matters to specifically analyze literacies that are present in mainstream films. By addressing all of this (in your own specific way and your OWN unique order/organization) you set the stage for the need to demonstrate with an example. That example will be a SINGLE scene from a SINGLE movie. You’ll discuss many literacies present within that one scene and that discussion will ultimately act as evidence to the thesis statement/argument (which will be included early in the essay). Along with identifying the various literacies (some obvious and surface level and many more abstract and ideological), you’ll do something with your observation (*hint* that’s the “what does the presence of those literacies suggest about the film’s intended audience” part)—you will analyze what you’ve found. Since you will have addressed ALL aspects of this prompt, it will be clear what you’ve decided to do with the observations you’ve made of the movie scene.

Remember to introduce this essay as if you’re speaking to an audience who has no clue about literacy, the film you’ve chosen, or what to even expect from your essay. FULLY provide context early on.
Don’t forget to give a conclusion as well!
…And a work cited page 😉