NRNP 6635 1108 Research Essay

Drafting Your Research Essay There are many ways you may choose to organize the paragraphs of your essay – the following is only one example. Feel free to use this template if it seems useful for you! Your introductio ...

Drafting Your Research Essay There are many ways you may choose to organize the paragraphs of your essay – the following is only one example. Feel free to use this template if it seems useful for you! Your introduction and conclusion should closely follow the models presented here, but you can draft the body in any way that feels useful as long as it successfully supports your central thesis argument. Introduction (One Paragraph)  Begin with a description of your monster: What is the monster you chosen to write about? Tell us just a little about your monster: Who is this monster, what is its story, and when exactly was this monster a big deal? (If there are multiple time periods, pick the one you will focus on the most for this paper)  Transition toward talking about cultural fears: Use Cohen to introduce the idea that monsters can embody specific fears in a culture at a given time. Give an example or two of other monsters that support this idea.  Conclude with your THESIS: In other words, what are the specific cultural fears that this monster represents? Be very specific and clear here: Your monster reveals fears A and B. Go beyond obvious universal fears (fear of death, fear of the dark, fear of the unknown) and make your argument about the less obvious and more interesting cultural fears. The Cultural or Historical Context (1-3 Paragraphs)  Transition: During the [decade when the film was popular], American culture was deeply concerned about [a specific cultural issue] because [reason].  Tell us about the specific historical moment when this monster was popular. What kind of important cultural and/or historical events were taking place during that time period? How and why did this monster reflect the fears of this moment?  This can be a good place to include useful information about the time period and the relevant social issue or fear that you have gathered from your research. The Film Scene (2-4 paragraphs)  Transition: One scene from [Name of Film] particularly captures the way this monster embodies the cultural fears of [the specific time period]…  Give a brief summary of the scene  What are some specific interesting details in this scene that many people would overlook at a glance? Sum up the details.