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Essay Assignment—300 to 350 words
Assignment:
Watch Sofia Coppola’s movie, Marie Antoinette (2006) and write a brief essay about how she uses design to help tell the story. You can write about architecture, nature, gardens, fashion, food (how it is displayed), etc.
This is a short essay, so your writing will need to be precise and to the point; I suggest you focus on one example of design from the film. You must make connections between the design you have selected and themes we have discussed in class. For instance, you can write about how nature is depicted in the film and how the characters relate to it. The palace and gardens of Versailles play important roles in the movie, and you can write about what they tell us about the characters who inhabit these spaces. As you watch the film, think also of Romanticism, Rationalism and ornament.
Each essay must include:
• a cover page with your name, the class name, the due date—this is a separate page
• a screenshot from the film showing the design you selected—this is a separate page
• a brief description of the design you have selected—one paragraph
• a brief discussion of the design in terms of a theme we covered in class—one paragraph
• a brief discussion of what the design tells us about a character or about the events being portrayed in the film—one paragraph
Writing tips:
• Do not use the first person. This is not an opinion piece, so please do not tell me if you like the film or not—for this essay that is not relevant.
• You must talk about the design in terms of topics discussed in class, so be sure to pick your design carefully—pick one that clearly reflects class topics.
• When you make claims about the design, such as “it illustrates Romanticism,” you must explain which specific aspects of the design support your claims—but do not go into detail about what we learned in class—this is a brief essay and I want to hear what YOU have to say about the topic.
• Be sure to spell check and be sure to use proper grammar—you will lose points for poor spelling and for bad grammar.
• For this essay you do not need an introductory paragraph.
• I will not read essays longer than 350 words; I will ask you to edit and resubmit.
Due Date: Wednesday March 15, at 11:59 p.m.
Please see syllabus for policy on late submissions
(you will be docked points)
Grading Rubric
Total Points: 60
15 ptsFormat
• Essay is proper length
• Submission is in the format described in the prompt
• Essay includes an image from the movie
• Submission includes a cover page with the required information
15 ptsStyle
• Clarity of writing: use of topic sentence, development of an argument, logical connections between sentences, etc.
• Proper grammar and correct spelling
• Essay is in three paragraphs and each paragraph includes only the content described in the prompt (see above)
15 ptsContent
• Description of design object
• Connection of design object to course theme(s)
15 ptsContent
• Discussion of how the design object enhances our understanding of the characters and/or the events the movie depicts
Please follow the prompt carefully to earn as many points as possible for your essay.
Too Tired? Too Anxious? Need More Time? We’ve got your back.