Good evening,
below you will find a copy of the handout distributed in class today. See you tomorrow.
English 20, Summer 2012, Instructor:
C. Fraga
Out of Class Essay Assignment #3 (200 points)
Assigned: Wednesday, June 20
Optional Rough Draft Due: no later
than Tuesday, June 26
Due: Tuesday, July 3 (NOTE: THIS IS A
REVISED DUE DATE)
(reminder—you will not be able
to revise this essay)
Requirements:
• MLA format
• If you utilize any outside sources
(not required) you must follow MLA format for in- text citations, Works Cited
page, etc.
At the very least, you must have a
Works Cited page that lists Season 1 of Breaking
Bad.
• Attach your Viewer’s Journal (all 7
entries) to back of essay when submitting.
Before we began viewing the first
season of Breaking Bad, I assigned a
Viewer’s Journal. You were to record your observations and any other notes you
wished in order to eventually select a character to focus on more carefully
than others. However, as we have discussed, your first few journal entries, or
perhaps more than a few, might just be summary plots and notes regarding
several different characters.
This Viewer’s Journal will now be a
valuable source as you write your last out of class essay for this course.
Assignment:
Write an in-depth character analysis
of one of the characters in the first season of Breaking Bad.
Your essay must include the following:
• Assertion(s) about your character
• Evidence from the episodes that
support your assertions (how did you come to the conclusion(s) you did
regarding this character?)
Your supportive evidence might
include but is not limited to:
• what others observe/say (or don’t
observe/say) about the character—either directly or in private
• the actions of the character in
particular situations
• the reactions/responses of the
character in particular situations
• what drives this character
• what terrifies this character
• what pleases this character
• what does this character long for
• what does this character need
Your thesis must be assertive…it is
YOUR opinion as a viewer of these episodes.
· Whether or not you LIKE or DISLIKE this character is not an
issue in this essay.
· Whether you LIKE or DISLIKE the series is also not an issue in
this essay.
Proving to the reader that this
character has the attributes (good, bad, layered, shallow) that you assert he
or she has is your goal.
Keep in mind that your reading
audience HAS viewed each of the seven episodes so avoid writing extensive
summaries of each episode.
Your thesis might read something like
this:
Once Walter learns of his terminal
cancer and begins cooking meth, he appears very unstable and irresponsible;
however, his behavior truly represents a very determined, loving, highly
intelligent and moral father and husband.
or…
Marie is a very insecure and lonely woman who is unhappy
and uncomfortable living in the shadows of her power-driven DEA husband and her
happily married and very bright sister, Skylar.
