Expo S-20a: Writing and Literature

Harvard Summer School 2013

Dr. Matthew Levay

Response Paper 3.1

Proposing an Argument

For your final paper of the summer, you will compose a lens essay in which
you present an argument about how the definitions of noir proposed by Otto
Penzler and James Ellroy might help us to understand more clearly one of
the short stories weve encountered in Unit 3. In its simplest terms, this
major paper assignment asks that you consider how the story youve chosen
can be understood through the perspective of Penzler and Ellroy in other
words, it asks you to write about a short work of noir fiction through the
lens of Penzler and Ellroys definitions of noir.

To prepare you for that assignment, this response paper asks you to write a
short proposal of the argument youd like to develop in your final paper,
which should allow you to get some feedback on your ideas before you
begin writing.

Assignment Prompt
Draw up a short proposal that describes the paper youre planning to write
for our third and final unit. This is, necessarily, a speculative assignment.
Youve not yet begun to write your essay (that would probably be
premature) but should have spent some time mulling your options what
short story youd like to examine, how it might illustrate some of Penzler
and Ellroys arguments concerning noir fiction, etc. Consequently, Im not
expecting a perfectly formed proposal just yet, so dont worry if some of the
specifics of your argument arent quite in place. You may not yet have a
thesis in mind, which is okay at this early stage. Focus instead on
narrowing your options for the final essay, and thinking about what aspects
of this unit interest you, and might sustain that interest throughout a 6-7-
page research paper. This will allow you to begin formulating a thesis, and
thus begin the full first draft.

Though everyones proposal will look a little different, all proposals should
include answers to the following questions:

1.) Which short story have you chosen to examine, and why?
2.) How do you think that story relates to Penzler and Ellroys
definitions of noir? Does it exemplify several of their ideas?
Disagree with others?
3.) What particular scenes from the short story do you plan to use as
evidence? Mention two, at least, and explain briefly what role they
might play in your analysis.
 Levay 2

4.) What parts of Penzler and Ellroy will you focus on? Remember that
you dont want to deal with every part of their respective
arguments. Instead, youll want to limit your focus to a few key
examples of their definitions of noir that connect to the story
youve selected.

Formal Requirements: proposals should be about one full page long,

double-spaced (certainly no longer than that), and formatted according to
MLA guidelines.

Due Date: Tuesday, July 30