Literature Paper Assignments | Online Homework Help
For your final paper, you have two options:
- Write a research paper on a topic of your choosing related to Wong Kar-wai. For this paper you must first propose a topic to me and get my approval to proceed. With this option, it will be very important to include a bibliography of scholarly materials. You can choose from among the scholarly resources that have been placed on reserve for this class, including Martha Nochimson’s edited volume A Companion to Wong Kar-wai (Wiley-Blackwell, 2016), which contains 25 excellent and up-to-date essays on various topics related to Wong Kar-wai, as well as “secondary” readings placed on e-reserve through the library, but you can also look for primary and supplementary materials in the library with the help of the Chinese Studies librarian Chen Xi. Another place where you can find a list of good scholarly sources on Wong Kar-wai is here: http://u.osu.edu/mclc/bibliographies/media/director/#B3.
You will need to include at least two scholarly sources for this option and cite them appropriately in the bibliography.
You may use either MLA or Chicago-style citation methods for this bibliography. As a rule, if you’re not sure how to format your bibliography, you can pick an essay that you’ve read for your research and simply copy it’s bibliographic formatting style. Just be consistent: Whatever format you choose, please apply the same format to all sources in your bibliography, and include a list of works cited/bibliography at the end of the paper. You may also quote online and “unofficial” materials, as long as you also have the minimum of two scholarly sources (separate to required reading) too. I have placed a copy of an “A” paper from another class on TritonEd (“Sample A-level Paper from another course”) so you see an example of what such a a paper looks like. Length: 1250 words (5 pages, 12 point font, standard margins, double-spaced) not including bibliography and illustrations. No maximum word length.
Or
Write an essay answering any of the following questions. Please follow the instructions at the bottom of this page (same as in the syllabus).
- Compare and contrast the representation of “the city” and urban life any three movies that we have watched this quarter (this may include films by Wong Kar-wai and other directors as well). For example, what is the role of Hong Kong (or Tokyo, as in “Lost in Translation,” or New York, as in “Mean Streets”) itself in these movies (would you say that the city is itself a character in the movies?)? What is the role transportation, public housing, and Hong Kong identity before and after the handover? You could talk about economics; about class politics; or about Hong Kong film industries; and you could talk about style, rhythm, staging, music, and pacing of the movie. Or another aspect: It’s up to you. Regardless, please select appropriate articles from the supplementary reading lists, and review what the authors have to say. Compare and contrast them as necessary and add your own opinion. Use specific examples from the movies and be sure to indicate where these scenes occur and/or to include film stills showing which scenes you are talking about.
- Describe the impact of gangster films on the works of Wong Kar-wai. Be sure to go beyond what we’ve touched upon in class to talk about any aspect of gangster film traditions in Wong’s movies in greater detail. Select appropriate articles from the supplementary reading lists, and review what the authors have to say. Compare and contrast them as necessary and add your own opinion. You could talk about King Hu; about Jin Yong; or about Hollywood; and you could talk about style, rhythm, staging, music, and pacing of the movie. Or another aspect: It’s up to you. Regardless, please use specific examples from the movies, and be sure to indicate where these scenes occur and/or to include film stills showing which scenes you are talking about.
- Research and discuss scholarly approaches to love, romance, time, music, erotics, and/or fashion in the films of Wong Kar-wai. Select appropriate articles from the supplementary reading lists, and review what the authors have to say. Compare and contrast them as necessary and add your own opinion. You could talk about sexuality; about nostalgia; or about costume and staging/settings; and you could talk about style, rhythm, staging, music, and pacing of the movie. Or another aspect: It’s up to you. Regardless, please use specific examples from the movies, and be sure to indicate where these scenes occur and/or to include film stills showing which scenes you are talking about.
Note: When writing your paper, you must use at least two scholarly bibliographic items from among the scholarly resources that have been placed on reserve for this class, including Martha Nochimson’s edited volume A Companion to Wong Kar-wai, which contains 25 excellent and up-to-date essays on various topics related to Wong Kar-wai and is available for free through UCSD, and the “secondary” readings placed on e-reserve through the library. You may use required readings, too, but ONLY in addition to the two additional readings.
So:
- You must include two (or more) bibliographic items in your paper as a bibliography, and
- you must cite them appropriately (meaning you must refer to page numbers and sources every time you use material from a bibliographic item).
- DO NOT COPY AND PASTE SOURCES FROM THE INTERNET or from other people without EXPLICITLY SAYING WHERE THESE SOURCES COME FROM. If you don’t do this, it is considered plagiarism.
- Your answer must be in your own words, but you CAN quote from other people and articles—as long as you cite them in the bibliography.
- You must read the two scholarly items yourself. You must refer to them directly in your essay.
- You must include a complete bibliography of materials at the end of your paper.
Note that failure to use bibliographic sources appropriately is typically the SINGLE BIGGEST LOSS OF POINTS/CREDIT on a student’s final paper. Please make sure you cite all bibliographic works appropriately, or you will lose points.
If you’re not sure how to do a bibliography, one strategy is to use the same format that one of your bibliographic materials uses. Just be consistent and use the same format throughout. You may also check with a librarian for help with sources.
Length: Minimum 1250 words (5 pages, 12-point font, standard margins, double-spaced) not including bibliography and any illustrations. No maximum word length.
