Writing 2: Rhetoric and Inquiry Black Mirror Response and Inquiry Papers

Paper Overview Throughout the quarter, we will watch a total of 10 episodes of Black Mirror through five distinct thematic units. At the end of each unit, you will turn in a response paper that engages and responds with the argument, themes, and purpose of the episodes as well as your thoughts and reactions to them. The purpose of these papers is to perform a close reading of these episodes while subjecting them to critique/analysis and connecting them to the unit theme. Paper Details Viewing episodes of Black Mirror as ?texts? with specific ?purposes, audiences, and contexts?, closely “read” them and write a paper that considers the following questions (using your PACT charts as reference):

? What do you think is the argument the episodes are trying to get across? What point is Brooker trying to make with these episodes? What is his ?purpose?? E.g. commentary about modern society, human tendencies, etc. Be specific!

? How do the arguments interact with the unit theme? How do they interact with each other? ? Do you agree or disagree with the arguments? Why or why not? Be detailed with your

reasons and support with examples. ? Who is the ?audience? and what is the ?context? of these episodes? In other words, who does

Brooker hope to reach with these episodes and how are the episodes being consumed? Is there a change Brooker hopes to enact? If so, what?

? Finally, viewing the episodes as a ?text?, what devices (imagery, themes, dialogue, etc) do they use to get their point across? Are they effective? Why or why not?

Guidelines for Paper Formatting Requirements:

? Cite (MLA, APA, or Chicago) at least three passages from the readings. ? Paper will be 3-4 pages long. ? Paper will be double-spaced and use a 12-point font (Ariel, Times New Roman, or

something similar). Necessary Elements:

? Have an introduction, conclusion, and comprise of fully formed paragraphs. In other words, do not write a bulleted list or a numerical response to the questions.

? Reference specific scenes from the episodes.

? Include at least one outside source (internet article, etc.) ? Effectively engage, analyze, and respond to the episode(s) argument. ? Be proofread and free of spelling/grammatical errors.