As I said at the beginning of class, two things are critical to a good first paper. First, coming up with an argument beyond, say, 'This will be a Marxist reading of...' What we're interested is your ability to apply the concepts of the class to a particular work, but also more that that: I'd like you to think about the value of these readings. What do they contribute to our understanding of the work, what do they make visible which other critical lenses don't?
Secondly, be sure to be working intimately with the texts--both the theoretical and the imaginative. I expect to see details quoted extensively in service of your argument, and as always be very careful when paraphrasing (especially with the Marx and the Gramsci--be sure you can find evidence in their work for your claims about what they are saying). Be sure you know your texts inside and out, and be sure that you display that knowledge (accurately) in every paragraph of your reading.
For Monday, read Balibar and Macherey's 'Literature as an Ideological Form' in Modern Literary Theory. For Monday's response, write a 250-400 word 'Marxist reading' a film you have seen. Try your best to be specific (mention specific scenes and moments) even if you haven't seen the film in a while; the point here is to show each other our attempts at this process. In addition, comment on one of the other 'readings.'
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