viz.

Notes to the Instructor: This is a unit-long assignment (for a rather brief unit), which asks the students first to watch the documentary film Brother’s Keeper (or any film of your choice), then to write two short papers (300–500 words), in which they argue first for, then against the main argument of the film-makers, based only on the information they have seen in the film. These two papers then they are asked to revise and incorporate into a longer essay (of about 4–5 pages), in which they argue either for or against the film’s argument, while acknowledging and addressing the opposing point of view.

Assignment Description: Write two short argumentative papers on a visual topic, which lead to the creation of a long argumentative essay.

Category: Individual Project.

Goals: The goals of this assignment are 1) to teach students how to argue both sides of an issue (an exercise known in classical Greek rhetoric as antilogia), 2) to teach them to infer contextual information from a given text/image/film without help from outside sources, 3) to teach them how to recognize rhetorical strategy and first amplify it, then steer against it.

Short Papers

Watch carefully the documentary film Brother’s Keeper (1992, directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky) and write two short (300–500 words) essays, arguing first against, then for the main argument of the filmmakers, based only on the information you have seen in the film. You are expressly prohibited from doing additional research.

Your essays must contain the following elements:

• A narrative of the events, as presented in the film, and a statement about the filmmakers’ argument(s). Your narrative should be selectively and rhetorically crafted, so as to set up your main argument, in no more than a paragraph. Only choose to emphasize those elements, which will help your cause.
• Your own take on the issue, that is, your own thesis statement: The film’s narrative is probable/improbable, clear/obscure, consistent/inconsistent, possible/impossible because… (list three reasons).
• At least three reasons to support your claim, plus analysis of the visual presentation of the events.

Long Paper

Building on your short papers, write a long (4-5 pages) essay, in which you argue either for or against the main argument/message of the makers of Brother’s Keeper , based only on the information which you have seen in the film. Your essay must incorporate and address opposing arguments: either the arguments you invented for your short paper or other arguments of your choice.

You are expressly prohibited from doing additional research on the case.

Your essay must contain the following elements:

• A narrative of the events, as presented in the film, and a statement about the filmmakers’ argument(s). Your narrative should be selectively and rhetorically crafted, so as to set up your main argument, in no more than a paragraph. Only choose to emphasize those elements, which will help your cause.
• Your own take on the issue, that is, your own thesis statement: The film’s narrative is probable/improbable, clear/obscure, consistent/inconsistent, possible/impossible because… (list three reasons).
• At least three reasons to support your claim and detailed visual evidence from the film to illustrate your reasons.
• A discussion of the counter-arguments, plus your refutation of those arguments, based again on evidence presented in the film.

Tips:
Do not leave the counter-arguments unrefuted! Your goal is to persuade the reader of the validity of your own point of view, not simply to satisfy the paper requirement of incorporating opposing arguments.