LTEA 120A: Chinese Films

Sample Term Paper Topics

• The female body and female sexuality in Ermo and Suzhou River
• Changing gender relationships in Plunder of Peach and Plum and Ermo
• Changing concepts of family and community in Plunder of Peach and Plum and It’s My Day Off (or Ermo)
• Changing roles of the individual in It’s My Day Off and Ermo (or Suzhou River)
• The city as a site of disillusionment and destruction in Plunder of Peach and Plum and Suzhou River
• The city as a communal space in It’s My Day Off versus an enigmatic space in Suzhou River
• Different/similar attitudes to the forces of urban corruption in Plunder of Peach and Plum and Suzhou River
• The impact of money on human relationships in Ermo and Suzhou River
• Idealism and its fates in Plunder of Peach and Plum and Suzhou River
• Challenges to male or patriarchal values in Ermo and Suzhou River

LTEA 120A: Chinese Films

Term Paper Template

Your name

Paper Title

Keywords: A, B, C, D

Introduction

Discussion of film 1

Discussion of film 2

(you could move between two films but must provide smooth transitions in between)

Conclusion

Bibliography listed in a separate page (at least 4 sources from the syllabus, items listed in required books and other references)

e.g.,

Author’s name, Book Title (City: Publisher, year).

Author’s name, “article title,” Volume Title, ed. Editor’s name (City: Publisher, year), pp. #-#.

Author’s name, “article title,” Journal Title, volume #, issue # (year), pp. #-#.

I. Commentaries• Purpose: to cultivate the habits of critical reading by making arguments and providing evidence• Content: identify an argument (not merely a topic) from a required reading (with direct quotations andpage numbers) and discuss it in relation to the designated film of the day• Focus: your ability to articulate someone else’ argument and state your interpretation of a film inrelation to that argument; mere factual information or plot summary won’t count as argument• Length: 1 double-space page or 350 words for each short paper; the portion in excess of the limit willnot be graded for credit• Grading: out of 10 points for each commentary, 3 for identification of an argument and logicaltransition, 3 points for film discussion focused on details, and 4 for writing (grammar, expression,coherence, style)II. Final Exam• Purpose: to test your knowledge of readings and films and to develop your analytic skills with regard toauthors, themes, and styles• Format: 4 short essay questions, each of them answered in 8 lines or less, focused on the texts and/orfilms covered in class per instructions• Grading: 5 points for each question, 20 points total for the finalWriting Style Sheet• always indicate your name in the first page of your writing• in general, use the MLA reference style• for commentaries, no separate reference items are needed; but for the term paper, a complete listof works cited is required, and any incomplete listing would cost points• format the title of a film, a book, or a journal in italic or underline: Shower, Shower• indicate the title of an article in a journal or a volume with quotation marks• add in a parenthesis the author’s name (if not identified in the text), a short title (if an author hasmore than one cited work), and page numbers after all direct quotations: “…” (L. Lee, “Cinema”37-38); use the author’s name, not the volume editor’s• be sure proper names are spelled correctly• in the Chinese case, remember the family name goes before the given name: Feng Xiaogang(hence, Mr. Feng rather than Mr. Xiaogang)• reduce functional phrases and repetitions like “I believe” or “in Leo Lee’s article, Lee writes …”• spell-check grammar and fix typographic errors• read your paper one more time before printing; hand-written corrections cost you points• for those in need of assistance with English writing, seek help from campus resources and yournative-speaking friends

• GradingThe term paper itself counts for 40% of your course grade. You will be graded on your mastery of therelevant facts and arguments, your originality in developing analysis, and the effective way your paper isorganized and written. Specifically, originality = 2 points, analysis = 12 points (i.e., 6 points each film),writing = 16 points (i.e., legitimate title = 1 point, 4 listed key words = 2 points, structure = 2 points,transition = 2 points, grammar = 2 points, spelling = 2 points, in-text reference = 2, etc.), use of sources =10 points (i.e., logical incorporation = 1.5 points each, complete citation = 1 point each).• ContentFirst, your paper must be comparative; namely, choose to compare two of these films: Plunder of Peachand Plum, It’s My Day Off, Ermo, and Suzhou River. You may focus on a similar theme, a shared criticalproblem, or a combination of some of them.Second, your paper must be researched; namely, citing what critics have said about the directors and/orfilms you are discussing and indicating how you respond to their interpretations. You must use at least 4print sources assigned in the syllabus. Each article in an edited book counts as one source, but merelylisting sources without incorporating them in analysis does not make your paper a researched one.Third, your paper must be critical; namely, examining texts in detail and engaging different arguments inrelation to the issues you are addressing. This also means that you have to maintain your own line ofarguments while moving between primary and secondary sources. A summary of narrative plot orbiographic information is descriptive rather than critical.• FormThis is an individual assignment. Do not work on it jointly as you might study together for exams orteam projects, because two papers similar to each other will likely lower grades for both papers. Do notsubmit a paper that you have submitted or are writing for any other class.The paper must be written in your words, not paraphrased out of a secondary source or plagiarize fromany source You must give full bibliographical citations at the end of your paper on a separate page(exclusive of the page limit), and make sure your style is consistent throughout the paper.Papers must be typed, double-spaced (not 1.5 spaced), with one-inch or larger margins on all four sidesof the page. The length is limited to 3 pages, excluding references. Most students do better writing acarefully edited three-page paper than writing a longer paper that is sloppy. Papers not meeting thesespecifications will be returned without grading. Faulty spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format stylewill cost you points, so proof-read your writing carefully.