History 399
Fall 2001

Final Essay: Synthesis and Reflection

8 to 10 pages

Due by noon on Friday, December 21, the last day of exams, in my mailbox: 310 Skinner

In your final essay, present a documented synthesis of major ideas that we’ve studied this semester with regard to history and film.  By “documented” I mean both the films and the assigned readings.  Your essay must incorporate at least two films and associated readings, and at least one of the films must be one that you did not treat in your first essay, i.e., either Lone Star or Xala.  You must also incorporate your consideration of ideas about the nature of history and film as presented in Rosenstone’s article and/or in the conversation between John Sayles and Eric Foner in The Imperfect Past. 

You may choose one of the following options to frame your essay:

1.      A study of two films as primary documents that presents an argument about a major historical theme as well as a substantial reflection on the nature of history and film (or on the use of film in historical inquiry).

2.      A study of historical change over time based on the comparison of films for two periods—one or more of the films for the 1930s and early 40s compared to one or more films of the more recent past, i.e., the 1970s to 1990s.  The aim here would be to define a theme such as the representation of the nation and ask how this representation has changed from one period to another.

3.      A study of the question taken up by Rosenstone, Sayles, and Foner: can history be satisfactorily portrayed in film?

If you wish to modify one of these frameworks for your essay, we must negotiate the frame and content, and you have to convince me that your proposal will indeed synthesize major ideas in the course.

 Check List:

1. Introduction: this should state or foreshadow in specific terms the thesis or main argument of your essay.  Write the final version of your introduction after you’ve completed your essay.
2. Conclusion: At the end of the paper, a meaningful discussion that sums up precisely your major points and comments on their historical significance.
3. Reflection: a substantial consideration of history and film in broad terms that grows out of your more specific study.
4. Supporting evidence and reasoning: ideas, judgments, and conclusions are supported with reasoning and evidence from course readings, discussions, and presentations.
5. Organization: Subheadings can be used to facilitate the organization of your presentation.
6. Paragraphs are focused on one major point, and each one includes a topic sentence.
7. Transitions are used to make clear the connections between the discussion of your topics or subjects.
8. Specificity and vocabulary:  statements and terms are accurate and precise, concrete and specific—as opposed to vague and overly general. "Rose" is concrete as compared to “flower.”
9.  Acknowledgements: use endnotes to give the source of ideas or information that you draw upon. Historians generally follow the referencing defined by the Chicago Manual of Style.  http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/footnote.html
10. Proofread your paper carefully so that it is free of mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
11. Identification:  instead of your name, please put your Social Security or Student Number on the essay, not your name.  Whichever you use, be sure to put the same number that you used in your first essay.
12. Turn in: both your final essay and your first essay with my comments.  My aim here is both to encourage progress and improvement and be able to gauge that.

As with your first essay, I invite you to build on the work of your peers where it seems appropriate.  Review the postings and your notes on the presentations.  If you do, acknowledge your debt as you would with any secondary source—author, nature of the idea or contribution (Presentation or Posting), date.  I encourage you to review your own postings and contributions also.