English 98: English Fundamentals
Instructor: Sydney Brown
Points: Essay (100) Peer Workshop (20)
Essay #2: This Boy’s Life
Memoir and Film Comparison
Essay Deadlines:
ASSIGNMENT:
 Due Tuesday, October 22: Paragraph 1, your introduction, in
MLA format.
 Due Thursday, October 24: Paragraphs 2-4, body paragraphs,
in MLA format.
 Due Tuesday, October 29: Paragraph 5, your conclusion, in
MLA format.
 Due Tuesday, November 5: Bring THREE copies of one draft of
your complete essay for Peer Workshop (20 points) in MLA
format with Works Cited Page. No make up.
 Due Thursday, November 7: Final Essay with Works Cited page.
Staple draft from Peer Workshop behind your final paper
before coming to class.
You have read
Tobias Wolff’s
memoir, This Boy’s
Life, which was published in 1989, and we have watched the film adaptation, directed by Michael
Caton-Jones and starring Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, and Leonardo DiCaprio, released in 1993. For
essay #2, you will be writing a five-paragraph essay in which you make a choice between the film
and book. Granted, the number “five” is arbitrary, but some college instructors will require this type
of paper, which you can adapt for various essay assignments, so I want you to feel confident in it.
For Essay #2, you should compare the book and the film and choose which one you believe is most
effective (powerful, entertaining, engaging, compelling, memorable, etc.). You should support your
choice by analyzing and comparing three specific elements of the film and book, such as
characters, plot (the ending or other specific sections), theme of posing, format (book vs. film). Here
is a breakdown of how you should organize your paper, though the elements you compare may
vary.
•
•
•
•
•
Paragraph #1: Begin with a “hook” that grabs the reader’s attention, and then introduce the
book (author, genre, title, year of publication) and summarize This Boy’s Life and introduce
the film adaptation (director, title, actors, year released). Briefly discus, in general, the impact
the film and book make on the audience (reader/viewer). Finally, give your thesis statement
in which you make a choice between the two.
Paragraph #2: Compare Rosemary/Caroline in the book and in the film.
Paragraph #3: Compare the theme of Jack posing in the book and in the film.
Paragraph #4: Compare the format, the experience of reading the book to the experience
of watching the film.
Paragraph #5: Based on the evidence presented in paragraphs #2-4, explain which is more
effective (powerful, entertaining, engaging, compelling, memorable—pick the best
adjective to fit your response), the book or the film.
2
REQUIREMENTS:
a. Use academic voice and avoid the personal pronoun “I.” You should work to sound like an
authority on the book and the film and avoid including personal experiences.
b. The introductory paragraph should begin with a sentence that grabs the reader’s attention
and then goes on to fully introduce sources and subject matter as well as gives author’s
(your) thesis.
c. The essay should be driven by a clear—explicit—thesis statement that makes a choice
between the book and the film.
d. Paragraphs #2-3 should have strong topic sentences and use specific examples from the
book and film to illustrate the comparison.
e. There should be clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas—guide your reader through
your essay.
f. The conclusion should reiterate main points of paragraphs #2-4 and reinforce the author’s
thesis. In other words, prove to your reader why the book is “better” than the film or the film is
“better” than the book.
g. Do not use any outside sources in this paper—just the film and the book.
h. The essay should be free of sentence-level problems, such as comma splices, run-ons (fused
sentences), fragments, and punctuation errors.
i. Your final essay should be 3 pages long and in MLA format and style, including a Works Cited
page. Here is how you format a book and a film in MLA on your Works Cited Page, which
should be numbered as the last page of your essay:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Jones 4
Works Cited
This Boy’s Life. Dir. Michael Caton-Jones. Perf. Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, and Leonardo
DiCaprio. 1993. Warner Home Video. 2010. DVD.
Wolff, Tobias. This Boy’s Life. New York: Grove Press, 1989.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
EVALUATIVE CRITERIA
An “A” paper meets and exudes excellence in regards to the following criteria:
A “B” paper meets and represents a very good accomplishment in regards to the following criteria:
A “C” paper represents a satisfactory—certainly college level—product in regards to the following
criteria:
A “D” paper is less than satisfactory in one or more of the following criteria:
An “F” paper does not meet the requirements of one or more of the following criteria:
ü The essay thoroughly addresses ALL parts of “The Assignment” and the “Requirements” as
detailed on this handout.
ü The essay is in correct MLA format and style, including a Works Cited page.
ü The essay is relatively free of errors in spelling, punctuation, mechanics, and grammar.
ü The essay illustrates the author’s concern for quality.