Cool Hand Luke Essay Assignment
Assignment: Timed-writing.
Write a 500-word essay about the movie as a comparison to life or as a springboard for
contemplating the meaning of life.
The fight against conformity. Show how Luke is a symbol of the non-conformist who is not going
to conform no matter what. Explain why a movie with this the non-conformist theme would be
popular in 1967.
A lesson in oppression. Although many people might support the concept of civil rights, they didn’t
really know what it felt to be a black man in a “Jim Crow” society where a black person had to act
totally submissive to whites or pay a heavy price. Blacks felt powerless against this oppression. White
audiences could relate to Luke and feel anger about the injustice and cruelty inflicted by the guards
and the “system.” Explain how this movie creates an emotional connection between the white movie
audience and the plight of blacks in Jim Crow America.
Questioning Authority: Authority figures are portrayed negatively in this movie. In 1967,
challenging authority was not socially acceptable, yet this movie was very popular. Explain why
audiences would root for the anti-hero at this time. Why had many lost trust in authority? Why was
there a loss of trust in the society?
Compare movie to life: We can compare Luke’s situation to ourselves or someone we know who
feels trapped by circumstances mostly beyond their control in his or her life such as parents,
teachers, school, job, obligations, relationships, etc.) In this case, we can compare the prison to the
circumstances (school, for instance) that are keeping a person trapped. The warden and guards are
the forces that make it hard to get out of the trap. The other people in prison represent other people
who also feel trapped. In this movie, we see a world of two types of people – the trapped the
trappers.
Maintaining internal identity and personal integrity: Can your true identity be
beaten or bought out of you? Would you be cruel just because “it’s your job?” Would you
be a “kiss-up” if rewarded well enough?
The indomitable life spirit: Does Luke represent the characteristic in nature of never
giving up? (No matter what you do to the earth, life keeps coming back in form of weeds
and trees and insects, etc.)
Contemplate the meaning of life: This movie can also be seen as a search for the meaning of
life. Here are some questions that most people wonder about at some point in their lives:
 Are we alive simply through a random act of biology? Or were we put on earth by some other
force or being?
 Were we put on earth for a purpose? If so, what is that purpose?
 Does God (in any sense of god you choose to believe in) care about us? If so, then why is life
unfair and often cruel?
 Is life a test of some kind? If so, what is it testing?
 Did Luke pass or fail the test?
How to do well on this assignment
Be prepared
 Read through the various possible themes to write about.
 Think about what the central idea in the theme is.
 Think about what you know and feel about this idea.
 Can you make connections between the movie and the idea?
 Review the 50 questions about the movie. Look for moments in the movie that relate to the
theme you selected. Mark them.
 Find quotes from the movie. Select quotes that you can connect strongly to the theme you are
writing about.
 Make an outline, idea map or graphic organizer to organize your essay.
 Think about what you might say and how you might say it.
Writing your essay
Write your introduction first. Use the theme description above to develop your introduction.
Paraphrase the description and turn questions into assertions.
Use the ACE-It approach to writing paragraphs. This stands for (A) Assertion – make a statement;
(C) Cite – cite an example or use a quote; (E) Explain – explain the connection between the evidence
you cited and the assertion you made. Make sure you provide context for your examples or quotes.
Write at least three body paragraphs using the ACE-It approach for each paragraph.
Write a concluding paragraph that summarizes the points you made and restates the main point of
your introductory paragraph.
Proofread your paper. Revise for clarity, completeness and correctness.
Essay Structure

Introduction: Hooks the reader. Tells the reader what you think is a main theme of the movie
(thesis statement). Identifies the movie by title.

Body Paragraphs: You will write at least three body paragraphs. Each body paragraph will use
the ACE-It approach. The topic sentence will come first and make an assertion. It will be
followed by a quote or a clearly summarized example. That will be followed by an explanation
that makes a clear connection between quote (or example) and the theme.

Concluding paragraph: Your concluding paragraph can take one of three forms. 1. Expand or
elaborate on the theme; 2. Summarize the “evidence” you presented; or 3. Make a connection
between movie theme and the real world.