Response Paper #6

Due Date:  Wednesday, May 21

Do one of these two options.  Do both if you wish to replace one of your first three scores and have not exercised that option yet.

#1

Wikipedia describes the world and moral view of film noir as this:  “Rather than focusing on simple ‘black and white’ decisions, film noirs tend to pose moral quandaries that are unusually ambiguous and relative—at least within the context of Hollywood cinema. Characters that do pursue goals based on clear-cut moral standards may be more than willing to let the ‘ends justify the means.’”  Both Casablanca and Touch of Evil are considered film noir by some critics. How does Touch of Evil show a world that is more closely aligned with this vision of noir?

Quotation source:

“Film Noir.”  Wikipedia. www.wikipedia.org 14 May 2008.

OR

#2

Re-read the first three chapters of The Grapes of Wrath.  What type of mood is John Steinbeck trying to create in opening the novel with these three chapters?  In writing in response, be sure to devote a carefully constructed paragraph to each chapter.  Avoid writing a closing paragraph; instead, write a careful introduction that clearly identifies the mood you believe Steinbeck is creating, and then illustrate how each of these chapters reflects this mood.