ENGLISH 347

Contemporary Developments in Literature and Culture: The American Experience in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese

Final Examination

All three directors we have studied this winter have made films which explore themes central to American society and culture. They have among other subjects:

explored the American Dream and its variations and contradictions;

examined, from different perspectives, the workings of the American nuclear family;

commented on worthiness of our institutions of authority (including political, social, and religious);

and dramatized the contradictions between the realities of human nature and the ideals and attitudes that shape our culture.

Choose one of these topics that interest you; decide which films will best demonstrate your point of view; and write a 1,000-word (four to five page) essay. You may refine, vary, or narrow any of these topics in writing your essay. For example, instead of taking families as a whole you might (and perhaps you should) want to focus on parents or children, or husbands and wives; or you might want to discuss the subjects of individualism or gender roles rather than American ideals in general. You should include reference to at least five (5) films from the work of two (2) directors. The aim if the final exam is to show that you have thought seriously about the films and the themes which were the focus of the course.