English 429 AP Language & Composition – Summer Synthesis Assignment

In Cold Blood

Photos: text, Truman Capote, Dick Hickock, and Perry Smith

Purpose

You will write an essay (with a thesis of your own creation) based on the reading of several sources. Your argument will be supported by a variety of given sources; it goes without saying that appropriate citations, works cited, and essay structure are a must.

            The assignment is similar to the research papers you have done in the past, and will mirror, on a larger scale, the synthesis prompts given on the AP exam for English Language. This will test your ability to formulate a position based on your critical and analytical reading of sources and convey that in a clear and cohesive written format.  Steer clear of simple plot summary; this is not your 3^rd grade book report.  A well crafted essay will develop an argument, support that argument with the provided sources, and blend the proper balance of your voice and command of the language with the academic formality which a research paper requires.    This essay will serve as your first major grade.

Background

            The sources you will read will revolve around the novel, In Cold Blood; the film Capote; the life of the author, Truman Capote; the life of the murderers; the city of Holcomb, Kansas; and the aftermath of the quadruple homicide. Author Truman Capote spent six years writing about the crime and the complicated psychological story of the killers, eventually writing the first, and arguably the best, creative nonfiction novel of all time, In Cold Blood, published in 1966.  The film, Capote, focuses on Capote’s research of the murder, his writing of the novel, and the relationship which Capote built with Perry Smith, one of the convicted murderers, before his execution. 

Possible Positions

            There are myriad possible positions that you might wish to consider for this paper:

-          Historical

-          Biographical (of the author Capote, of the killers, the victims, etc.)

-          Thematic (trust, small town community, etc.)

-          The judicial process

-          Psychological

-          Creative nonfiction as a genre

-          Your choice…

Sources

Choose at least five (5) of the sources below to read or watch to synthesize and support your own argument. The sources with an asterisk* must be used.

*In Cold Blood, the novel

*Capote, the film (2005, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, directed by Bennett Miller)

In Cold Blood the film (1967, starring Robert Blake, directed by Richard Brooks)

Two biographies have been provided; you may deviate from these two sources if you find alternative biographies.

Reed, Kenneth Truman Capote (1981) (813.54/Cap-HEHS Media Center call number)

Garson, Helen  Truman Capote (1980) (813.54/Cap-HEHS Media Center call number)

Links to the articles have been provided.

“A Nightmare Lived Again” Life (1967)

O:\English\AP Lang and Comp\In Cold Blood Life Magazine article.tif

De Bellis, Jack. “Visions and Revisions:  Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.”  Journal of Modern Literature (1979)

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3831294

“City of Holcomb, Kansas”

http://www.cityofholcomb.org/index.aspx?NID=6

Engle, Tim. “An `In Cold Blood' timeline” The Kansas Star (2005)

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W73160735600&site=ehost-live

Guinn, Jeff. “Glamorizing a mass murderer or shedding light on an ugly side of life?” Fort Worth Star (2001)

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W72833244633&site=ehost-live

“’In Cold Blood’ A legacy in photos”

http://www2.ljworld.com/photos/galleries/2005/apr/03/in_cold_blood_a_legacy_in_photos/

Levine, Paul. “Reality and Fiction” The Hudson Review (1966)

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3849353

Siegle, Robert. “ Capote’s Handcarved Coffins and the Nonfiction Novel.” Contemporary Literature (1984)

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1208055

Wiebe, Mark. “In Holcomb, Kan., 40th anniversary of Clutter killings isn't big news” The Kansas Star (1999)

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=4N54482552151417&site=ehost-live

MLA Citations

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/

Assignment Details

-          5 to 7 pages typed, double-spaced, 12 point readable font.

-          Usage of at least 5 of the given sources, which must include the two required sources

-          Links to articles have been provided. Movies and copies of books must be acquired on your own. Check libraries, Netflix, and Blockbuster! Amazon always sells cheaper used copies.

-          Works cited page, following MLA guidelines

-          Annotate your text and source materials and be prepared to read, discuss, and continue working with these notes and sources

-          200 points

-          Due date: First day of class.  NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

-          Assessment Criteria

o   Clarity of writing

o   Technical accuracy of writing

o   Depth of analysis

o   Seamless synthesis of sources

*This is your first major grade of the course and will set the tone for the entire school year.  You wouldn’t want to “start off on the wrong foot,” quoting Scout from Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.  This reference is much more significant than it may appear now…

First Semester Texts

These texts must be purchased for use during the first semester.

The Stranger  by Albert Camus

Beloved  by Toni Morrison

Second Semester Texts

This text must be purchased for use during the second semester.

            The Sound and the Fury  by William Faulkner

Contact Information

We are all excited about the upcoming school year, and we hope you are as well!  Please do not hesitate to contact one or all of us if you have questions or concerns about the assignment or the course.

Mr. Mark Ahn             mahn@d211.org

Mr. Ryan Brown          rbrown@d211.org

Mrs. Heidi Davey        hdavey@d211.org