Due via email before class, March 16

Both season 1 of The Wire and Clockers work as variations of the crime drama tradition. The goal of this assignment is to compare how each narrative works to convey ideas about issues such as crime, policing, identity, or urban America. You should identify a core thesis argument about the similarities and/or differences between the two narratives, and write a 4-5 page essay (1,250-1,600 words) supporting that argument.

Your essay should be grounded in specifics that tackle both the content of each narrative, and the form that the creators use to convey that content. It may be helpful to focus in on a specific aspect to compare, such as particular scenes, characters, relationships, locations, or narrative strategies. You can explore the differences between the possibilities available to novels versus television serials, but that does not have to be the primary focus of the essay. Papers that explore specific ideas in detailed depth are preferable to broad overviews that try to address too much without analytic detail.

Remember to include the Honor Code with your essay.

Feel free to ask questions about the assignment below.