Making the Grade: Writing an A Paper!

An A paper:

Students often think the A grade should be given just because they have turned in the paper, on time and met the basic assignment parameters. It is, somehow, due them. Most college instructors have very specific expectations of an A paper. They expect it to be narrow and clearly focused.

Arguably, the major moral of 30 Days of Night, directed by David Slade, is that mankind is helpless against the supernatural vampire in a world where God has been removed from the equation. It is set in a secular world, where supernatural good (God, and his many manifestations) has been removed, but supernatural evil (vampires) still are allowed.  In the movie itself, we are told that the only reason daylight kills vampires is that it contains ultra-violet light; thus unlinking the tie of day and sunlight, to Christ, God's son. Unlike most vampire films, there are no churches to run to, no crosses, no holy water, no priests, and perhaps most importantly, no slayers.  The humans merely attempt to survive the night; they never attempt to take it back. It is only at the last moment when all survivors have to choose between being eaten or burned alive that the secular power, the sheriff, steps up to save the few still human survivors. The message is thus reinforced: without some supernatural power to even the equation, evil -- supernatural or otherwise -- with its willingness to do whatever it wishes to further its ends, always wins. 

Can you see the difference between this A-level paragraph and the B-level one?

• It is narrowly focused, states its topic up front: there is a moral in the film
• It then clearly states the moral: Mankind is helpless against vampires without God’s power
• It provides support from the film for its premise.

It does do a few things wrong. A short quote from the film, such as when a lead vampire tells one of the victims, “no God,” would have strengthened it and provided a relevant taste of the film. And it sets up a comparison between a human hero and a God-powered savior which is clearly not the moral under discussion. While the writer does manage to pull the human-hero back into the correct direction, in a longer paper, it would beg for development.

 So, in summary:

An “A” reply does the reading and discovers a topic or theme within the story which the story supports – and only the summary supporting those points are told. A “B” response discovers the topic or theme, discusses it, just supports it less well or with a few more grammar errors. A “C” paper – average 121 level, would summarize it with some errors. All within the word count. 

 (All Rights Reserved. copyright Leslie Ormandy 2012)