Tom Schatz argues that genres are “ritualistic narrative systems” that express social problem solving operations and explore ideological conflicts; therefore,
you may want to approach your argument through an ideological frame common to both texts. After introducing your central framework and the argument
you are making about your chosen genre/media texts, you should briefly identify recurring elements or conventions of the genre (such as character
archetypes, narratives, settings, props, camerawork, sound, ideology, etc.). Then, narrow your scope to two elements and more thoroughly examine how they
are utilized across your selected texts. Because this is a short essay, we don’t expect you to cover everything in 5 pages. The goal is to reveal subtleties or
complexities that may have escaped other viewers through your comparative analysis.
Your analysis should draw on specific textual evidence to support your readings of these texts. Focus on an individual scene, sequence, episode (in the case
of television), or story mission (in the case of video games) in your media text to back up your argument. If you’re choosing character archetypes, for
example, focus on specific actions or behaviors by that character rather than a broad analysis of that character. This will form a more compelling case for
your argument than extensive plot summaries.
Below are some guiding questions to help guide the brainstorming process:
What in these texts intrigues, surprises, or provokes you?
What collective values or ideological conflicts are exposed, reinforced, or critiqued within these texts?
How are specific genre conventions contributing to the meaning you are reading in your texts?
Is the text actively manipulating genre conventions, either working within or subverting them?
How does the media format affect how the story is told?
What specific scenes, moments, or examples best illustrate your points?
