Police Procedurals Essay: “The Police” (p. 337-340) and Panek, From “The Police Novel” (p. 341-357)
The two essays we have read about police procedurals, “The Police” (p. 337-340) and Panek, From “The Police Novel” (p. 341-357), discuss a number of things that make this type of detective fiction different from fiction featuring amateur detectives or private investigators. Among other things, the essays suggest that police procedurals are more realistic, more detailed, and offer more graphic descriptions of heinous crimes.
They also suggest that police procedurals feature a hero who is an “everyman” (not necessarily a genius or a beacon of morality) who is constrained by superior officers who are untrustworthy or unreliable.
The goal of this assignment is to argue whether or not one or more of these (or other characteristics of your choice outlined in the essays) are evident in one of the police procedurals we have read: Hillerman, “Chee’s Witch” (p. 411-419), Rankin, “The Dean Curse” (p. 419-437), or Robinson, “Missing in Action” (p. 457-473). This is a formal, multi-paragraph essay, and should include an introductory paragraph with a thesis, body paragraphs that support the thesis, and a conclusion paragraph.
Audience: Your audience is composed of me and your fellow students, all of whom are familiar with the essays and stories. Long, extended quotes and paraphrases are not necessary; short quotes or paraphrases and/or references will suffice.
Objectives:
1. To develop your ability to read, analyze, and respond to literary texts
2. To develop your ability to construct an argument in a clear and effective manner
3. To develop your ability to construct a paper in a clear and effective manner
Components of assignment: Please do not use any outside sources. Focus on your own personal reactions to the text(s). Include in-text citations in MLA format for all quotes and paraphrases and an MLA Works Cited sheet at the end of the paper.
Police Procedurals Essay Strategies for Completing Assignment:
1. Remember not to take on more than you can discuss thoroughly in two pages. For example, you might want to limit yourself to just two or three characteristics, rather than trying to tackle all of them.
2. Be careful not to allow your paper to become disjointed. Make sure that the points you are discussing all tie together to make a clear argument, outlined in a thesis statement.
4. Make sure—way ahead of time—that you are familiar with and understand the essays, stories, and class discussions.
Other details:
Paper length: 500 words (approximately 2 pages)
Papers must be word-processed, double-spaced, 12 point, with one-inch margins. Please provide a separate title page with the title of your essay, your name, my name, the course number, and the date of submission.
Writing Center: You should also always feel free to discuss your papers with me during my office hours. But extra feedback is always helpful! If you are having difficulty with your paper or feel that you need extra assistance with your writing in general, the Writing Center provides tutors who can assist you with your writing. http://www.ccbcmd.edu/Resources-for-Students/Tutoring-and-Academic-Coaching/Writing-Center-and-Online-Writing-Lab.aspx
Plagiarism:
Any work you do for this class should be uniquely written for this class. If you are interested in applying work from other classes to this one, please speak with me. When you find yourself having difficulty writing a paper, remind yourself that writing is a difficult process, and that other writers therefore deserve to have their work respected—and credited. Plagiarism is not just about copying someone else’s words.
Policy on late drafts/papers: Papers must be submitted on or before the due date in order to receive credit.
Police Procedurals Essay Grading criteria:
1. A clear, strong thesis statement with arguments in support of that statement and evidence in support of those arguments
2. Structure—does your paper follow a logical progression of information, or does it jump back and forth between topics? Are you repeating yourself frequently?
3. Evidence that you understand the characteristics you are discussing and that you have considered their relationship to the story you are discussing
4. Grammar, sentence structure, paragraph structure, citations
Misidentification of the defendant in a police photo-line-up