Choose one of the following options, each of which asks you to think of both The Maltese Falcon and The Grifters as examples of noir fiction:

1. Compare the way that the novels represent women, and how the female characters might construct an identity based on femininity;

OR,

2. Compare the way that the novels represent men, and how the male characters might construct an identity based on masculinity.

Whichever option you choose, you will need:

1. An introductory paragraph that provides some context for your discussion–that is, that explains to the reader why or how the question you’re answering is in some way important or significant.

2. A topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph–that is, a sentence that identifies the topic of the paragraph and also connects it to the larger argument of or thesis for the essay itself. (Here’s an example: “Mr. Rose’s behavior as the school guidance counselor establishes his status as a villain because he abuses his position in order actively to harm Patricia”–the topic of the paragraph = Mr. Rose’s behavior, and the larger argument = Mr. Rose is a villain.)

3. Textual evidence to support the claims made by the topic sentence, along with parenthetical citation to direct the reader to the page from which the quote or paragraph comes.

Your final draft should be 750 words long–that is, three pages, typed and double-spaced–use a 12-point font (such as Calibri or Times New Roman), and have one-inch margins. The deadlines can be found on the Checklist.