Hey Liv - my main impression here is you need to separate out things a little further to ensure you've giving enough room to everything. The Uncanny is famously difficult to pin down as a concept; indeed, Freud spends the first part of his essay looking at all the different languages in which the concept exists, in his attempt to fix the meaning. Getting this definition sorted will take you time and energy, so I don't think you should be seeking to combine this job with plot synopses or getting into the discussion of a character. The Uncanny needs its own paragraph. It might even need two.
I suggest you follow your introduction with a short plot synopses in which you emphasise the film as being about 'the uncanny'... this then opens up the next paragraph which defines this concept for the reader... Then you can get into the specifics of how the theory applies to the different characters.
Remember too - your 'introduction' is an introduction to the essay structure itself - it doesn't give definitions, it doesn't start the discussion, it just states the nature of the enquiry and lists the order of points and the key sources. From what you've written here, you still seem a bit confused as what your introduction is for?
So - Introduction > Plot Synopsis (emphasising repression and 'the Uncanny' > define the uncanny > relate the uncanny to the film etc.
The linking between Taboo and 'The Uncanny' - this is interesting, but again, you need to ensure you're giving sufficient time and space to defining this principle, and likewise how it relates to 'the return of the repressed'. You always need to avoid the appearance of superficiality; if you deploy a key term that isn't self-explanatory, you need to explain it before using it.
My main point is this: do not underestimate the work involved in terms of defining the uncanny effectively: Freud dedicated an entire essay to it, you'll need more than a couple of lines. This is your key theory and you need to show your assessor that you have a confident understanding of it before you seek to apply it to anything else.
Hey Liv - my main impression here is you need to separate out things a little further to ensure you've giving enough room to everything. The Uncanny is famously difficult to pin down as a concept; indeed, Freud spends the first part of his essay looking at all the different languages in which the concept exists, in his attempt to fix the meaning. Getting this definition sorted will take you time and energy, so I don't think you should be seeking to combine this job with plot synopses or getting into the discussion of a character. The Uncanny needs its own paragraph. It might even need two.
ReplyDeleteI suggest you follow your introduction with a short plot synopses in which you emphasise the film as being about 'the uncanny'... this then opens up the next paragraph which defines this concept for the reader... Then you can get into the specifics of how the theory applies to the different characters.
Remember too - your 'introduction' is an introduction to the essay structure itself - it doesn't give definitions, it doesn't start the discussion, it just states the nature of the enquiry and lists the order of points and the key sources. From what you've written here, you still seem a bit confused as what your introduction is for?
So - Introduction > Plot Synopsis (emphasising repression and 'the Uncanny' > define the uncanny > relate the uncanny to the film etc.
The linking between Taboo and 'The Uncanny' - this is interesting, but again, you need to ensure you're giving sufficient time and space to defining this principle, and likewise how it relates to 'the return of the repressed'. You always need to avoid the appearance of superficiality; if you deploy a key term that isn't self-explanatory, you need to explain it before using it.
My main point is this: do not underestimate the work involved in terms of defining the uncanny effectively: Freud dedicated an entire essay to it, you'll need more than a couple of lines. This is your key theory and you need to show your assessor that you have a confident understanding of it before you seek to apply it to anything else.