History
Bio
Faculty Advisor: James Chappel
Communists have been mainstays of American film for the better part of a century, almost always (understandably) depicted as the villain. Be it a Soviet general plotting nuclear destruction or a spy stealing information from the American homeland, American audiences love an over-sensationalized Communist. This Enhanced Research Experience (ERE) thesis sets out to depict a less-sensationalized Communist in a Hollywood-style screenplay (although I highly doubt any studio would be chomping at the bit to purchase this story, no matter how well I write it). My project consists of three main elements. First, a short essay providing historical context for the subject of my screenplay, The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB for short). This justification for my ERE project aims both to ground the reader of my screenplay in the subject matter and lay out the historical argument my screenplay looks to prove. Second, the screenplay itself, which aims to synthesize my primary and secondary source research with fictional storytelling. Third, endnotes offering explanations to specific decisions made in my writing process. The aim of the project as a whole is to demonstrate that academically salient arguments can be conveyed through a fictional story in the form of a screenplay.
