In the essay you will write a paper that makes an argument about Walter’s point of view in Double Indemnity (both the novel and film). Specifically, you will consider the differences and similarities between Walter’s first-person narration in James M. Cain’s novel and the “frame narrative” that sets up Billy Wilder’s film. 

As you work on crafting a thesis statement for this essay, consider the following questions: 

• What is the significance of Walter’s first-person (and potentially unreliable) narration in Double Indemnity? (Consider the fact that in Double Indemnity, we get the story from the murderer’s, rather than the detective’s, point of view)
• What does it mean for us as readers / viewers of Double Indemnity that we get the story from his point of view? Are we more inclined to identify with Walter because he’s our “window” into the world of the story? 
• And how does this point of view get represented differently in the novel and film? (Can cinema even have unreliable narrators? How? Consider the example of Detour). 

Your thesis statement should appear at the end of the first paragraph. It should state in the clearest possible terms the claim that your essay is going to support in the body paragraphs of the essay. The thesis statement should therefore be disputable—in other words, one should be able to make a counter-argument against your thesis. 

Structure: 
To begin with, you should write complete sentences and paragraphs. Beyond that, consider structuring your essay as follows: 

Introduction: Provide your reader with background information about point of view in crime fiction (remember what we discussed in class about what makes Double Indemnity unique, in terms of point of view). Conclude your paragraph with a clear, arguable thesis statement. 

Body: You should write at least 3 paragraphs about each story, for a total of 6 paragraphs in the body of the essay. Organize your paragraphs as follows: 
1) Begin with a “topic sentence”: a sentence that organizes the basic idea of the paragraph to follow
2) Expand on that topic sentence by developing the idea 
3) Provide your reader with evidence (in the form of a direct quotation from the story) 
4) Conclude the paragraph by reminding your reader how the evidence you’ve presented fits with the argument you’re making in the paper as a whole*** 

Conclusion: Summarize the ideas in your paper and remind your reader about what you’ve been arguing—answer, once and for all, what makes the representation of Walter’s point of view in Double Indemnity significant.