Book Report
“Brothers and Keepers“
by John Edgar Wideman
Brothers and Keepers is John Edgar Wideman’s seminal memoir about the diverging lives of two brothers — one an award-winning novelist, the other a fugitive wanted for robbery and murder.
This book report will consist of your reactions and responses to, as well as an analysis of this book. It is an opportunity for you to express your interests and to use and apply the information and ideas of this course.
The core of the assignment is to choose a theory about crime causation that explains the different outcomes of the brothers’ lives. You should use a theory that is presented in the textbook and or in class. Three – five references will be required for the paper in order to gain and present a better understanding of the theory you have chosen. References should be cited on a separate reference sheet at the end of your paper.
The following are suggested instructions. You do not need to follow these exactly, but you do need to make sure you include the following in the paper:
v A description of the criminological theory that you have chosen.
v Specific examples from the life histories of Robby and John to support your choice.
v An outline of prevention or intervention programs that would apply to Robby and are derived from your chosen theory. Based on your program, is Robby’s prison sentence adequate and/or appropriate. Explain why or why not.
v Provide an analysis and critique of the theory you have chosen in terms of what it cannot explain about the outcomes of these two brothers.
v Discuss (briefly) whether an additional theory could be combined with your chosen theory to even better explain these disparate outcomes. If you present a second theory, describe the combination of theories. If you do not present a second theory, explain why not.
Formatting Instructions
v Reports are to be 6-8 pages in length completed in APA format. For information on this go to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html
v The project must be completed on a word processor; do not turn in a handwritten copy. Use 1 inch margins all the way around. The font should be Times, Ariel, Helvetica, New York or something similar to what you're reading now. Use 12-point size.
v Double space every line of text.
v Attach a face sheet to the assignment which contains the following information centered approximately 3 inches down from the top of the page:
Your Full Name
Book Report
Finally: You may be as creative or uncreative in your writing as you'd like. In other words, if you're a creative writer, use your abilities. However, if you aren't that creative, then just list the quotes and react, that's fine. Your grade does NOT depend on creativeness, but rather, on substance or content.