Choose EITHER Gary Okihiro’s “When and Where I Enter,” OR Carlos Bulosan’s “The Growth of Philippine Culture,” and discuss Dogeaters in light of the argument made by your chosen essay. Explain your choice of the critical/historical essay (either Okihiro’s or Bulson’s essay), and the connection it has to the novel. In what ways do the themes in Dogeaters best exemplify the arguments and claims made in the chosen essay?
For example, in what way does Okihiro’s argument about the entry of the West into Asia (or the “Orient”), or about manifest destiny in “When and Where I Enter” relate to the post-colonial narrative in Dogeaters? Or: How does Dogeaters expand on Bulosan’s use of the motif (recurring theme/image) of sleeping?
You may use the library research databases (e.g. EBSCO Host, JSTOR, Project Muse) to retrieve more scholarly articles about your selected novel, your essay must focus on how some of the main points in Okihiro’s or Bulosan’s essay connect to key themes in your chosen novel. Material retrieved from the internet are not appropriate for this assignment.
Please make sure that you do not commit plagiarism or else you will be expelled. If you consult and use phrases/sentences/ideas from another source, you must cite this source
TIP #1: Make sure to identify and analyze specific scenes and details from your novel to support your thesis and main points. Do NOT provide plot summaries (I do not need a retelling of the story). Instead, focus on analyzing evidence from the text. This also means that you must discuss language and imagery, rather than simply quote or describe the action of selected scenes. Be selective; do not feel compelled to discuss every part of the novel.
TIP #2: Do not generalize; instead, use supporting details from the essay and the novel to develop your point. Each body paragraph should contain a direct reference to and discussion of details from the novel.
TIP #3: Make sure that both your selected novel and critical/historical essay are brought into the picture in the introduction, and are used to create your thesis (your position) on a theme (or related themes; samples below).