{"id":33975,"date":"2023-09-18T01:37:44","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T01:37:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/questions\/how-does-a-body-in-the-river-address-the-murder-of-emmet-till-from-a-white-southerners-perspective-how-is-a-body-in-the-river-still-relevant-today\/"},"modified":"2023-09-18T01:37:44","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T01:37:44","slug":"how-does-a-body-in-the-river-address-the-murder-of-emmet-till-from-a-white-southerners-perspective-how-is-a-body-in-the-river-still-relevant-today","status":"publish","type":"questions","link":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/questions\/how-does-a-body-in-the-river-address-the-murder-of-emmet-till-from-a-white-southerners-perspective-how-is-a-body-in-the-river-still-relevant-today\/","title":{"rendered":"How does “A Body in the River” address the murder of Emmet Till from a white Southerner’s perspective? How is “A Body in the River” still relevant today?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Your goal in each of these essays is to present an interpretive argument about a literary text we have studied<\/span>
and to support that argument with detailed analysis of examples from the text.  <\/span>
and to support that argument with detailed analysis of examples from the text. <\/span><\/div>\n
Expect to summarize and quote from<\/span>
the work(s) you are analyzing; you will need to cite these works in the text <\/span><\/div>\n
(parenthetically) and on a works cited page.<\/span>
Because I am interested primarily in what you think about a text and<\/span><\/div>\n
 not your ability to regurgitate what some expert (or<\/span>
random website) thinks, secondary sources are not required. <\/span><\/div>\n
If you wish to use research in the essay, please get my<\/span>
approval first, and make sure you cite the sources appropriately in MLA style. <\/span><\/div>\n
Plan to write several drafts of each essay.<\/span>
Essays should be double-spaced and in MLA format. No cover page is required, but papers must adhere strictly to MLA<\/span>
format and documentation. Each essay must have a title; please do not use simply the title of the work of literature as<\/span>
your title. (For example, \u201cThe Portrayal of the Rest Cure in \u2018The Yellow Wallpaper\u2019\u201d is acceptable; just \u201cThe Yellow<\/span>
Wallpaper\u201d is not.)<\/span>
Finding a focus and developing an argument:<\/span> <\/span>For each essay, I will give you topics to address, but you will need to<\/span>
narrow these topics and develop your own specific focus. Here are some tips for getting started:<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>Try building your essay around an aspect of the text that you found interesting, shocking, or confusing. Examine<\/span>
your reaction to this element, and figure out why it intrigued you; then try to account for its purpose in the<\/span>
text\u2014this account will form the basis of your argument.<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>It may also help you to choose one component or organizing principle to anchor your analysis\u2014will you focus on<\/span>
character, setting, imagery, the speaker or narrator, point of view, or theme? Ask a question about this element:<\/span>
for example, how does an image in a text invoke a particular connotation or emotion that affects our<\/span>
interpretation? Or, you could ask a question about how one component affects another: for example, how<\/span>
might the setting of a story or drama reflect the attributes of its characters?<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>In order to think creatively about a text, consider possible motives for your interpretation. Here are three<\/span>
possible \u201cmotives\u201d to help you develop perspective, as articulated by Gordon Harvey:<\/span>
o<\/span> <\/span>The truth about this text isn\u2019t what one would expect or what it might appear to be on a first reading\u2014<\/span>
there is a less obvious meaning or message that emerges as a result of thorough analysis.<\/span>
o<\/span> <\/span>There\u2019s an interesting wrinkle in the text\u2014a paradox, a contradiction, a tension. How does it affect our<\/span>
interpretation?<\/span>
o<\/span> <\/span>A seemingly unimportant minor detail or character is actually important or interesting.<\/span>
Structure of the essay:<\/span> <\/span>Your essays should have the following basic structure:<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>An introduction in which you introduce the title and author of the work you will discuss and the major focus of<\/span>
your analysis. Your last sentence in the introductory paragraph should be your thesis statement\u2014the main claim<\/span>
or argument you are making. The thesis should not be a statement of topic or obvious fact. It should articulate a<\/span>
debatable interpretive claim. Your thesis should answer a key question about the text.<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>Three or four body paragraphs in which you show how the text demonstrates the claim made in your<\/span>
thesis\/introduction. Each paragraph should have a specific focus or purpose, and each should develop an aspect<\/span>
of the original claim\/thesis. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, and illustrate the point expressed in the<\/span>
topic sentence by analyzing specific examples from the text.<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>One concluding paragraph in which you reiterate your thesis and discuss the implications of the text. While your<\/span>
conclusion should reinforce your thesis, it should not repeat information word for word. Construct your<\/span>
conclusion so that it enables the reader to see the big picture created by your analysis. Explain why your<\/span>
argument is significant or how this text shapes or challenges readers\u2019 views about a particular issue. Ask yourself<\/span>
the \u201cso what?\u201d question: if your interpretation is valid, why is it important?<\/span><\/p>\n
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Other tips:<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>When writing about literature, always write using present-tense verbs\u2014i.e., \u201cthe grandmother<\/span> <\/span>says<\/span>,\u201d not \u201cthe<\/span>
grandmother<\/span> <\/span>said<\/span>.\u201d<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>DO NOT use \u201cyou\u201d or any of its forms \u2013your, etc. Instead, find a third-person noun to use instead. NOT \u201cWhen<\/span>
you<\/span> <\/span>go to college . . \u201c but \u201cwhen<\/span> <\/span>students<\/span> <\/span>go to college . . .\u201d<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>Avoid \u201cI,\u201d especially in constructions like \u201cI think,\u201d \u201cI feel,\u201d or \u201cin my opinion.\u201d Instead, if you must use \u201cI,\u201d say \u201cI<\/span>
argue,\u201d \u201cI assert,\u201d or \u201cI maintain.\u201d<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>Each essay must have a title; please do not use simply the title of the work of literature as your title. (For<\/span>
example, \u201cThe Portrayal of the Rest Cure in \u2018The Yellow Wallpaper\u2019\u201d is acceptable; just \u201cThe Yellow Wallpaper\u201d is<\/span>
not.)<\/span>
\uf0b7<\/span> <\/span>Essays should be double-spaced and in MLA format. No cover page is required, but papers must adhere strictly<\/span>
to MLA format and documentation. The essay must have a works cited page that lists the literary text(s) that you<\/span>
refer to in the essay.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your goal in each of these essays is to present an interpretive argument about a literary text we have studiedand to support that argument with detailed analysis of examples from the text.  and to support that argument with detailed analysis of examples from the text.  Expect to summarize and quote fromthe work(s) you are analyzing; you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"disciplines":[234],"paper_types":[],"tagged":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/questions\/33975"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/questions"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/questions"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/questions\/33975\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"disciplines","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disciplines?post=33975"},{"taxonomy":"paper_types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper_types?post=33975"},{"taxonomy":"tagged","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodacademic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tagged?post=33975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}