Write a Critical analysis about the movie soul surfer.

Write a Critical analysis about the movie soul surfer.
analyze your primary source you should rely on RELEVANT concepts or
theories explored in this class (i.e. from Takacs). You should also
conduct additional research to expand your understanding of those
concepts, theories, or your primary source. Remember, some of the key
theoretical/methodological approaches that we have been introduced to
are:
Textual
Ideological/Discourse
Identity (Race, Gender, Sexuality, Class etc.)
Affect & Fan Studies
Medium
Globalization
Your
professor recommends choosing one of these approaches or some
combination of them for your paper. It’s wise to revisit Section 2.1 of
the Sharp textbook for a step-by-step breakdown of what a critical
analysis entails. Pay particular attention to Step #4:
Demonstrate
how the primary sources take specific positions on an issue. This type
of analysis, which is sometimes called ideological analysis, looks at
how a source is in dialogue with the ideology of the society in which it
was produced. Sometimes a source reinforces prevailing ideas about a
particular issue and sometimes a source rejects dominant ways of
thinking. Sometimes a source does a little bit of both. However, all
sources take a position on the issues they evoke. Your analysis should
make clear what position a particular primary source is taking and what
conclusions it is leading the reader to accept. (Sharp, p. 11)
Take
note of the way that Takacs developed our understanding of ideological
analysis throughout the chapters of her book. This form of analysis
often marries well with, or is incorporated into the various approaches
mentioned above.
OPINION v. ANALYSIS
All
critical analyses involve some opinion. Critical-cultural approaches
tend to be more subjective than their more objective scientific
counterparts. This does not mean that presenting unsupported opinions is
a good idea. Just because your opinion may creep into your work does
not mean that your opinion should be the focus of that work. Instead, a
critic wants to demonstrate why the claims s/he makes a viable and
justifiable. Keep in mind that Sharp tells us that readers care less
about what think and more about what we can demonstrate.
Opinions
are almost always written in first-person (i.e. using pronouns like I,
me, and my). Analyses may use first-person at times but writers need to
be careful about when and how that voice is used. Some methods, like
autoethnography, centralize the writer and in these cases a heavier
usage of first-person is anticipated and appropriate. Of this topic
Timothy Corrigan (2010) writes, “When you write about the [media],
personal feelings, expectations, and reactions may be the beginning of
an intelligent critique, but they must be balanced with rigorous
reflection on where those feelings and expectations and reactions come
from and how they relate to more objective factors concerning the
[object] in question: its place in film history, its cultural
background, and its formal strategies” (p. 17).
FORMATTING GUIDELINES
Your document should be double-spaced, use a standard typeface (e.g., Times), and have 1″ margins.
You will submit your document by uploading it as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ANYWHERE ON YOUR DOCUMENT. YOU MAY INCLUDE YOUR NAME IN THE FILE NAME.
NOTE:
Your professor is less interested in your ability to write the assigned
number of words than in your ability to produce a focused and
insightful analysis; however, any analysis that is too long or too brief
will be penalized. Put simply, your professor will only count words in
egregious situations.
PARTS OF A CRITICAL ANALYSIS
All critical analyses should possess the following parts:
An
introduction that introduces the topic and your primary source,
outlines important historical/cultural contexts, demonstrates the
significance of your work, and offers a focused and manageable thesis
statement that leads to a thoughtful and developed analysis. (The intro
usually spans 1-3 paragraphs)
A body containing several PEAR
structures paragraphs with points, evidence, analysis, and reminders
that flesh out the thesis and topic. (The body usually contains 3-7
paragraphs)
A conclusion that sums up your position, reiterates
important evidence, and re-articulates your thesis statement. (The
conclusion usually has 1-3 paragraphs)
A MLA formatted bibliography
that includes ALL sources, including the object of your study (i.e. the
media text, artifact, or object). ANNOTATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED WITH THE
FINAL PAPER’S BIBLIOGRAPHY.

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