The book (Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin)
Here is our first big jump into analyzing literature and writing about it in a more academic way. We’ve discussed the ways writers and other creators use systems of symbols and structures in order to tell stories, convey emotion, to draw logical connections, and, most importantly, move us readers to think or feel something in response to what we read (or observed).
Basically, we identified and discussed the tenets of a critical theory called Structuralism, and next we’ll apply those tenets to a text. We will practice writing about literature by analyzing the devices and structural decisions an author makes. This is a foundational practice in literature and writing, so we are tackling this for our first major paper as it will help us understand future assignments.
Analyze atleast 3 semiotic or structural elements (symbols, literary devices or structures) that convey optismis or hope in spite of the circumstances laid bare in that text
What we’ll do:
Select one text from below and analyze at least 3 semiotic or structural elements (symbols, devices, or structures) that convey optimism or hope in spite of the circumstances laid bare in that text.
Texts to choose from:
“Why I Write” by Reginald Shepherd
“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Preface to And the Ass Saw the Angel by Nick Cave
“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemmingway
“The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop
“Eidólons” by Walt Whitman
“Morning Song” by Sylvia Plath
We will spend time brainstorming and crafting this essay as a class and then develop our essays on our own. We’ll even work ahead on it with our Minor Paper: Thematic Analysis. There is work in that minor paper that we can use in this Major Paper.
I added my thematic analysis to help guide as stated^
This paper should be a recognizable, academic essay with an intro, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This is an English 100 basic, so I assume we have practiced organizing such an essay, but there are some resources below that go over my expectations.
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