Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

This paper is different from the Rhetorical Analysis paper. This paper is supposed to be based on the thematic analysis of the text. Summarize the main idea/s and write your critical analysis on one of the essays you have read so far in class. Remember, you cannot write on the same material you used for the Rhetorical Analysis paper. (400-450 words)
Pre-writing
-As you read, the text should incite your critical thinking; be very sensitive to your own thoughts as you begin to react and take notes. You can highlight or underline the text or write on it.
-Try to see a recurring idea or pattern and try to grasp the central idea, the theme of your text. You can either support or criticize thesis of the author or just examine the text as an unbiased reader.
-Make sure your writing is not dominated by the summary of the original text. You are writing something like a book review.
-Quote the author where you need. You do not need any outside references, just stay within the text.
Structuring your paper
Introduction
Introduce the author, text and the main idea of the text. Make your position clear and pronounce your thesis statement in the first paragraph. This part identifies the major theme(s) of the text you have read and your intellectual reaction to it.
Body
Try not to re-narrate the material you have read. Critically evaluate how the story is presented in the text and what makes it effective. Examine how the author is using the descriptive, narrative, reflective patterns to present the theme of the material effectively. How did the story affect you? Is it emotionally powerful? How? Be clear about your agreement and disagreement with the author by giving examples from the text. You can go deeper into the text to interpret the author’s meaning that you find between the lines. When you argue, provide support from the text. Do not hesitate to use “I”, the first person narrative, as you are the critic of the work. You can write assertively in your personal tone.
Conclusion
Write a conclusion that wraps up your points and arguments. Write your recommendation for future readers, pointing out the significance of the text, its implications, and perhaps who else should be reading it.

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