Professor
McNeil
English
461
Spring
Semester 2002 |
Due: beginning of class,
February 14, 2002 |
First Criticism Response Assignment
The Criticism Response paper differs from the Literature Response paper.
Not an "essay," this paper is more a "report." where you summarize the
ideas of another writer. As a "report," your paper does not need
to have a thesis. Instead it should address the following:
-
What is the main point of the essay? What is the writer's basic point?
Can you describe in a few sentences what the chief purpose of the essay
is?
-
Can you paraphrase the key points that support the basic argument?
Perhaps summarize the general outline of the essay?
-
Are you persuaded by the argument of the writer? Do you think the
writer's points are persuasive and clear? Do you feel there are any
problems or shortcomings in the writer's argument?
Some suggestions:
Because this assignment is not an essay, you may wish to begin not
with your own thesis but with that of the author you are writing about.
Think of the paper as a "presentation" of the author's work, so organization
and smooth transitions in your own writing are still important.
Since these essays are not generally written for a general audience
they often presume the reader is familiar with sophisticated terms and
concepts. In other words, you may encounter a lot of "jargon" in these
essays. I've tried to choose essays that are useful and relevant
to the themes of the class but that are still accessible and understandable.
Still, don't be afraid to look up a word you may not be familiar with,
or consult with me or others about difficualt concepts and phrases.
Some details to think about for Benedict Anderson's
Imagined
Communities:
-
The key phrase in Anderson's essay is "imagined communities." Can
you summarize what Anderson means by this term? Break down the term in
your analysis? Discuss the "imagined" part and then discuss the "community"
part?
-
Anderson focuses on language and what he calls "print capitalism" in the
second part of the reading. Summarize/define his use of these terms?
Why are both important in Anderson's argument about the rise of "nationalism"?
How do "print capitalism" and "vernacular" language come together to foster
the rise of nationalism, national consciousness?
-
Given our class discussion on nationalism and your own ideas on the subject,
can you comment on the validity of Andersen's claims? Any shortcomings?
Problems? Aspects he fails to address?
As for the Literature Response paper, the Criticism Response should be
at least 2 typed, double-spaced pages total.