What makes Obama’s speech so powerful and emotionally affective? Consider not only what he say but howhe says it. Be able to list at least five things that contribute to the power and effectiveness of the speech.

This assignment asks you to complete a close reading of an excerpt from A Long Way Gone, and to connect your reading to a theme, issue or idea from the larger work. Begin by choosing a theme, etc. that interests you; consider, but don’t limit yourself to, the ones we’ve discussed in class. Your focus should be on the formal elements of the excerpt you’ve chosen—the language, structure, tone, symbolism and use of metaphor, among other details. But you should interpret these elements with the intention of making a claim about the larger work. One way to think of this assignment is as asking and answering a specific question about the memior using an excerpt from it as evidence on which the answer is based. The end of your essay should draw connections between the excerpt and the larger work, but the body of essay should focus specifically on the excerpt you’ve chosen.
You may approach this assignment in one of two ways:

1) Choose a theme, etc. that interests you. Then select a passage of no more than 250 words that expresses or dramatizes that theme and analyze it in the context of the work as a whole. The following questions can guide your analysis of the passage:
- What does it say? What do the words, phrases, sentences mean? What is its context in the larger work (i.e., where does it appear)?
- What does it do? How does it function in establishing character or tone, setting up action, invoking other works and events, evoking political or historical resonances, etc?
- How does it work at the level of language and form? Consider structure, word choice (diction) and order (syntax), imagery, symbolism, etc.
- How does your close look at this passage deepen your understanding of the work as a whole? How does it contribute to a reading of the larger work?

Please begin by typing out the passage you have chosen (single-spaced). Your paper should indicate what the passage does—how it operates with respect to imagery, plot, theme, characterization, literary conventions, etc.—and discuss how it works at the level of language. You should avoid seeking help from outside critical or analytical sources, and instead concentrate on the formal attributes of the passage itself and how they contribute to its meaning. Your paper should promote a clear thesis, exhibit good organization and feature solid development.

2) Choose a particular reoccurring word/image that expresses or dramatizes the theme you’ve chosen and trace its progression through the work. Please note: for this to work, your word should appear at least three times (If it’s a particular image, it should appear at least two times). As with the first option, you should interpret this word/image with the intention of making a claim about the larger work. Use the above questions as a guide.

Requirements
- Four full pages
- Typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman size 12 font
- Standard margins
- Page numbers
- A title (a good one. Consult the ‘Making Good Titles’ handout from last semester).
- Spell-checked and proofed for errors

First Draft Due: Monday, March 16 by noon (by email) NOTE: send as a .doc file.

Revision Due: Friday, March 27 by noon (by email)

Marjane Satrapi, The Veil

Post your ideas about this page from Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis. Try to let the following questions guide your response: How does Satrapi represent the culture of the Islamic Republic? What is her position in relation to that culture (An insider? An outsider? Both?)? You may want to consider the role her gender plays in the comic. How do the written text and graphic image work in tandem to deliver Satrapi’s message? Feel free to draw upon your reaction to ‘The Socks’ (Writer’s Presence 259-73), or respond to an idea presented in one of the earlier posts.

Due Mon Feb 2 2009 by 7 AM

This American Life Episode 109. Notes on Camp

As you listen to the podcast, keep the following questions/prompts in mind.  Once you’ve listened to the full hour, respond to them briefly in writing.

1.    List five things that you learned about camp culture and explain how you learned them (e.g., a interviewee’s response to a question, commentary provided by the narrator/interviewer, information that was implied bu not directly stated, etc.).
2.    Choose one of the six segments and describe the commentator’s tone.  Is it humorous, detached, inquistive, sarcastic, unsettled, informative – something else?  Be able to defend your answer with specific examples from the section you’ve chosen.
3.    Find one example of an open question that led to a full answer and a series of follow-up questions.  Write down the original question, a brief summary of the response, and the follow-up question(s).
4.    Write down at least one thing you learned from the format and style of the podcast that you anticipate using in your first essay.

DUE: Mon January 26 by 7 AM

• The topic you think you will write about for Essay 1; if you are still deciding b/t topics, describe your options briefly
• What your angle will be
• What your next steps will be in pursuing the topic
• Your questions about the assignment or the topic

Over the weekend, complete at least one of the following tasks, after having chosen a topic:

• Visit your site, and take notes based on your observations. If you are trying to decide between places, you might visit each of them and decide which one seems the most promising as a topic.
• Contact the person or people you hope to interview. Find out if they are willing to be interviewed and decide on a time and place to meet. Prepare a list of questions to ask.
• Complete research on-line or in the library to refine your topic, find an angle, or prepare for your interview (this kind of secondary research is optional for this assignment).

The purpose of these activities is determine how feasible and promising your chosen topic is. If you cannot find someone to interview, or you cannot gain access to a place you’ve selected, you may need to find a different angle or topic altogether.

Due: Fri January 23 by 7 AM

For both options: You will explore your chosen culture through primary research – at least one interview, reviews of relevant texts, and personal observation. You will interview one or more ‘expert’ informants, experienced members of the local culture. You will also examine any relevant documents (e.g., a newsletter of a scouting group or an academic article in your field) and spend some time observing the space that the local culture inhabits (e.g., a cafeteria or an advanced class in which a particular topic is discussed). You need not but may use library or web sources.

Purpose
The purpose of this primary research is to write an essay that is modeled after a feature article like those found in Time or Newsweek.  Your objective is to write an informative piece that incorporates quotations from your informants and gives a sense of the rules, categories, behaviours, rituals, and distinguishing characteristics of the place or culture you are investigating.

Audience
The form of a feature article means it should be conversational, somewhat informal, and engaging.  First-person may be used if you feel it is effective; but given that this is intended for a public source with a wide readership, the writing should be careful, concise, and well-edited. You should include a Works Cited page and should consult The Little, Brown Handbook or ask me if grammar questions arise.

Requirements
-    Four to five full pages
-    Typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman size 12 font
-    Standard margins
-    Page numbers
-    A title
-    Works Cited page
-    Spell-checked and proofed for errors

First Draft Due:            Friday, January 30 by noon
Revision Due:             Monday, February 9 in class

Post your ideas about the clip. Try to let the following questions guide your response. What’s funny about this clip? How is the Irish culture portrayed here? How do cultures define and represent themselves (think about your own culture and how you define it for others)? What’s dangerous about turning your culture into a comedy act? If you want, you could even post video clips that challenge this representation of Irish culture, or represent your own culture.

DUE: Fri January 16 by 7 AM