For Writing Project 1, you will be required to think deeply about how a “text” taken from American popular culture reflects, depicts,
Writing Project 1–Textual Analysis: American Culture and American Identity
Minimum Length: 1,000 words (not including quoted material or the Works Cited page)
Format: MLA
Value: 75 points (15%)
For Writing Project 1, you will be required to think deeply about how a “text” taken from American popular culture reflects, depicts, or conveys the American experience/identity to an audience. The primary “text” that you choose MUST be an example of one of the following genres, all of which have a visual component:
an advertisement (TV, print, billboard, or Internet ad)
an episode of a television show (drama or sitcom, NO reality shows)
a comic book/graphic novel
a dramatic (not documentary) film
a work of art (such as a painting, a sculpture, a multi-media piece, a poster)
a music video
You MAY NOT, however, use any of the following texts as your primary texts for Writing Project 1:
“This Is America” (by Childish Gambino)
“God Bless the U.S.A. (I’m Proud to Be an American)” (by Lee Greenwood)
Captain America (comic book/graphic novel and film)
The Blind Side (novel and film)
The Great Gatsby (novel and film)
American Sniper (book and film)
United 93
World Trade Center
The Pursuit of Happyness (book and film)
To Kill a Mockingbird (novel and film)
Of Mice and Men (novel and film)
Gone with the Wind (novel and film)
Forest Gump (novel and film)
The Wolf of Wall Street (book and film)
Romeo + Juliet
The Godfather (novel and film)
Scarface
Goodfellas (book and film)
Once you’ve chosen an appropriate primary text, your job will involve interpreting the significance of that text, its theme/message, and the implications of how your primary text depicts the American experience/identity.
For example, you may want to choose a car commercial that plays upon our desire to achieve the American Dream. Think about how the product, the car itself, represents a status symbol, the use of patriotic music, and key images.
If you enjoy comic books, you could examine a specific Superman comic or graphic novel, and analyze how Superman fights for American ideals despite that fact he comes from another planet and that his powers/identity keeps him separate from others.
You may want to take a look at a quintessential American image from one of Ansel Adams’ photographs or one of Norman Rockwell’s paintings.
In your analysis you should not rely on general observations of your primary text. Focus on specific examples and details from your primary text in order to fully develop and illustrate your analysis of the text.
Due to the writing project’s relatively short length, choose no more than ONE primary text to analyze and interpret.
Here are some questions to consider as you as you analyze your primary text:
What aspect(s) of the American identity/experience does your primary text focus on (aspects such as but not limited to the following ideas: The American Dream; The American independent spirit; The American identity in wartime; The American identity in the aftermath of tragedy; the American idea of patriotism; American Capitalism; The American idea of family; etc.)?
Is the depiction of the American identity/experience in your primary text accurate or inaccurate?
Does your primary text rely on stereotypes in its depiction of the American identity/experience?
Does your primary text promote stereotypes, or does it try to destroy such stereotypes?
Is your primary text influenced by American ideals and attitudes? If so, how?
Does your primary text try to influence American ideals and attitudes? If so, how?
These are the kinds of questions that should guide your analysis as you write Writing Project 1.
The purpose of this writing project is to analyze, evaluate, and reflect on the possible meanings, intended or not intended, of your primary text. Ask yourself the following questions: Does the text rely on almost mythic ideas of what it means to be American? Does it utilize symbols or motifs or stereotypes (class, race, ethnicity, gender)? What messages—implicit or explicit, accurate or not so accurate—does this text produce or promote concerning American experience/identity? What language and/or visual images are incorporated into this text and for what effect? Does the primary text celebrate being American and present a positive depiction? Is the text’s message jingoistic? Does the text convey a negative image and criticize what Americans stand for? Is such a criticism valid and what is its source? It is important that your opening paragraph introduce and briefly summarize/describe your primary text.
In addition to your primary text, you must research and include information taken from TWO (AND ONLY TWO) secondary sources that directly or indirectly address the text/topic. The secondary sources MAY NOT consist of book reviews or plot summaries. Please note that your research must come from credible sources such as books (none from the kid’s section), scholarly journals, magazines, or research databases
Here is a list of secondary sources that you CANNOT use:
any assigned readings or textbooks for this course
dictionaries of any kind
blogs
Wikipedia
Master Plots
Cliff’s Notes
Spark Notes
eNotes
book reviews
abstracts
juvenile/children’s books
works of literature (novels, plays, short stories, poems)
songs
dramatic films
Answer preview for For Writing Project 1, you will be required to think deeply about how a “text” taken from American popular culture reflects, depicts,
MLA
1100 Words