EXAMINING AND SYNTHESIZING MEANINGLength (final draft): 5-6 pages “I Stand Here Writing,” 212-221 “Learning to Read,” 106-115. Excerpt from Bootstraps: An American Academic of Color, 116-129. At vario

Length (final draft): 5-6 pages

“I Stand Here Writing,” 212-221

“Learning to Read,” 106-115.

Excerpt from Bootstraps: An American Academic of Color, 116-129.

At various points in “I Stand Here Writing,” Nancy Sommers draws upon the idea, introduced first by Ralph Waldo Emerson, that “Life is our dictionary.” With this idea in mind, you’ll use all three texts from the list above and write an essay addressing the following prompt:

What does Sommers mean by this, that “Life is our dictionary”? In what ways do the other texts by Malcolm X and Victor Villanueva work to support, refute, and/or complicate this idea?

Intro:-

- Hook, Introduce first Sommer and her text and then Malcolm X and Victor Villanueva and summary

Then another text and summary

- Answer “What does Sommers mean by this, that “Life is our dictionary”? In what ways do the other texts by Malcolm X and Victor Villanueva work to support, refute, and/or complicate this idea?”

- Thesis giving three main point supporting your claim whether work support, refute, and/or complicate each other’s idea

Body paragraph 3-4

Body Paragraph 1

- Topic Sentence back to thesis why they support , refute, or complicate with main claim you going to make to support your argument

- Quote from Sommers, summary and evaluate quote in 1 to 2 sentence and how relates to another text

- Another text’s Quote, summary and answering your claim whether work support, refute, and/or complicate each other’s idea Malcom X and Victor, quote summary and evaluation by backing your claim whether work support, refute, and/or complicate each other’s idea

- End claim summary of overall argument in paragraph and connecting with what you going to talk in next paragraph

Body Paragraph 2

- Topic Sentence back to thesis why they support , refute, or complicate with main claim you going to make to support your argument

- Quote from Sommers, summary and evaluate quote in 1 to 2 sentence and how relates to another text

- Another text’s Quote, summary and answering your claim whether work support, refute, and/or complicate each other’s idea Malcom X and Victor, quote summary and evaluation by backing your claim whether work support, refute, and/or complicate each other’s idea

- End claim summary of overall argument in paragraph and connecting with what you going to talk in next paragraph

Body Paragraph 3

- Topic Sentence back to thesis why they support , refute, or complicate with main claim you going to make to support your argument

- Quote from Sommers, summary and evaluate quote in 1 to 2 sentence and how relates to another text

- Another text’s Quote, summary and answering your claim whether work support, refute, and/or complicate each other’s idea Malcom X and Victor, quote summary and evaluation by backing your claim whether work support, refute, and/or complicate each other’s idea

- End claim summary of overall argument in paragraph

Conclusion

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To answer this question, you’ll need to thoroughly analyze all of your texts and have a solid understanding of the main claims being made by each. Present your answer as an argument, using specific evidence from each text to support your ideas.

As always, be careful not to focus too much on the obvious or surficial similarities/ differences between the texts, as such connections typically do not call for substantial analysis. Instead, try to explore the deeper meaning to be found “between the lines,” as a means to understand the assumptions (warrants) on which each text is based.

Your essay should be well-argued and well-organized. Be sure to state a thesis and consistently support your ideas with relevant textual evidence and thoughtful analysis. You should follow MLA format for all in-text citations and format your paper according to the MLA guidelines presented in your textbook. Remember to include a title that captures your argument. Make use of the Writing Center, and see me with any questions.