Write a thesis-driven essay analyzing the role and value of Literature in expressing and/orunderstanding the experiences of marginalized communities. (note: this means you could look at the producti

Write a thesis-driven essay analyzing the role and value of Literature in expressing and/orunderstanding the experiences of marginalized communities.   (note: this means you could look at the production of and/or the consumption of the Literature in this unit, ie the benefit to the creator and/or the audience) 

Suggestions:

Your thesis should make an argument about the value of Literature in the expression and understanding of the theme.  

The body of your essay should use specific evidence from the readings to support your claim.

Be sure to fully interpret and analyze the examples you pull from the readings; in particular, explore the language, style, form, and/or context (historical, social, political, etc) of the words, phrases, and passages that you draw into your essay and explain the significance to your reader.

You may want to use the conclusion to talk about how you/we benefit from the Literature in this unit OR how this theme/topic fits into your/our experience of the world today.

Sources:

• At least two fiction selections from the class reading packet for this unit (see below for complete list)
• At least one speech or essay (see below for complete list)

Requirements:

4-6 pages

Speeches:

Barack Obama  "A More Perfect Union"

Malcolm X "The Ballot or the Bullet"

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie "The Danger of a Single Story"

Ali “The Country without a Post Office”

Bennett “Colonization in Reverse”

 Braithwaite “Stone” 

Short Stories:

 James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" 

Junot Diaz's "Fiesta 1980" 

Viet Thahn Nguyen's "The War Years" Mohammed Naheesu Ali's "Ravalushun."