How does Equiano use language to frame his relationship to God in comparison to someone like Bradford?
We hear from such a variety of authors in this course that it can be difficult to imagine them all as part of one country. This assignment asks you to bring together and analyze two of our early texts and make a claim about their respective approaches to social change or visions for America. For example, what might comparing the poetry of Wheatley and Bradstreet reveal about women’s voices in early America? Do the views of Franklin and Jefferson actually disagree in their visions of American character? How does Equiano use language to frame his relationship to God in comparison to someone like Bradford? You may choose any two of our texts to examine, as long as your examination is engaging, original, and productive.
For this essay, you will take a purely analytical approach with two of our texts or authors. You need no other sources beyond the texts themselves; the text is the evidence. Your interpretation should be your own idea, your own conclusion about how these texts compare or contrast and what we might take from them.
• Your interpretation (idea) will be your thesis, which should be one sentence at the end of the introduction.
• The body of your essay should include plentiful textual evidence (excerpts) as well as your own fascinating and insightful interpretations; all should be in support of the thesis.
• The conclusion of the essay allows you to offer your commentary. (A conclusion should never ever, ever be a restatement of what the paper just said.) What is the value of these texts now? Is one of these texts taking a “better” approach than the other? Do not speak in clichés!
• Summaries or obvious claims will receive zeroes. Avoid summary at all costs!
• This is not a research paper. Therefore, we cannot make claims that depend on outside sources.
There is no right or wrong interpretation of the text. There is only a well-supported and explained interpretation, versus a poorly supported and explained interpretation. Essays will be graded accordingly.
