In The Book of Negroes, an important theme is how literacy, the ability to read and write, enabled Aminata’s survival

0
(0)


Topics

This comparative essay should compare/contrast two texts of your choice from the course (MAUS, Persepolis, The Book of Negroes, Monkey Beach). The essay should begin with an introduction and a clear thesis statement. The thesis statement is your argument or central point; it should be a statement that someone could agree or disagree with. While you may consult secondary sources, it is not necessary; your essay should consist primarily of your own analysis and insights. It should be typed, double-spaced and follow the standard MLA documentation format.

 

You may write on the same book you analysed in Essay 1; however, be sure to bring new ideas to the essay. Do not import entire sections from essay 1 – believe me, your TA will notice!

 

The essay will be graded on the basis of originality, engagement with the texts and flow of the argument. It will also be graded on style, diction, spelling, and grammar.

 

Choose ONE of the following essay questions:

 

1) How to accurately represent histories of loss, tragedy, and violence, such as that of slavery (Hill), the Jewish Holocaust (Spiegelman), the Iranian revolution and Iran-Iraq war (Satrapi), or Indigenous genocide (Robinson), without recirculating stereotypical depictions of victimhood? How to honestly document the violence associated with these events without sensationalizing that violence and adding to its power? Analyse the ethical and/or aesthetic strategies that two texts of your choice use to document and potentially transform these histories of loss, tragedy, and violence.

2) In The Book of Negroes, an important theme is how literacy, the ability to read and write, enabled Aminata’s survival. On the other hand, written documents, like the original “Book of Negroes” (1783), the “bills of sale” that document transactions of human beings, the advertisements for runaway slaves, or even the initials “G.O.” branded onto Aminata’s breast, suggest that writing can also disempower, dehumanize, and legitimize crimes against humanity. A similar dynamic is detectable in MAUS, Monkey Beach, and Persepolis. Analyse the double-edged power of writing and written documents in two texts of your choice.

3) Both Monkey Beach and Persepolis are filled with references to popular music, fashion, books, films, celebrities, and teen culture. Analyse the pop culture references in Persepolis and Monkey Beach. What is their function? How do they interact with the more serious story lines in these texts?

4) Both The Book of Negroes and MAUS use narrative frames to tell their stories. Analyse how and why these narrative frames are used in two texts of your choice. What is their function? How do they affect your reception of the story?

5) In The Book of Negroes, Aminata frequently recalls her parents’ love, care, and wisdom; her sense of cultural rootedness as a Bamana and Fula is a source of her strength. In Monkey Beach, Lisa Marie not only vows to learn one Haisla word a day for the rest of her life, but in many other ways engages in a process of cultural reclamation and affirmation. Analyse the role of cultural resurgence in two texts of your choice.

6) The construction of identity is a central issue in the texts we’ve read in this course. Many characters assert their own particular identity: for example, Aminata is pleased that she is likely the only person on that has her particular accent due to her bilingual/bicultural origins in Bayo, combined with the many places she has lived. At the same time, many of the characters are subjected to the imposition of an identity—Aminata is named “Mary” on the ship and an “African” when she arrives in the Americas, a word she has never heard before. Interesting parallels could be made between Aminata’s sense of identity and Marji’s as she moves between Iran and Austria. The use of masks in MAUS could also be connected. Discuss the navigation of identity in two texts of your choice.

 

7) Many of the books we’ve read this term focus on characters who show fierce resistance against oppression (Vladek, Marji, Uncle Anosh, Aminata, Lisa Marie…). However, in between the oppressors and the resisters are many characters whose actions and choices show their complicity with the oppressive systems they live within (Vladek, Marji, the Abolitionists, Lindo, Karaoke….). Examine how characters navigate the interlocking relationships between oppression, resistance, and complicity in two texts of your choice.

 

8) Many of the protagonists in the texts we have read this term play key roles as cultural translators that connect across differences. Characters like Marji, Aminata, and Lisa Marie often act as a bridge across generations, races, cultures, social classes, or languages. Analyse the challenges and opportunities that these characters face in their roles of working in the space of the “in-between” in two texts of your choice. 

 

9) A topic of your own choosing, as long as it is a comparative essay and it engages with the course readings.  Be sure to clear your topic with your instructor (your T.A. or me) before you begin writing. You should have a proposal to show your instructor by Week 9 or earlier (minimum 1 week before the first draft is due).

 


 

Click here to request for this assignment help

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Share This Post

Email
WhatsApp
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Reddit

Order a Similar Paper and get 15% Discount on your First Order

Related Questions

The information that is gathered every day in healthcare drives

0 (0) The information that is gathered every day in healthcare drives patient care and the improvement of the quality of care. Each staff member within a healthcare institution has a role in improving patient care. In this short paper, complete the following:  Chief of Medicine Managers: Identifies a

Create a nutritional care plan for your client.(old- malnutrition)

0 (0) Create a nutritional care plan for your client.(old- malnutrition) This will include an evaluation of nutritional risk, a list of interventions, and a list of expected outcomes. List the goals of medical nutrition therapy for your patient and suggest an appropriate diet. Does your patient/client require a dietary

Introduction Jones Carolyn Denise is 35 years an old female with

0 (0) Introduction       Jones Carolyn Denise is 35 years an old female with a height of 162.6cm ( 5’4”) and weight of 108kg ( 237 lb ) with a medical condition of acid reflex and Vitamin D deficiency. Mrs. Jones was admitted on February 7, 2023, with a diagnosis of

5 questions to answer separately! All relate to Implementing the ABCDE

0 (0) 5 questions to answer separately! All relate to Implementing the ABCDE Bundle to decrease hospital length of stay in a long-term acute care hospital. You may reference the three primary articles attached – must read them to use them   question 1 Describe the primary quantitative literature upon which

Scientific Study Analysis Prior to beginning work on this assignment,

0 (0) Scientific Study Analysis Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read the article The Relationship Between Multiple Forms of Discrimination, Neighborhood Characteristics, and Depression Among Illicit Drug Users in New York CityLinks to an external site. and address the following questions in a three to four page (excluding title and

How will you use the processes from ARDP 6-22 to improve the ABCT and

0 (0) What is the critical leadership problem facing the 4th ABCT? How will you use the processes from ARDP 6-22 to improve the ABCT and achieve your vision? Clearly and comprehensively explain, defend, and justify your answer. If something is not your original thought, you need to cite your

Early Childhood and Special Education Lesson Plan

0 (0) All materials needed for the lesson must be used or referred to during the PPT presentation including anchor charts, visual supports and manipulatives needed for the presentation. So please take a picture of materials yo used, and also make anchor charts… What you need to do is a

Research the differences in conducting business in the Dominican

0 (0) Research the differences in conducting business in the Dominican Republic as compared to the United States. Consider culture, customs, predominate religions, type of government, natural resources, infrastructure, modes of shipping, stability of economy, currency used internationally, trade relationships/agreements with the United States, living/working conditions, restrictions placed on foreign

Brand Assessment & Shopping Research Paper

0 (0) At the beginning of the assignment due class session, submit a summary of your research compared to your experience in physically visiting and shopping in a retail business. Discuss the business’s strengths and weaknesses in the branding factors you have learned in this course-to-date (class lectures and reading

Nonverbal Research Paper

0 (0) General Instructions Conduct a participant observation of nonverbal communication during a structured period of time (e.g., sitting at a café, during a sports event, while at work, at the gym, etc.). Take field notes throughout the course of your observation. Spend time looking through your field notes and

Marketing – Search Engine Optimization (Footer Writing)

0 (0) Write a Footer for 5 different web pages. Each footer should be approximately 330 words. The footer should briefly describe the Brand and what type of products the brand is selling, and how those products can benefit the customer. There is no specific paper format. Make sure that

a firm/company/store, identifying its product or service, and

0 (0) The project consists of selecting a firm/company/store, identifying its product or service, and analyzing its current market environment. This includes identifying competitors, analyzing nature of the product or service, and examining ease of entry into or exit from the market. It involves examining the market demand and supply,

WNEU ME 322 Spring 2019 Take‐Home Project

0 (0) Find 2 manufacturers within 25 miles of your home town or the town you would like to live in after graduation.  For each manufacturer, gather and compare the following information (as much as is available publicly, or with a little digging – a polite email and/or phone call and/or

Accounting for the iPhone at Apple Inc

0 (0) Please answer 3 case Questions: 1. Compared to the typical point-of-sale accounting method, what are likely effects on income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flow of Apple’s choice to use a subscription method for revenue recognition for its iPhone? Also discuss advantages and disadvantages of subscription

IBM Financial Reporting and Analysis

0 (0) Please answer the 19 questions listed below. The questions below are based on the 2017 financial statements of IBM which I provided as a pdf. (Page number references below refer to document page numbers, not .pdf page numbers.) Please only use the financial statements provided to answer the

Proving the Existence of the Traditional Judeo-Christian God

0 (0) You must write about the following 6 items below and defend your thesis. You must explain them all in detail in section 2 of your paper and then critically discuss each of them in section 3 using separate paragraphs. Use paragraphs — at least one for each idea.

Analysis and Presentation of Data

0 (0) Resources: Ch. 15, 16, & 17 of Business Research Methods (all chapters will be attached). Review question four in the “Discussion Questions” of Chapter 15; review question 4 in the “Discussion Questions” of Chapter 16; and review question 10 in the “Discussion Questions” of Chapter 17 of Business

Social and Professional Issues in Computing

0 (0) Select five from the following seven vocations. Which ones do you believe are a true “profession”? Briefly defend your position for each one with facts and references to definitions of a profession from sources such as authors and philosophers. Consider certification, licensing, codes of ethics, education, and enforcement