Paragraph analysis

[Androidpk]

Out of all the different types of possible papers to write I think I hate this type the most. Take a paragraph from a piece of literature and analyze it. Is there an easy way to go about doing this, besides bullshitting for 3 pages about a 5 sentence paragraph?

[Kuyuk]

take a paragraph from that guys suicide note and analyze it

[upperguy]

wow that would be a pretty cool concept actually, I vote do it and post it up.

[BriarFox]

There's got to be something more than that, right? Some methodology?

I just assigned my ENG 280 students a somewhat similar assignment, but I asked them to take a short passage from something we'd read and create an argument for either how it portrays a sociocultural situation or how its use of formal elements creates a certain effect. Gave them a list a potential topics to help them focus on important issues.

[Androidpk]

I can chose from any paragraph in The Great Gatsby and just have to write a 3 page analysis of it. I ended up going with the first paragraph in chapter 2, the one that details the valley of ashes and the giant billboard watching from above.

[BriarFox]

That advice seems a bit skimpy, but it also means you can focus on whatever you like. If you want to post your ideas and want someone to comment on them, toss them up or PM me.

[Fallen]

I can chose from any paragraph in The Great Gatsby and just have to write a 3 page analysis of it. I ended up going with the first paragraph in chapter 2, the one that details the valley of ashes and the giant billboard watching from above.

I'm no Engrish teacher like the N man, but I would suggest researching which specific passages in that book that were supposed to be a metaphor for X, or alluding to Y (Like how Spice is supposed to be Oil in Dune, or how Luke is Jesus in Cool Hand Luke). If you can find the specific paragragh where people are supposed to catch the "bigger picture" behind what the author is trying to say, i'm sure you can spend a long time bullshitting over that (evidence, stances taken for/against, outrage over issue, etc)

[BriarFox]

I'm no Engrish teacher like the N man, but I would suggest researching which specific passages in that book that were supposed to be a metaphor for X, or alluding to Y (Like how Spice is supposed to be Oil in Dune, or how Luke is Jesus in Cool Hand Luke). If you can find the specific paragragh where people are supposed to catch the "bigger picture" behind what the author is trying to say, i'm sure you can spend a long time bullshitting over that (evidence, stances taken for/against, outrage over issue, etc)

If I recall the Great Gatsby, that's what he's planning to do, though you're being a bit more specific about it. That billboard gets talked about constantly. That's both good and bad - his instructor might go, "Oh, God help me, another one on the billboard," or s/he might go, "At least someone picked a relevant topic." All depends on the instructor and the other papers in the class.

[Androidpk]

I probably could have picked a different paragraph to use but i'm running out of time and I just happen to like this one the most. Probably not the best idea to wait until the day the paper is due to write it but I seem to work my best under pressure like this and I've already gotten 700+ words since posting this thread.

[Fallen]

I probably could have picked a different paragraph to use but i'm running out of time and I just happen to like this one the most. Probably not the best idea to wait until the day the paper is due to write it but I seem to work my best under pressure like this and I've already gotten 700+ words since posting this thread.

99% of people wait until the last minute to do the bulk of any given assignment. Oh, its true. It's true.

[ElvenFury]

There's got to be something more than that, right? Some methodology?

I just assigned my ENG 280 students a somewhat similar assignment, but I asked them to take a short passage from something we'd read and create an argument for either how it portrays a sociocultural situation or how its use of formal elements creates a certain effect. Gave them a list a potential topics to help them focus on important issues.
If I recall the Great Gatsby, that's what he's planning to do, though you're being a bit more specific about it. That billboard gets talked about constantly. That's both good and bad - his instructor might go, "Oh, God help me, another one on the billboard," or s/he might go, "At least someone picked a relevant topic." All depends on the instructor and the other papers in the class.
Thank you for illustrating why English was my least favorite subject of all time.

[4a6c1]

Jesus. I hate analyzing one paragraph but I had to do that last semester. It was dumb.

When it comes to writing I am super literal. It's all facts and figures with me. So what I did was a factual analysis of the metaphors based on society and expectations and how different cultures may view things differently. I wasted so much fucking time on the literal greek and latin roots of some words...I'm a fucking genius for real, I know. My teacher creamed himself I think. He said no one had ever done a literal analysis with so much detail. Anyways. Try that if you like trivial knowledge and twisting a stupid assignment into dumbfuckland and beyond.

You could also do a compare/contrast analysis. That eats paper space like nothing else.

Edit. I forgot to mention if you have been able to get a feel for the professors political leanings you can manipulate your analysis of the metaphors to a political conclusion that might give him warm fuzzies and get you a better grade. :)

[BriarFox]

Thank you for illustrating why English was my least favorite subject of all time.

Sounds a bit dull at that level, but gets much cooler when you start talking about specifics. Why does Ruth lay down at Boaz's feet while he's sleeping as a way to get him to marry her in the Book of Ruth? Is this a remnant of a marriage custom? The position is certainly suggestive of a submissive relationship, which fits in with the typical portrayal of the ideal woman in the Old Testament, and so forth. There's an example of a sociocultural situation.

[4a6c1]

^

I'll admit that the more complicated the analysis, the more interesting it becomes. Various possible twists and turns of perception. Everyone who reads something might see a different metaphor. Until the professor presents a comparison. Then it's like a lightbulb sometimes and everyone is seeing the same story. Fun stuff.

[ElvenFury]

Sounds a bit dull at that level, but gets much cooler when you start talking about specifics. Why does Ruth lay down at Boaz's feet while he's sleeping as a way to get him to marry her in the Book of Ruth? Is this a remnant of a marriage custom? The position is certainly suggestive of a submissive relationship, which fits in with the typical portrayal of the ideal woman in the Old Testament, and so forth. There's an example of a sociocultural situation.
I'm not saying that literature isn't interesting. I love to read. I just hate the subjective nature of the grading process, and how assignments almost always boil down to "bullshitting". Unlike some people, I actually find it depressing to get a good grade on something that I know is 90% crap.

And while the enjoyment of any class can be made or broken by the teacher, language classes are the only ones that I've actually dropped because I knew (or strongly suspected, I suppose) that I wasn't going to do well with the teacher.

[BriarFox]

I'm not saying that literature isn't interesting. I love to read. I just hate the subjective nature of the grading process, and how assignments almost always boil down to "bullshitting". Unlike some people, I actually find it depressing to get a good grade on something that I know is 90% crap.

And while the enjoyment of any class can be made or broken by the teacher, language classes are the only ones that I've actually dropped because I knew (or strongly suspected, I suppose) that I wasn't going to do well with the teacher.

Ah, I see where you got subjective grading out of my comments. I didn't mean the professor was going to give it a bad grade because it was boring. I meant that it'd get a bad grade because it might turn out to be a mediocre, average reading of a moment probably covered in class in detail. If it lacks insight, precision, and originality, it's not going to get an A.

The reason English seems more subjective is because the skills it asks you to master are more intangible than, "Did my experiment succeed?" You have to be able to carefully craft an argument (an essay) for a specific purpose (to answer an assignment prompt) for a specific audience (your professor or peers), taking into account the specific context (things that have been discussed in class and provided in the readings, etc.). The necessity of doing that doesn't change, but those various points are highly fluid. An A is always a sign that you've mastered that rhetorical milieu.

[Latrinsorm]

Analyzing a paragraph from the Bible or Durkheim is fascinating and worth at least 10 pages. Analyzing a paragraph of pure literature is... less fascinating. Good luck! :)

[BriarFox]

Analyzing a paragraph from the Bible or Durkheim is fascinating and worth at least 10 pages. Analyzing a paragraph of pure literature is... less fascinating. Good luck! :)

I protest. The Bible is pure literature, made all the more interesting for its 3000 year use, in its various forms. ;)

[Androidpk]

Analyzing a paragraph from the Bible or Durkheim is fascinating and worth at least 10 pages. Analyzing a paragraph of pure literature is... less fascinating. Good luck! :)

It was actually pretty easy, should be getting it back monday or wednesday.

[Bobmuhthol]

Dude, welcome to high school.

[Androidpk]

Dude, welcome to high school.

Trying to remember but I don't think I ever had to do one of these in high school.

[Androidpk]

Apparently my professor thinks this was my worst paper ever. >_> Still good enough for a B+ though.