Essay 2: Now that we have worked with contact zones and autobiographies at sites/in sources that we are familiar with, for this essay you should apply a similar framework to an essay located within our textbook that we will not cover during our reading calendar.
For this essay, please consider “Ways of Seeing” (139) and “The Vulnerable Observer” (108) as providing a framework for how you should engage one of the following primary sources:
Alison Bechdel’s “The Ordinary Devoted Mother” (69)
Joy Castro’s “Hungry” (207)
Ta-Nehisi Coate’s “Between the World and Me” (242)
June Jordan’s “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You and The Future Life of Willie Jordan” (399)
Scaachi Koul’s “Hunting Season” (417)
When you have selected one of these sources, write an essay that considers how reading the source functioned as a contact zone for you, and what aspects of your autobiography may have impacted your ability to read and understand the source. You should take this a step further by doing research on the topics and themes discussed in the source, comparing the reading to data, statistics, and commentary. You should draft an essay that:
Spans the length of 1000-1250 words
Uses one of the above required sources*
Uses “Ways of Seeing” (139) and/or “The Vulnerable Observer” (108)
Uses at least three research articles located from the library’s databases
Adheres to MLA format
* Note: You may select another reading from the textbook as long as you e-mail me with which essay you would like to research/write on. It cannot be a reading already listed on our course calendar.
Sample topics:
Alison Bechdel’s comic “The Ordinary Devoted Mother” (69) chronicles Bechdel’s own disconnect with her mother after her father’s suicide. In the comic, she grapples with the distance between herself and her mother, especially after the traumatic event. How do our expectations of parent-child relationships impact how we understand Bechdel’s essay? How does research/statistics show traumatic events and their role in those relationships? As observers, how do we see Bechdel’s comic, and where does that seeing come from?
Joy Castro’s essay “Hungry” (207) details Castro’s experience as a first-generation college student coming out of an oppressive and restrictive home life. Throughout the essay, she discusses how her home life starved her of the knowledge that could give her access to places of power, stability, and influence. How do our own perceptions of first-generation college students, religion, and home life impact our understanding of Castro’s experiences? What does research say about students who come from Castro’s background? As observers, how does reading Castro’s essay in a published anthology impact how we see her situation and circumstance?
Ta-Nehisi Coates’ essay “Between the World and Me” (242) takes the stance of a black father telling his son what expectations he can have of the world as he grows up. This letter comes from a place of personal experience, collective cultural knowledge, and desire to survive. How do our own understandings of father-son relationships and racial tensions impact our readings of this letter? What does research (especially research performed by scholars of color) seem to indicate about the advice Coates supplies his son? As observers, how should we position ourself to see and understand this reading?
June Jordan’s “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You and The Future Life of Willie Jordan” (399) unpacks Black English as a type of English that should be observed, understood, and accepted by scholars. Throughout the essay, Jordan describes the rules of Black English and educates her audience on the origins of various Englishness. How do our own thoughts and histories with English impact how we understand Jordan’s essay? What does research describing the history of English reflect Jordan’s claims? As observers, what would be the most effective way to see the ideas expressed in this essay?
Scaachi Koul’s “Hunting Season” (417) takes the reader through Koul’s experiences being a vulnerable woman in social situations and how she copes with tactics used to take advantage of women in public spaces. During the essay, Koul tackles the controversial topic of “rape culture” head on, citing personal experience and cultural expectations for men and women. How do our own thoughts about men, women, and violence impact how we understand the experiences in Koul’s essay? What does research about rape culture seem to indicate about the claims Koul makes? As observers, how should we see Koul’s experiences, and what should we reflect on about our seeing?
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