Generally speaking, the lens should expose one thing concerning the initial or “target” text that will never be otherwise obvious. Instead, your analysis may phone the legitimacy regarding the arguments for the lens piece into concern, expand the arguments regarding the lens text, or provoke several other reevaluation associated with two texts. In any event, you’ll be creating a“dialogue that is critical texts.”
Reading the Texts
Because you will sooner or later wish to hone in on points of commonality and discord involving the two texts, your order and manner by which you read them is a must.
First, read the lens text to spot the core that is author’s and language. Since theoretical or critical texts are usually thick and complex, it may possibly be beneficial to develop an overview for the author’s points that are primary. According the to Brandeis Writing Program Handbook, a very important lens essay will “grapple with main some ideas” of the lens text, in the place of coping with remote quotes which will or may possibly not be indicative of this author’s argument in general. As such, it is essential to ensure that you certainly realize and may articulate the author’s details before continuing towards the target text.
Then, quickly browse the target text to produce an idea that is general of content. Then, think about: Where do we see basic points of disagreement or agreement amongst the two texts? Which associated with the lens text’s arguments that are main be employed to your target text? It could be much easier to concentrate on a couple of of the lens text’s central arguments.
With one of these tips in your mind, return back and browse the target text very carefully, through the theoretical lens, thinking about the next concerns: which are the main aspects of the lens text and exactly what are their complementary parts within the target text? How do I apply the lens author’s theoretical language or logic to circumstances when you look at the target text? Is there circumstances where in fact the lens text’s arguments don’t or can’t apply? Exactly why is this? It is useful to keep a careful, written record of web page figures, quotes, as well as your ideas and reactions while you read.
Because this types of paper relates to a complex synthesis of multiple sources, its particularly crucial to own an obvious strategy before you start composing. It might help to cluster quotes or activities by subject material, by theme, or by if they support, contradict, or elsewhere alter the arguments within the lens text. Hopefully, typical themes, some ideas, and arguments will start to emerge and you will begin drafting!
Composing the Introduction and Thesis
As the paper has to do with the interactions that are complex numerous texts, it’s important to explain what you would be doing the introduction. Be sure to plainly introduce the lens text and its own arguments that are specific will likely be employing or assessing. Then introduce the target text as well as its themes that are specific activities you will end up handling in your analysis.
These introductions of texts and themes should lead into some type or sorts of thesis declaration. Though there are not any set guidelines or conventions for just what this thesis should appear to be, make certain it states the points of relationship you will end up talking about, and describes exacltly what the critical or theoretical analysis associated with the target text reveals concerning the texts.
Writing your body
The human body is when you use particular arguments through the lens text to quotes that are specific circumstances when you look at the target text. In each instance, remember to talk about just exactly exactly what the lens text reveals concerning the target text (or the other way around). Make use of the lens text’s language and rational framework to examine the mark text, but ensure that you be clear about where a few ideas when you look at the paper are coming from (the lens text, the mark text, your own personal interpretation etc.) so that the reader does not be confused.
By participating in this sort of analysis, you might be “entering a conversation that is academic and inserting your very own tips. Since this might be definitely easier in theory, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein’s notion of “Templates” may show helpful. Inside their guide, they state, I state, the authors construct numerous templates to simply help authors take part in unknown types of critical scholastic discourse. They encourage pupils to make use of the templates in almost any ability they find helpful, be it filling them in verbatim, modifying and extending them, or with them being an analytical entry way, then discarding them completely.
Here we modify their template that is basic say ________. I say ________.), to produce lens templates that are essay-specific help you to get started:
The writer regarding the lens text lays out a helpful framework for understanding cases of ________ in the mark text. Certainly, into the target text, one sees that is______, which essaywriter may be viewed a good example of ________ by the lens author’s meaning. Therefore, we come across a spot of commonality _____ that is concerning__. This similarity reveals ________.
In line with the lens text _______ tends to take place in situations where _______. By the lens author’s meaning, ________ in the prospective text could possibly be considered a case of _______. But, this parallel is imperfect because _______. As a result, we become aware of ________.
One sees ________ in the mark text, which calls the lens author’s argument that ________ into question because ________.
In the event that writer of the lens text is proper that ________, you might be prepared to see ________ in the goal text. Nevertheless, ________ really occurs, exposing a point that is critical of. This discord implies that ________. This dilemma is important because ________.
Wrapping Things up and Drawing Conclusions
By this aspect in your essay, you need to be drawing conclusions regarding exactly what your lens analysis reveals concerning the texts in concerns, or even the broader problems the texts address. Remember to explain why these discoveries are essential when it comes to discipline where you might be composing. Put differently, that which was the point of undertaking your analysis within the place that is first? Delighted lens writing!
Brandeis UWS Writing Handbook, 70.
Birkenstein, Cathy and Gerald Graff, They State, I State. (Ny: W. W. Norton & Business, 2007), 2-3.