1) Decide which text you are going to write your essay about: “Blue Collar Brilliance,” “My Racist Introduction”.
2) Introduction: Should explain the rhetorical situation of the text (some ideas: What is the writer’s purpose? What cultural assumptions or conversation is he/she writing in response to? What are some of the persuasive techniques that the writer is using to make his/her point? You can also include some background information about the author and/or the text.)
3) What is the main argument or message of the text? Your thesis will make a claim about the text’s main argument/purpose.
4) What are some of the most important supporting points that the author uses to support his/her main argument? Each body paragraph will focus on a different supporting idea; you should make a claim about each supporting idea in each topic sentence.
5) Find examples and quotes from the text to support each topic sentence.
6) Include evidence from at least one other source (that I gave you, or that you find on your own) to support at least one of your claims. What outside information would help you to strengthen your points about this text?
7) How are you evaluating or analyzing the author’s main ideas? Do you agree with the author’s point of view – why or why not? Why are his/her points significant in our culture? Do your own personal experiences support the author’s points? In the body paragraphs, you should analyze the author’s points, and you may include your own personal experience and point of view. (“I” is okay, but not in the thesis/topic sentences, and only as support for your claims about the text.)
I am including the two articles mentioned above in the files down below. They are:-
1) “Blue collar brilliance”, by Mike Rose, June 1, 2009
2) “My Racist introduction” An excerpt from How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
