Analysis of the article (400-500 words)

Humanities

1. Kim Sa-ryang’s “Into the Light” (200-250 words)

Write an analysis of the following passages. First, analyze them separately and then connect your interpretation of each passage to one another.

But the next instant, I remembered that my current name was Minami, a fact that reverberated through my entire body like the peal of an electric bell. Instinctively, I scrambled to think of my usual array of excuses. But it was pointless.

At that point, in self-defense you might say, I tried to beat Yi at his own game. In that case, I argued, how the hell are you any different from the man at the oden stand who yells, “Hey everybody, I’m Korean!” the minute he gets sentimental or passionate about something. Ultimately there’s no difference between you and Yamada Haruo bawling that he’s not Korean, is there?

How sad she’d sounded when she said, I ‘m a Korean. From her perspective, maybe she took some sort of pride in being married to a mainland Japanese man and used that as her sole consolation for enduring this adversity. Actually I was hoping that she harbored intense hatred toward that Hanbei. As a fellow Korean, I wanted to revel in her righteous indignation. But boy did she turn the tables on me.

2. At the end of Lisa Nakamura’s article, she offers a close reading of Jennifer Lopez’s music video, “If You Had My Love.” First, summarize her main arguments. Then, respond to the points, concepts, and issues she raises by coming up with your own questions about her analysis of Lopez’s video. The summary part should be a bit shorter and the rest of your essay, consisting of questions, should be longer. (Total of 200-250 words) The two parts can be separated out or they can be integrated with each other. The second part should not be just simple enumeration of short questions but rather you should offer 2 or 3 longer questions where you explore a series of dimensions of an issue treated in her analysis of the video.

(Composition Hints

I. Formulating a thesis statement and writing an opening paragraph.

1. Formulate a strong thesis, the main argument of your paper. Try to state your argument in a sentence or two. Couple your thesis statement with a few sentences of relevant background/introductory statement which place the thesis in context.

2. If your thesis is vague, your whole argument is likely to be vague, too. All paper topics, no matter how specific, require further focusing. You must decide how you will approach the topic–which aspects will you emphasize?

3. Don’t be afraid to “give away” your point. State your thesis as specifically as possible; in the rest of your paper, you will go through the details of your argument, giving evidence to support each statement, and making sure that each statement follows from your thesis and leads toward your conclusion.

4. The fact that introduction is the first part of your paper does not mean you have to write it first. In fact, you can come up with your thesis statement and write your introductiononly after you have worked through your arguments and supporting textual evidence. Sometimes you will come up with a specific and strong thesis, only after you have written several drafts.

5. In the opening paragraph, stick closely to the question/paper topic you have chosen to answer. You don’t need generalizations about “colonialism” or “the oppression of women.” You are dealing only with the specific ways in which these issues are treated by the text you are asked to write about.

II. Analysis

1. Your paper is expected to be analytical rather than simply a summary(paraphrase) of the texts or lectures/discussions.

2. All the topics ask you to write about issues, i.e. the whys and hows of things. They ask you to relate different aspects of the text(and/or relate the text to the larger historical context) and propose a hypothesis, make a judgment and/or draw a conclusion about the ways in which the text deals with the issues.

3. When you make a statement or argument about the text, you have to be able to support it with textual evidence, either through quotation or citation. In other words, your analysis of the text must be backed up with evidence you can gather from the text.

4. Summary simply repeats in different language what the original work says.

5. While your essay should consist mainly of analysis, you have to summarize selected plot elements or scenes relevant to your argument. Do it briefly. It is best to indicate some reason before you give selected plot elements.

III. The Process Called Writing

In order to write a good paper, you should be prepared to go through several stages:

1. Planning–reread or look over the text, especially the parts which concern the issues or the paper topics you are writing about, and take notes.

2. Pre-writing/outlining–you don’t have to use a formal outline, but you should find some method of organizing your ideas in rough form.

3. Rough drafts–you will need to go through several.

IV. Editing Your Paper

1. Do you state your thesis clearly in the opening paragraph?

2. Make sure your reasoning is sound.

3. Do you make clear the logical progression of your thought?

4. Do you support your argument(s) with specific and appropriate examples?

5. Is your organization effective? Paragraphs should flow from one to another. Are they connected with logical and smooth transitions?

6. Is each paragraph organized around a main point? Do you state the main point in the beginning of each paragraph?

7. Proofread carefully.

8. Create a title.

V. Style

1. When you cite a text, give reference to page number in parentheses within the body of your paper.

2. Stay in the present tense when analyzing a text.

3. Use of “I” should be kept to a minimum.

4. “This” is a word whose referent is often unclear. Be sure that you indicate clearly to what concept or fact in the preceding sentence your “this” refers. This indication will help your readers greatly.

5. Take out at least half your uses of “it” and “is.” Make active verbs do the main work of your argument.)