modify a essay

Essay#1 – Close Reading Analysis

Length: 3-4 pages

Due Date for Rough Draft: 2/3/20 via BB

Due Date for Rough Draft for peer review: 2/5/20

Due Date for Final Draft: 2/14/20 on BB

In class we have discussed Jamaica Kincaid’s “A Small Place.” Through different social and cultural lenses, her account examines issues of gender, tourism, and belonging. For your first essay, pick one of the passages from the text and write a close reading analysis. Your essay needs to have an argument, a thesis and although you zoom in on one specific passage (no more than 1-2 pages) you can refer to other moments in the text that support your argument.

Points to consider:

Remember a close reading is a sustained interpretation of a brief passage. Your goal is to use description to uncover multiple meanings/ significance within the scene and then to connect how this moment reflects the selected theme.

You should first pick your theme and then pick a scene you will focus on. You should employ detailed description of the particular scenes before you then discuss how the scene(s) examine or trouble the theme you have chosen.

You should bring in some quotation and paraphrasing from the text as that will give you material to back up your analysis. Quotes should be no more than 4 typed lines.

*Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, 1” margins

A small place essay

name

professor name

ENG 106

2/15/20

In this close reading analysis, the selected reading is “a small place”, which is giving a perspective on the social differences and the differences on the view of how people socialize and live. The main reason why this topic is chosen in paragraph 2, thus passage two, of the reading for close reading is to support my argument and analyze the selected passage through my viewpoint. Along with that, the way how the changes in the view could help establish an argument to support the thesis from the examples of the text given.

First of all, the passage has opened very well by explaining how if you were to ever travel from some other country to Antigua for the very first time, you should be really happy to bring your own book, because the only library that was once situated and located in Antigua was broken and burnt down during the days of war. And thus not only caused the damage to the library, but to all the readers, where they lost valuable books. This part of the passage is quite controversial in a way that even if the country is said to be developing and has been continuously compared against United States of America, the concept of education was demeaned in the beginning of the passage. However, the thesis argument here is that, very little that we know of Antigua as a safe and established place of living for people, there are many supporting examples that have been given to enhance the opinion of the readers regarding what it is like to live in Antigua and how corruption is residing in the system of Antigua. Therefore in this Analysis, the topic will cover how the close reading along with some examples to support the thesis argument regarding Antigua and from the overall passage would be depicted.

In the progressing lines of the selected 2nd paragraph, the readers get to read that the writer has depicted strongly a view and an opinion to convince people, that the standard of living of Antigua is definitely providing equality and opportunities for all kinds of nationalities and their class background. “Now you are passing a mansion, a. extraordinary house painted.” this line has strong impression that was developed to suggest the earlier built argument. The mansion is beautiful and is expected to be belonging to some billionaire who owns various factories etc. However, the truth lies in the contrary, as the mansion is so beautiful, but it does not belong to an extremely rich person. It is in fact owned by the Arab family who has moved from the Middle Eastern region, and sold merchandise from door to door, ended up to have a beautiful life in such a big mansion. This from the outside might develop an opinion that people are able to work hard and get to this place. But the opinion however which is depicted is formed further in the next supporting example of the passage, where the writer says, that as you continue walking down the street, there is another mansion which belongs to a smuggling family. This then creates a confusion, yet a very direct depiction of how corruption is surpassing in the region. It is so easy for everyone to be aware of who belong wealth, through right or wrong means, but there are no specific actions that have been taken regarding such activities taking place.

Furthermore, they have also established that the place has given so much rights to an illegal dealer, who carries millions of US dollars and owns about 5 to 6 illegal islands, have been living in peace. But then on the other hand you see the labor who works day and night for then to be able to earn their living, are underpaid. This is not just about the labor getting underpaid, it is directly talking about how it’s impacting the standard of living for those who are genuine to their work compared to those not so genuine shopKeepers in Yorkshire, Lancashire etc. The poor have been given a voice through the text where they are ridiculously talking about the rich people of Antigua. And how they are referring to their wealth as the labor’s exploitation and their silence over their exploitation. Moreover, the picture of how the unskilled labor is treated, oppressed and is exploited continuously is also given a suggestion in the chosen passage (Franklin, 2018)

Not only in the chosen close reading but in the entire reading, a small place, the writer has suggested directly and indirectly in many places how he feels, as a native of Antigua. And this writing is therefore his action to raise his voice for some action to be taken against the illegal workings and exploitative activities taking place.

He has also made a very sad opening of the idea on how you might get all dressed up and get ready to enjoy a great dinner, but the city is so happening that no one has time for one another. It is more like in a big crowd you will still feel alone. It shows how the disloyalty runs in the blood in the city. The vibe is fake and so are the people. This is what is suggested in the text, that the city has gotten over populated, as you will come across many people, so much that you won’t be able to calculate where they exactly live.

This passage was therefore an insight from the native of Antigua, who has certain genuine issues regarding the way the city is running. However, there are certain aspects in the reading that could be raised against the thesis argument and analysis made to suggest that Antigua is negatively portrayed by the writer and in some way, he has made the readers realize that through his reading. At one place where the writer says, that the person who owns a mansion was a door to door seller, does suggest equality and opportunities to prosper for people who work hard. To a large extent, this passage could become debatable, thus any argument made is valid or invalid at the same time.

References

B, R. (2015). Disclosure statement. 231-32.

Fabian. (2017). Time and the Other: How anthropology makes its object. . Newyork-columbian, 245-50.

Franklin. (2018). Presence and representation: The Other and anthropological writing. Critical Inquiry. 753-782.